Resident Evil 5 has been a long time coming, but at last it is here and if the sales numbers follow the trend of the hype, then this game is going to sell quite a few copies. But how does it play? Well let’s discuss, shall we? 

 

The game follows the fate of Chris Redfield as he embarks on a mission to Africa where he is investigating the strange goings on. When you arrive, you are met by your new partner, Sheva Alomar who is a fellow member of your organisation (The Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance or BSAA for short). Throughout the game, Sheva is your sidekick, which comes in handy as it gives you someone to watch your back and heal you when these unfortunate but highly mutated civilians decide that you have encroached on their territory.

 

 

In the single player mode Sheva is controlled by the game and in general she does do a pretty good job of watching your back, however there are occasions where she will go off on a tangent, by using all of her ammo or healing you when it is unnecessary. One of the main problems I had with her though was when I was trying to lead a rather annoying beast into the path of a furnace so that I could incinerate him and no matter how many times I called Sheva she never seemed to be quick enough to get out of the way. This was probably my most frustrating of her, however more times that not she is more of a helping hand than a hindrance.

 

Unlike past Resident Evil games, RE5 is a bit more generous when it comes to handing out the ammo and weapons, which is just as well really because a level doesn’t go by where you not are faced by an enemy that needs an armoury full of bullets to defeat. The weapons you will collect are fairly varied with handguns, shotguns and machine guns all coming in to play, and as well as these you will also get your hands on proximity grenades, hand grenades and even a bow and arrow. Of course all of these weapons have different effects in what they do to the enemy and if desired you can even upgrade them, which will lead to them cause even more damage, hold more ammo and even become quicker to reload, and believe me every second counts when you have a mad mutated resident with a chainsaw breathing down your neck.

 

One of my main problems with Resident Evil 5 to begin with was the controls, the fact that you need to stand stationary while firing, with only the option to turn does feel quite restrictive and dare I say, a bit last gen, however I can see why the developer decided to implement this style of play because it does help add to the tension of the game. Whether it would be better had there been more freedom to move is really hard to say but in either case once you get into the game, you will soon forget about the restricted movement when firing as you will be too busy trying to fend the enemy off.

 

While it’s all very well having a computer controlled Sheva to stand by your side, the game completely changes for the better once she is controlled by a human and there is no doubt that playing co-op online turns this game from being just a great experience to being a masterpiece. Each time you turn the game on you have the option of either inviting a friend or allowing anyone to join in, personally I went for the latter and was immediately joined by someone who had obviously been playing for quite a while, given that they had brought all their equipment along with them (and what a collection it was). Having another person along really adds so much to the experience, allowing you to use tactics to take down the enemies easier and of course it also helps you to get past any areas of the game where you had previously struggled. Whether you complete a chapter with or without a co-op partner, you will always be able to progress from the checkpoint you reached.

 

When playing through each of the six chapters you will come across all sorts of collectables, these range from gold, treasure and plants used for healing to other items which will help you to discover some of the games unlockable bonuses. Any cash or treasure that you find during the game can be used to purchase new weapons, armour and items to restore your health. The option to purchase, organise and upgrade your equipment (and Sheva’s if playing offline) takes place in between chapters.

 

 

Graphically Resident Evil 5 does not disappoint, each of the areas that you travel through are beautifully crafted and really add to the overall experience that the game offers. Capcom have done a great job on each chapter, giving the player well thought out areas to explore, that while perhaps don’t creep you out too much, do make you turn each corner with caution. The levels are also quite varied, not only will you be wandering around land, but you also spend some time on the back of a moving jeep, firing at the perusing enemies using a machine gun and you will also find yourself in water, dodging rather nasty looking crocodiles.

 

Once you manage to complete the main game, Resident Evil 5 has another trick up its sleeve thanks to The Mercenary mode. This mode puts you up against a horde of enemies with limited ammo, with the aim being to stay alive until help arrives. This mode can also be played using co-op mode (on Xbox Live anyway) thanks to a recently released patch.

 

There is no doubt that whatever way you play through Resident Evil 5, it is packed with action and intense combat from start to end. Each of the chapters you will play through are packed with frightening and challenging enemies, however to combat this you are armed with well balanced weapons, a decent AI controlled team mate and plenty of healing aid. To get the most out of the game I would recommend playing online, however whatever way you play, there is no doubt that Resident Evil 5 will more that satisfy your gaming needs.