Resident Evil has now fully evolved beyond its survival horror roots, but the new genre of Evil is still worth playing.
One thing Resident Evil 5 does have in common with its predecessors however, is a truly engaging story. The game puts you in control of Chris Redfield, a familiar face who made his debut in the first game. Chris now works for an anti-bio-terrorism agency called the BSAA, which is intent on cleaning up bio-weapons that have fallen into terrorist hands due to the fall of the Umbrella Corporation. Chris' latest mission puts him in the Kijuju district of Africa in hot pursuit of a known bio-weapon dealer, Ricardo Irving. After arriving in Africa, Chris meets a local BSAA operative, Sheva Alomar, who joins Chris on his mission. Shortly into the game, Chris and Sheva will also learn about a top secret terrorist project known only as: Uroboros. As the game unfolds, more details on Uroboros are revealed, and what was supposed to be a simple weapons dealer takedown, turns into something much bigger. The story unfolds in a climatic way, leaving you hungry for more details as you progress through the game.
This game shares the same over the shoulder camera angle and aiming style as Resident Evil 4. In fact, it may be a little too similar to Resident Evil 4. The only truly original feature Resident Evil 5 adds to the series is a co-op system. Although a very well implemented feature, a few more gameplay changes would have been welcome. The co-op system will put Sheva at your side throughout the entire game. Sheva can engage enemies, watch your back, and help you cross certain obstacles you encounter. Sheva's AI is competent for the most part, although a few situations can cause problems. In an area that requires you to move through quickly to dodge a trap, for example, Sheva tends to walk right into it, killing herself. Sheva will also tend to go in her own direction, in some rare cases, when you want her to follow you. Luckily, there is the option for someone else to control Sheva, either through split screen or online play. With someone in control of Sheva, you will find a couple areas a lot less frustrating, but the game is still easily completed by just using her AI.
The old inventory system of Resident Evil 4 has been scrapped as well. Chris and Sheva each have 9 slots to store weapons, items, and ammo. Chris and Sheva can also swap items during the game. Unlike previous games, the action is not paused when you open your inventory, so swapping weapons and supplies in the middle of a boss fight is not recommended. Unfortunately, you will find the system a bit annoying once you have acquired more weapons. Deciding who gets what weapon, and micromanaging herbs, ammo, and grenades, all while dodging enemies, can be a pain. You will have the opportunity to store items and weapons in between chapters and when you begin playing, however.
The game flows smoothly as you fight your way into different areas. The boss fights are well placed, and most of the time, you won't even realize one is right around the corner. The fights themselves are very intense requiring you to follow the button prompts on screen to dodge attacks, all while you're busy unloading ammo and using the environment to defeat the creature. Some of the fights are a bit too easy but still enjoyable. The cut scenes that require you to press the right button combo or die also make a return in this game. These can cause a headache if you happen to miss one at the end of the scene, and have to watch the whole thing over again. Resident Evil 5 only takes around 12-15 hours to complete on your first trip through, but offers a huge replayability factor. The Mercenaries mini game makes a return but with a new twist: online play. You can also collect all the PS3 trophies for hunting all the treasure in the game, shooting all the hidden BSAA emblems, beating the game in a harder Professional mode, and tons of other unlockable features to keep you busy for a long time.
The graphics and environments are visually stunning. As you trek into different locations you will notice the high level of detail that went into making them. All of the bosses, twisted creatures, and character models are also highly detailed. The movement animations are flawless, and the cut scenes are high quality and action packed. The music really fits the atmosphere of the game too. It gets a little too quiet when no enemies are around, making you wonder what is lurking ahead. When you are in the middle of a crucial boss battle, the music picks up and sets the mood perfectly. You can also expect more of the Resident Evil trademarked cheesy dialogue and out of context one liners in this game as well. When Chris and Sheva interact in the game, they do repeat the same things over and over again, which can get on your nerves after a while. It's certainly not game breaking though.
Resident Evil may not be a survival horror game anymore, but don't let that stop you from trying this game. Change is not always a bad thing, and Capcom has pulled this change off quite well, even though fans of the original games may feel left in the dark. Sometimes games need to evolve in order to attract a new audience and offer new experiences for fans, otherwise they will get boring and repetitive over time. For both newcomers and fans of the series who are willing to accept the new direction, Resident Evil 5 offers stunning visuals, a great story, and an amazing replay value that make it a worthy addition to your game collection.