14 DAY TRIAL // 
The Resident Evil franchise has been one of Capcom's primary projects ever since it was first devised for the original PlayStation console. Since then, the versions that focused on the main story tree have been a benchmark for any action survival shooter with a lot of horror aspects that made fans jump out of their seats and think every movement and every shot fired three times before they acted.
Now, with Resident Evil 5, the Japanese company wants to usher it into the new generation of consoles, in terms of graphics and scale, but to also continue the legacy of one of the most successful titles in the franchise, Resident Evil 4. The characters have changed, as Leon Kennedy is replaced with the first protagonist, Chris Redfield, but a lot of things have stayed the same. Read on to see our review of Resident Evil 5.
Story
The story is a bit simple for what Capcom's franchise has gotten us used to, with a wide variety of sequels and spin-offs tearing to shreds the already complicated narrative plot, which, apparently from the loading screens of this game, spans even back to 1968.
Long story short, Chris Redfield is now an agent of the BSAA, an anti-bioterrorism organization, which has been dispatched to the fictional African country of Kijuju in order to investigate some suspicious activity. He is joined there by local agent Sheva Alomar, who immediately sparks memories of his former partner from the first game, Jill Valentine.
The not-so-dynamic duo are immediately introduced to a very changed territory of Kijuju, as its inhabitants have all been infected with the deadly Las Plagas virus, which has turned them into zombies just like in the last game, Resident Evil 4.
You would think that this is where the horror starts, but, unfortunately, the whole story takes you through some very picturesque sceneries, which kinda take away all of the suspense and drama of the action. The game wants you to give some soul to the characters, but, frankly, it's a hard thing to do, especially when the action is so broken up and segmented. In the end, the story and paper-thin plot only serve to place the two characters into wilder and wilder environments.
Gameplay
Gameplay-wise, Resident Evil 5 is a roller coaster of emotions. First of all, long-time RE fans will be right at home, but me and my colleague, who haven't played a lot of titles in the franchise, immediately began to frown on the slowness with which the characters moved and, most importantly, because they couldn't take steps in any side while they were holding a gun. This is a first warning, if you are into hardcore action titles, where running and gunning are the norm, then RE5 won't really be the game for you.
Secondly, the zombies, although most of the times quite slow, are extremely agile and, if they have you in their sight, will immediately start running towards you. This, coupled with the slowness of the characters, makes it quite difficult to fight them. Most of the times, we found ourselves running from side to side, stopping, turning back and then shooting. Wash, rinse, repeat.
RE5 tries a lot of things. First of all, it is the first game in the series that features a full-cooperative play, meaning that one of your buddies can play the lovely Sheva, while you are maneuvering the big, muscled Chris. While this is a mode designed just for fun, it becomes mandatory in later chapters, where the fact that you need to micromanage the inventory of your AI-controlled partner becomes a burden and the enemies are coming and coming.
Zombies, it seems, have become much more dangerous and smarter this time around, wielding anything from pipes to crossbows with flaming arrows attached, or throwing grenades and Molotov Cocktails in your direction. You will also fight these infected enemies while they are driving motorbikes or boats through the African savanna or swamps, respectively. Let's not forget that, during the later stages, they will be armored and running their own warships, showcasing the fact that zombies are getting smarter and smarter these days.
One of the biggest drawbacks of the whole game and a fact that drove me and my colleague very close to smashing our controllers were the dreaded quick time events. Now, I don't necessarily hate them in general, but RE5 implemented a lot of them in the most difficult ways imaginable. Not only do they arrive out of the bloom, but, usually, they come after long cut scenes, and, if you miss just one of them, then you have to wait out the unskippable cutscene once again, until you have another shot at pressing buttons as fast as you can. Another annoying thing is that they were also implemented in the middle of a cut scene, catching us a few times off guard as we were doing what gamers did when cut scenes played, that is watching them while letting the controllers out of our hands. Before we knew what hit our characters, the You Are Dead scene already appeared.
Another big drawback is the inventory system. Not only do you only have nine spaces per each character, but you can't upgrade it and, if you drop an item, for example a grenade, to pick up a healing herb for immediate use, the grenade is gone forever. Another clumsy implementation is the fact that, if you buy a protective vest, it also takes up an inventory slot, instead, like other RPG-oriented shooters, of extending its capacity. The fact that you need to bring the inventory up every time you fire a few rounds in order to combine the remaining bullets to your weapon is also quite annoying.
The cooperative nature of the gameplay is something implemented, overall, quite well, but, sometimes, it is downright funny. A lot of doors have buttons on either sides, even though the characters are massive enough (i.e. Chris) to reach the two buttons with just one hand, and the need for Sheva to push the other one is inexistent. Don't believe that, if you are two players, one can lay down suppressive fire and the other shoot, because the environments where you can actually take cover are very few and only on the ending levels. Don't forget that your enemies are zombies, which, even though they can drive or shoot complicated weapons like chain guns, are a bit on the stupid side, and will gladly soak up the damage and bullets you give them.
Concept
Concept-wise, Capcom doesn't have anything to brag with, as, essentially, RE5 is a revamped, next-generation RE4, following the basic recipe to the letter. But while Leon actually has reasons to fear the infected people and the environments in the last game, Chris, and his big muscles, is throwing caution into the wind and rushing straight into the action.
The cooperative gameplay is a nice touch, but, as I've said, has its awkward moments and the mandatory sections where the two players are divided have odd reasonings behind them. In terms of continuing the story, the game has just introduced a few new variables, which are certain to leave long-time fans unsatisfied, and the new players a bit baffled.
Visuals and Audio
In terms of graphics, RE5 is stunning, to say the least. The environments are extremely detailed, the characters are also customized to the smallest detail, even with the veins running through Chris' big biceps. Sheva is extremely good-looking and, through her special moves, behaves very naturally, even though a bit clunky.
The world of Kijuju is a breathtaking one, as environments such as the African savanna while the sun is setting are pictures that I won't forget very easily. All of the scenarios are well built, even though they can get a bit repetitive in some areas.
In terms of sound, the game lives up to its expectations, but doesn't go overboard and won't make a big impression on you. The once-might orchestral score, which struck fear into any RE player, is now reduced to a few chimes when big enemies arrive or when the zombies' dogs pop out from where they are hiding.
Multiplayer
RE5 doesn't have a concrete multiplayer mode, unless you can count the DLC add-on Versus mode, which isn't included in the retail box, so we haven't tried it out. Instead, the cooperative side of the game extends to the online medium, meaning that you can play with a friend from anywhere around the world, and communicate through headsets, even though we preferred staying within the arms' and shouting's reach by playing in the split-screen mode.
Conclusion
It's hard to give a verdict on RE5. On the one hand, it is a pretty good action survival shooter, even though it lacks any horror whatsoever. On the other hand, the quick time events are the first things that pop into my mind when I hear the game's name, meaning that its lasting memory isn't very good.
For those who are long-time fans, the title will be a mediocre stab at trying to recreate the successful recipe of Resident Evil 4. For new players, the game will be a pretty interesting, albeit annoying experience. For hardcore action-oriented gamers, RE5 will be something of a cross between a tactical shooter that has plenty of action sequences, but is filled with annoying quick time events, which break the flow of the whole title.
In the end, if you want a relatively good cooperative shooter that you can play with friends, then you can do a lot worse than RE5.
