Resident Evil 5 Review

Considered to be the best game to come out on Nintendo’s purple cube, Resident Evil 4 took the series in a bold new direction and it paid off dearly. Everyone could have guessed at that point the overhead tank controls would be abandoned and move towards this more action approach, which was a great choice. Resident Evil 5 adopts this control scheme and runs with it dropping the the scary aspects of the first titles. Some might view this as the end of the series but I view it as continuing the fresh new beginning that RE4 started. Yes everyone, drop your fears about it not being new enough from the last generation one, this game will surprise you and keep you interested until the very end.

The game takes place in Africa where the whole virus problem seemed to start at. Chris Redfield, a series veteran, is set to find out what the situation is and try to solve it. He is accompanied by Sheva Alomar which introduces for the first time ever Co-Op. Co-Op is a great addition to the game, but makes the game a little too easy. Be it or not, it adds a layer of fun that action games of this generation have started to use. All the signature charms are present in RE5 including the ridiculous storyline and large epic boss battles.

While the game places you in the jungles of Africa, the game takes you in a number of locations including caves and ruined out buildings. Graphically, the game looks amazing. The lighting and explosion effects look about the best I’ve seen in a video game. I actually died a couple times because I was too busy looking around at the beautiful environments. One instance where the lighting effects really shine is while you are in a cave and your flashlight is your only source of light. The character and boss models are top notch; the boss animations show off a wide range of detail.

The gameplay hold up quite well even if the control scheme comes off a bit limited. There was only one or two instances where I would have liked to move while I shoot, but mostly was never a concern of mine. Later on, you get the ability to take cover which helps but is not real intuitive. QTE (quick time events) are present during cut scenes which helps make things more interactive but you never knew when they are coming and I guarantee the first time they show up you won’t be ready and probably will have to restart. Having a partner has it’s ups and downs also. Stated above, it makes the game much simpler. Sheva isn’t no president’s daughter, she can handle a gun and take care of herself. You never really have to worry about her getting in the way or making stupid decisions; she might have died twice throughout my entire play through. Sheva has a mind of her own, which can bring up some minor issues. I mostly game her the herbs and first aid sprays because she did a good job monitoring me but would sometimes waste them on me if I didn’t exactly need it. They abandoned the old briefcase item system and went with a 3×3 grid that acts as your storage system. sheva has one also which sounds great, but you have to constantly switch items back and forth with her which becomes cumbersome and feels like a hassle.

Fear has been a series hook which is not apparent in this game in the slightest. You might hear screams in the distance, but instead of being scared of it, you know you don’t have anything to worry about since you have your partner with you. The boss battles were fun to play but revolved around the same aspect of shooting the glowing spot, which got a little repetitive. It’s weird to think of a Resident Evil game that isn’t scary, and compare it more to a game like Gears of War, but that’s the path the series is taking and will probably stick with if the series continues.

Final Thoughts

This game is definitely worth a buy if you’ve ever been a fan of the series of like action games in general. The graphics will amaze you and the replay value is incredibly high where multiple playthroughs will warrant you different unlockables. Co-Op also adds to the amazement since now you and a friend can go through and play the game in its entirety. I hope the series continues in this direction and sticks with what made this game so great.

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