Capcom is a huge company. They are a gaming studio from Japan, though their team is very diverse and quite international. They are known for classics like Devil May Cry, the Street Fighter series and (one of their most important achievements ever) – one of the first pieces of software to be named a "survival horror" game - Resident Evil, originally released in 1996. Around nine years later, in early 2005, the fourth instalment of the RE series (known as Resident Evil 4) hit the shelves. It was considered just as influential and revolutionary, if not more than, the first Resident Evil game. As Capcom pretty much invented the over-the-shoulder viewpoint in RE4, it had a massive impact on the genres of survival horror and third-person shooter. Without it, there would be no Gears of War, no Dead Space, and no Batman: Arkham Asylum - aiming would also look much different in the Grand Theft Auto and Ratchet & Clank Future series. So, looking back at Capcom's important history and the effect its products had on the gaming industry, let's review Resident Evil 5.
Just like it is with most games, the easiest place to start at is graphics. In 2005, many called Resident Evil 4 the best-looking game ever made. Let me tell you already that Resident Evil 5 isn't as much of a step forwards (both in terms of technological and artistic design) as its predecessor was, but it sure does look gorgeous anyway. Although most of the action takes place in Africa, there is still plenty of variety between the game's environments. The majority of the first few sections of RE5 will have you rushing through unfortunate villages filled with their infected inhabitants, but things get much more complicated as the plot of the game takes flight. As you would expect, the PC version sports higher-resolution textures, smoother edges, better lightning and a slicker frame rate than that of the console versions. What's even better is that none of this requires any overly expensive hardware, so most modern systems should be able to run it at max without any significant drops in fps.
Okay, let's move onto the story. Chris Redfield (one of Resident Evil's numerous protagonists), now member of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), is dispatched to Kijuju, Africa to capture a man called Ricardo Irving who plans to sell a bio-organic weapon to terrorist organizations. Once at the desired location, Chris sees that the locals have been converted by parasites (similar to those we saw in RE4) into "Majini", and that the members of the BSAA's Alpha team have been killed. Unfortunately, that's all I'll give you as the rest is too good to be spoiled. No really, even for a game that revolves around shooting, RE5 has a nice plot. The characters are well-developed and the story is interesting, especially if you're a fan of the Resident Evil franchise. However, despite of what I've just said, be prepared to hear some b-movie lines and don't expect master writing here. All things considered, the story of this game is awesome through the eyes of dedicated fans and just good to everyone else.
The gameplay of Resident Evil 5 utilizes the same basics that its predecessor did, with some slightly more action-oriented changes & additions. One of such modifications is this: accessing your character's inventory no longer pauses the game, so everything from combining medicine to healing and switching weapons has to be done in real time. You also can't carry as many items this time around. These changes make the action more intense and, overall, work out for the best. In any case, although the gameplay still has you stopping and aiming to shoot instead of just "running and gunning" (which is good and provides for a more unique, original and powerful experience), there are still two major differences from Resident Evil 4 to Resident Evil 5.
In RE4, we played as Leon Kennedy - one of the few survivors of the zombie-infested tragedy that took place in Raccoon City. We were sent to find the US president's kidnapped daughter in the previous. When we did find her, there were still plenty of things to take care of (not to mention getting the girl out of the dangerous place). This meant that Ashley (the president's daughter) was more of a hindrance to the player, as we had to protect her many times throughout the game because she could not fight back the hordes of Ganados. In RE5, Chris is partnered with another BSAA agent; Sheva Alomar. Unlike Ashley, Sheva is a grown-up woman and a professional agent… meaning that she gets her own inventory, melee strikes and weapons. One of Resident Evil 5's strongest points is that it can be played offline, or in online multiplayer with another player taking the role of Sheva (the console versions also support local co-op). In short: the removal of a helpless annoyance in order to be replaced by a useful companion is a step forward.
Another big difference between these two similar games is the atmosphere. Resident Evil 4 was downright creepy most of the time and there was always a hostile feeling of everything you encountered. Resident Evil 5 is, from this viewpoint, a completely altered experience. There's much less serenity, less spookiness, less weirdness and less atmosphere in general. To be honest, there is so much action in RE5 that I'm not sure if it's appropriate to call it a survival horror game anymore. There are really few things in the game that can even be considered scary in the slightest. It's really more of a third-person shooter now. The action in the game really is great; at times it's thrilling, but I expected something much more frightening from a Resident Evil title, as would other fans.
Audio design is something that Capcom worked very well on this time. It may not be as extraordinary as that of some other games out there, mostly due to that previously-mentioned lack of strong atmosphere, but that doesn't change the fact that the soundtrack consists of some awesome music, the voice acting gives personality to the game's characters and the sound effects are much more than just satisfactory. What more would you need for good audio design?
Alright, it's time to sum it all up:
GAMEPLAY – 7.5/10 (Good)
On the whole, the singleplayer is a blast to play through - even better if you want to complete it with friends - but the lack of atmosphere, horror and immersion is a let-down that makes you wonder if you're actually playing a Resident Evil title.
STABILITY – 7.5/10 (Good)
Occasional connectivity problems and very few glitches don't stop RE5 from being a generally stable and reliable game both on the PC and the consoles, as long as you ignore its dumb AI issues.
STORY - 7/10 (Decent)
The backstory is impressive and the protagonists are likeable; the plot itself is also quite engaging, but there's plenty of room for some improvements.
GRAPHICS – 8.5/10 (Great)
Perhaps not the best-looking game of 2009, Resident Evil 5 can still be quite stunning at times and its visuals remain consistent throughout.
SOUND – 8/10 (Impressive)
Good voice acting for a Japanese title, authentic & believable sound effects and some stellar musical pieces are featured in the game's soundtrack plus a haunting main theme.
LONGEVITY - 9/10 (Outstanding)
Singleplayer alone is around 13 or 14 hours in length, and then you have the online features, the additional game modes and the tons of unlockables.
When all is said and done, Resident Evil 5 is a really fun-to-play game. Although its fairly unique gameplay will keep you on your toes, it never really scares you at any point throughout the experience. The feeling of struggling for survival and the serene yet chaotic atmosphere from the previous Resident Evil titles is almost utterly gone, in favour of more action and shooting. Ammunition is less scarce (though still harder to come by than in most shooters) and everything just feels more like a rollercoaster ride, rather than an eerie walk through a disturbing place. In terms of sheer fun, replayability and multiplayer features - as well as collectibles, extra game modes and unlockables - you could find few better games of this type out there. But if you are looking for something that will terrify you and fill your mind with nightmares, playing Dead Space or going back to Resident Evil 4 would be the better choice.
Resident Evil 5's main problem is that it has a bit of an identity crisis. Traces of a survival horror game and Resident Evil 4's basic structure remain partially intact but, at the end of the day, fans of shooters will probably find this game slightly more appealing than those who adored RE4. On the other hand, I guess lovers of the Resident Evil franchise will still appreciate RE5's fast-paced plot and action-packed gameplay as long as they are able to forgive its shortcomings.
OVERALL RATING – 7.5/10 (Good)
NEW GS RATING – 7/10