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.










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.










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.