Resident Evil 5

It’s been 4 years in the making. But it’s finally here. Resident Evil 5, the latest entry in Capcom’s acclaimed Resident Evil franchise has finally hit the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Featuring drastic changes from the past Resident Evil games, this game promises to entertain old and new fans alike. Here are my thoughts...


The latest entry in the series puts the players in the shoes of one Chris Redfield. The star of the first Resident Evil game and widely considered as the central hero of the series. Chris Redfield is joined by the lovely Sheva Alomar as they experience unspeakable terror in a remote African region of Kijuju. Together they must solve the mystery of the infection that has plagued the innocent civilians and ensure their own survival.

The partner feature is by far the biggest departure the game takes from the rest of the series. Unlike the previous games you will never be alone this time around. Chris and Sheva will be together at all times, and you have the option to go online and play as either Chris or Sheva with someone else controlling the other character. But just because you have two sets of guns, it doesn’t mean there’s nothing to fear. The game has a new, faster, stronger and smarter cast of enemies that would love nothing more than to rip you apart.

Down to it’s core, Resident Evil 5 can be summarized as Resident Evil 4 in HD with online capabilities. The core game play is almost exactly the same as Resident Evil 4. You still have the over the shoulder aiming system that was introduced in Resident Evil 4, and similar to RE4 the game restricts movement while aiming and shooting, which ends up creating a feel of tension unlike any other game. Taking the new enemies into account, the game has optional control schemes that allow you to strafe, which is a completely new feature for the series. Fans of the Resident Evil 4 control scheme still have the option to revert to the classic controls if they choose to. There’s multiple control choices for different types of gamers.



The ability to play online with another person gives the game a whole new outlook


That’s not to say that the game play is perfect, it still has its flaws. For example in some locations of the game, a half assed cover mechanic is given for the player to use, and considering how the action ramps up in the later levels, it becomes kind of necessary to use it. But things like this are only minor gripes in the grand scheme of the game play mechanics.

The ability to play online is the other big addition to the game. Now you have the ability to play the game with someone else through multiple methods. You can do proper online via Xbox Live or PSN, system link on the 360 or even split screen Co-op which splits the game vertically. Getting online is a simple and hassle free process. The person who hosts the game will always play as Chris, while the person joining the game is always going to be Sheva. But since both the characters are exactly the same, there really isn’t much difference here besides Sheva being left-handed.

If you’re one of those people who doesn’t have access to a decent internet connection, or you just don’t have any friends or want to play the game alone, there’s nothing to worry about as during the absence of a second person a competent AI takes control of your partner character. The AI is competent for the most part, making smart judgments and taking care of itself when the shit hits the fan. But as most games with AI partners, it tends to fall apart on the final levels where the enemy AI becomes much more aggressive.



Infected villagers aren’t the only thing you need to watch out for


Concerning game play, several things have been changed from Resident Evil 4. For starters, the inventory returns to the classic Resident Evil slot style instead of the attache case from RE4. Your space is also very limited as you can only hold 9 items on Chris and Sheva each at one time. Accessing the inventory during the game doesn’t pause it and item usage and swapping must be done in real time, which adds tension as you can see the enemies charging towards you. At the end of each chapter you can access a shop menu where you can reorganize your inventory, put useless items in a storage area and buy or upgrade weapons and healing items. This adds a more main stream interface to the game, but it looses the charm that Resident Evil 4’s Merchant character had.

Let’s talk about the game’s plot and story. We can safely say that the story line in the Resident Evil games isn’t as deep or epic as say a Metal Gear game, but the B movie cheesy-ness is very entertaining and for someone like me who has been following it from the very first game, it’s great to see that the developers are focusing on the original storyline. Unlike Resident Evil 4 which didn’t have any connection to the past games, Resident Evil 5 is all about the Resident Evil history.

The story goes all the way back to the birth of the Umbrella Corporation and all the major events from the 60’s to the mansion incident to Resident Evil 4 are recalled in the game in one form or another.



You and your partner will have to work together to bring down insurmountable odds


The central storyline revolves around the Progenitor virus, the original virus which led to the development of the T virus and its many variants which have been the cause of all the disasters in the Resident Evil history. The majority of the game takes place in rural Africa, the birth place of the flower from which the Progenitor virus is derived. Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar begin their mission as a simple operation to stop a bio-terrorism weapons deal, but they soon realize that they’ve stumbled upon something much larger. The weapons dealer they’re trying to apprehend is a part of a much larger organization that happens to be based nearby.

Expect several central characters from the Resident Evil series to return, including those who have only been mentioned in files, and never shown in person. The plot tries its best to tie all the loose ends like MGS4 did, although not as successfully and completely, but it still manages to do it in a good way for the most part. Resident Evil 5 effectively marks the end of the Umbrella’s story, their history and the effects they had on the world after closing down. Even then the game still introduces a new dominant company, and there are still certain aspects of the Resident Evil history that have remained untouched that can potentially spearhead the future of the series.

Capcom have hit a new level as far as technical achievement goes. Using their revolutionary MT Framework engine, Capcom have managed to create one of the prettiest looking game this generation has seen so far, and it’s equally gorgeous on both platforms which makes it all the more impressive. The game has sharp textures and amazingly detailed character models. The environments are top notch, and while they’re mostly static, a good deal of the back drops can be destroyed by larger enemies or explosions as well. Besides a little bit of tearing on the 360 and some odd frame rate drops on the PS3 version the graphics are mostly top notch and give off a cinematic experience that matches the game’s block buster presentation.



The character models look and animate superbly


Special credit goes to the artists behind the real time cut scenes. The detail in the cut scenes is ten folds of what it is in-game. Often reaching the quality and standards of something like Metal Gear Solid. The cut scenes also feature superb motion capturing which gives every subtle character movement a realistic look.

As good as the graphics of the game are, the sound track matches it in every way. Featuring orchestral scores vastly improved over Resident Evil 4, the tracks in this game range from terror, tension to epic themes during big set piece battles. The sound track manages to bring out the emotion in several key battles ranging from the feeling of helplessness to the fight for one’s very life. This is one of those games who’s OST you would want to buy separately. Besides the OST the game features some top notch voice acting from tried and tested talent. Though the dialogue is very cheesy at times thanks to the Resident Evil writing team, its delivery is still very believable. Things like pitch perfect lip syncing and snappy one liners makes cut scenes that much more entertaining to watch.

During the first time through the game can easily last a satisfying 10 to 12 hours. It may not be as big as Resident Evil 4 if you compare them, but that’s just because the game throws in one great set piece after another and doesn’t bog you down with un-needed back tracking or forcing you through area’s with no real activity ala the majority of the castle in Resident Evil 4. Even then, once you beat the game there are a multitude of reasons you would want to replay the game. Featuring a host of un-lockable game modes, graphic filters extra costumes and a wealth of hidden arsenal, this is one game that will give you many reasons to replay the levels one more time.



Killing another person has never been more satisfying


Once the main game is beaten, the infamous Mercenaries mode is unlocked, which is basically a typical set piece in Resident Evil 5 with infinite amount of enemies coming at you from all directions. You’re given a fixed time limit that can be increased by finding checkpoints within a level, and you’re task is to kill as many enemies as you can, building up combo’s to increase the points you earn. All kinds of sub-bosses from the actual game appear in Mercenaries as well, ramping up the challenge and offering even more points if you manage to kill them. Now this may not sound that exciting on paper, but Mercenaries is incredibly addictive. Mercenaries also features online co-op and a forth coming patch will add a versus mode as well, ensuring replay-ability far beyond the game’s release.

Resident Evil 5 is a game that offers something for both the original fans of the series, and for new comers who may be interested after the success of Resident Evil 4. The central storyline revolves around the original incidents but it manages to throw in enough references and in-game material so that any new comer would have a good idea of what’s going on. This is complimented by the evolved game play from Resident Evil 4, more refined to make it faster and better.

Overall, the game takes the game play formula that its predecessor established and refines it producing an enjoyable game play experience that will leave you satisfied and make you want to replay the game again. The ability to play online co-op with friends or with random people around the globe gives the game infinite amount of replay-ability and with Capcom looking forward to adding more game modes via online patches and DLC, you can expect the game to have a lasting appeal. If you can get past the minor control issues and some game play blemishes, Resident Evil 5 is one of the most enjoyable game released this generation. Capcom have struck gold yet again.



Sticking together is the difference between life and death