It’s been almost four years since the last video game in the Resident Evil franchise was released and now it Capcom has done it again, with Resident Evil 5 for the Xbox 360. There are some elements from the original games in the series but for the most part the developers decided to re-work the entire franchise; merging action and survival-horror elements into one next-gen masterpiece. There have been mixed reviews and opinions coming from all around the internet, and after putting 30+ hours into RE5 we are definitely in the “love it” side of the argument. Japanese franchises have always had a tough time surviving in the American market and RE5 will be no different, this is obviously not Gears of War. One thing gamers need to realize before rushing into Resident Evil 5 is that it’s not supposed to be a remake of the first game, or the fourth one; the latest addition to the series is a mix of everything prior/future, and the final result is just short of the amazing.
The story kicks off with two main characters (both playable), Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar, who are on a mission for the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA) tracking down some sort of virus in Africa. What follows is a twisted and unnerving plot that will take gamers into the depths of betrayal and end up somehow involving the Umbrella Corporation as well as a few of the Resident Evil classic characters. It was admirable for Capcom to take the storyline in this direction and deal with all the “racism” charges (which are just totally ridiculous) and by the halfway point we were totally hooked on the plot, as well as anticipating what was going to happen next. We have heard some reviewers complain that the game was too short (it took us about ten hours to complete on normal difficulty); throw in the endless fun of co-op mode or the upcoming DLC possibilities (versus mode already announced) and Resident Evil 5’s story mode is just fine in terms of length.
Resident Evil 5 is really a mixed-genre game, leaning more towards the action side of things than the classic survival horror genre that the franchise is famous for. We have a feeling that the developers decided to go in this direction with the goal of appealing to western gamers (those being the US and European). The one aspect of gameplay that doesn’t seem to fit this philosophy is the fact that you are not allowed to shoot/reload while moving. It’s obvious that this control scheme decision was made to keep some of the horror elements in the game, pushing the fear factor while still keeping the pace upbeat. Fans of the RE franchise will feel right at home with the controls as soon as the game boots up and newcomers be experts within a hour or two. It’s hard to blame Capcom for these decisions considering the broad audience that they are attempting to reach with Resident Evil 5.
