Resident Evil 5 is a fantastic game. That being said, the game is not without it problem and ultimately feels like it needs to be viewed through rose-colored glasses in the wake of it’s genre defining predecessor (ie Resident Evil 4). RE5 puts you back in control of series veteran Chris Redfield taking part in another ill-fated mission which, in the grand tradition of Resident Evil games, predictably goes to shit as soon as possible. Setting the game in Africa has been a major point of controversy surrounding the release of the game with the supposed racist and stereotypical imagery that it perpetuates, however Capcom ensures a veritable mixing pot of races to dispose of throughout the game, and ultimately a zombie is a zombie, nothing more.

Sharing in your African Adventure is newcomer Sheva Alomar, with control duties being handled by either a computer AI or a friend over Xbox Live. With split screen being implemented in such an odd way, and the computer AI being equivalent to that of a 5 year old, playing over Live is really the way the game was supposed to be played. While I slugged it out through the campaign with the “help” of Sheva’s AI, I wouldn’t recommend doing it if your Live friends-list is full of people playing as well. If for whatever reason you have to play through the game offline, it is best to relegate Sheva to healing duties as the ability to pause the game and heal has been replaced with real-time inventory management.

Was it Square-Enix or Capcom that Bought Eidos?

With Resident Evil 4 being one of the seminal titles from the previous console cycle, RE5 had enormous shoes to fill from the start. The leap in graphical fidelity is probably the most noticeable evolution between the titles. With graphics that look good on either a large high definition television or a 20-inch SDTV (I have tried both), the graphics certainly don’t disappoint. With top-notch level and scenario design to accompany the graphical upgrade, there are no doubts left in my mind that the folks at Capcom can’t make a great games.

While everyone that plays the game will have differing opinions on the control scheme, I found it to be exactly what I wanted in wake of Resident Evil 4. The Internet as a whole seems out to crucify the game for not evolving along with the subsequent games it inspired, but in all honesty I found nothing wrong with the basic controls of the game. Although I don’t think a game can ever benefit from having antiquated controls, it is what I have come to expect from the Resident Evil games. The argument of having better controls when the game has abandoned it’s survival horror roots instead opting for a more focused action experience is a valid one, but after picking up the controller and actually playing it I never really had an issue.

As much as the control scheme is despised for it’s lack to evolve with the times, this choice could be justified when the newly implemented cover system is critiqued. The cover system exemplifies just how far Japanese development has fallen behind over the past console generation. Everything about it from how the cover is activated, to how it is implemented through the level design just feels wrong. The latter half of the game is committed to this mechanic and while not rendering the game unplayable, it does seems to hamper the experience.

Although Chris may seem like he has taken some performance enhancing drugs, Capcom did have a specific reason which becomes apparent late in the game as the reason for his newly muscled physique.

Although I have found many parts of the game to nit-pick, it remains one of the best games of the current generation of consoles. The pacing is one of the crowning achievements of the game, funneling the player efficiently between different types of encounters and boss fights. Weapons feel diverse, yet consistent, and the upgrading system is still as addictive as it was in Resident Evil 4 (Though the cloaked vendor is sorely missed). While quick time events have spread like the plague through the video game industry, but in RE5 they manage to blend seamlessly into cut scenes with the intention of creating a more cinematic experience.

So while Resident Evil 5 lacks the profound impact on the industry that Resident Evil 4 had, an exemplary game still exists underneath a few annoying quirks. Anyone that played and enjoyed Resident Evil 4 will feel right at home and love it despite the lack of evolution over the past 4 years.

-Eric Wall

Tags: Action, Capcom, Innovation, Resident Evil 5, Survival Horror

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