Review: Resident Evil 5

Resident Evil is a highly popular franchise stemming back from the first game in 1996 and has come a long way since then but has it gone too far?

Resident Evil 5 sees the return of Chris Redfield, one of the protagonists from the original game, partnered alongside the fresh new face of Sheva Alomar. The Las Plagas virus from the fourth game has been brought to Africa, the setting for Resident Evil 5. Chris and Sheva are given the task of tracking down a man named Irving who may be able to shed some light on the people behind the deadly virus so that Chris can finally bring an end to the virus and destroy its creators.

Players will travel through African villages and tribal marshlands fighting off hordes of infected Majini and terrifying new beasts twisted by the virus. But when old acquaintances return will Chris and Sheva be able to complete their task?

Graphics

The graphics and detail of the game are of very high standard. Environments, player and enemy models are all extremely well detailed offering some of the best graphics that this generation of games has seen so far.

Gameplay

One of the main things I noticed with Resident Evil 5 which cannot be overlooked is the lack of zombies, similarly to the previous game. No longer are there slow moving humanoid creatures harassing the main characters in attempts to eat their brains, the infected Majini of Resident Evil 5 are capable of moving at normal speed and even wielding weapons. Although some may say this makes the game more challenging there are various downsides to this.

At the beginning of the game the effects are not as potent because the Majini mainly use one handed melee weapons which does seem understandable. However I became slightly bemused when I saw infected wielding AK-47’s, Gatling guns and even RPG’s. This all helps to make the game feel like any other 3rd person shooter.

However if you are capable of overlooking this drastic change to the series, Resident Evil 5 is a possible contender for game of the year. The games’ narrative is compelling with a storyline that will prove interesting to both fanatics and newcomers to the series alike.

The single player handles very well with the control scheme working correctly once you get used to not being able to move and shoot at the same time and provides a high amount of action to compliment its rich storyline.

The inventory of the game is now available whilst the game carries on playing which means that players will need to find a quiet spot to use those all important herbs to heal damage from an onslaught by the horde. Often inventory systems can be confusing to navigate and need some time to work your way around them, but Resident Evil does not suffer from this ailment and makes changing weapon very simple, ready for another fire fight with the Majini.

As you traverse across the different environments you will encounter multiple different enemies ranging from the humble Majini, to vicious dogs and crazy infected with chainsaws. Bosses also see players needing to play strategically, working together to finally bring them to their knees. Not only will you need to fight enemies but also the environment itself, spike traps and alligators wait to defeat you whilst parts of the environment can also be turned on the enemy. Exploding barrels and electricity can be used to turn the tides on a wave of enemies whilst more mundane objects such as bookcases can be used as a barricade.

Another one of the stronger points of Resident Evil 5 is the intelligent AI. Often computer AI can be very traumatic to work with as they fail to follow orders and run off in the wrong direction, only to get themselves killed. Fortunately the AI works extremely well following orders completely and competently killing enemies and saving the players life.

Replay Value

Resident Evil is also a game you will not be able to put down and provides a lot of replay value. All of your weapons can be upgraded to bring a swift death to the enemy. Upgrading different weapons will allow you to play the game in different ways, from getting up close and personal with a shotgun to taking your enemies down one by one with a sniper from the distance. As well as just different tactics, upgrading your weapons will allow you to purchase unlimited ammo for that weapon and even more weapons to add to your arsenal.

This requires some time to amass enough gold and points to earn the weapons of destruction but brings a high level of fun once you are able to run through levels with a mighty Gatling gun or even a triple barrelled shotgun. As an added bonus, completing the game in under 5 hours will allow you access to an RPG with unlimited ammo, enough to destroy all enemies and most bosses with a single shot.

Figurines, treasures, game filters and different costumes can also be unlocked helping to boost the replay ability of this game.

Once you complete the campaign you will also gain access to the mercenary mode. This allows you on your own or with a partner to compete against a time limit to amass a high score by defeating infected to rack up a combo. In this mode you are stuck with particular weapons for each character and can amass new characters and levels by gaining high ranks in each level.

Multiplayer

If you are not fond of the brilliant AI you can have a second person drop in at any time to aid you in your quest on both campaign and mercenaries mode. Having a second person join is as simple as pressing the start button on a second controller or inviting somebody from online to come and join you. As well as inviting people to your game you can also search for games online or start your own campaign leaving the option to join open, meaning you can have a new partner every time or have a friend join you in your quest.

As well as co-operative play there is soon to be competitive play allowing you to turn the tables on your partner and fight against them as well as the zombie horde. This mode is currently unavailable but should be arriving on the Xbox Live Market place and the Playstation Network Store in the future.

Conclusion

The game provides great graphics and game play that has kept me playing for a lot longer than most games tend to.  My only complaints about this game relate to the story which seems to have become rather complex and strayed too far away from the original survival horror game. This game could quite feasibly be a strong contender for game of the year; I would highly recommend it.

9/10

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