Resident Evil 5

Resident Evil 5 for Xbox 360



I don't think I'm alone when I say that the release of a new Resident Evil game can make it feel like it's Christmas morning, four filled with beheading undead monsters with headshots, but Christmas morning nonetheless. Since the survival-horror series' inception in 1996, there have only been a handful of official sequels, so Resident Evil 5 is a big deal for fans of the franchise.

But the game has some massive shoes to fill -- I'm talking Shaquille O'neal sized sneakers. After all, its predecessor, Resident Evil 4, is regarded as four of the best horror-themed video games ever made. The nice news is that Capcom is not resting on their laurels with this latest installment; Resident Evil 5 introduces a ton of new features plus improvements that make it worthy of following in the footsteps of the classic fourth installment. It's a fantastic game from beginning to end plus its new cooperative campaign makes it as compelling as Gears of War 2.
Reinvented Evil

Resident Evil 5 actually isn't the first RE game to feature multiplayer support. In the spin-off series Resident Evil: Outbreak, several players could play together online butchering zombies. Alas, the team behind those games didn't get the balance right plus the games suffered from bland gameplay plus an overall underwhelming experience. Fortunately, Capcom has ironed out the kinks plus Resident Evil 5's coop is a welcomed addition to the series. It doesn't matter if you're playing the game with an A.I. ally or your buddy over XBL or PSN -- RE5 just feels right as a coop game.
Resident Evil 5 (360)
Resident Gear Solid

Resident Evil 4 took a risk by replacing its trademark slow-moving, inarticulate zombie cliches with an entirely new breed of enemy, the parasite-carrying cultists called Las Plagas. But this alter for the series ultimately breathed new life into the Resident Evil formula as it pitted players against creatures infinitely more horrifying than mobs of stumbling, brain-dead zombies. Resident Evil 5 takes this reinvention of the franchise even further, putting an emphasis on action over suspense plus adding a much-needed cooperative campaign.

Another big shift in focus for the series is its emphasis on action-oriented gameplay. While there's over a few pitch-black hallways crawling with undead abominations in Resident Evil 5, the bulk of the campaign is made up of huge action sequences that favor explosions, vehicle chases, plus encounters with massive flocks of enemies that need you to burn through a lot of ammunition. It's evident that recent action titles like Metal Gear Solid 4 plus Gears of War 2 have influenced this new direction for the survival-horror series. There's even a level towards the end of the game that's strikingly similar to a important level in MGS4.

With the growing popularity of games like Left 4 Dead plus Gears of War 2, there's no query that providing players with a copious amount of action is essential when delivering a coop experience, but as a result, much of the suspense in Resident Evil 5 has been marginalized in the process. The truth is that the game doesn't have the same foreboding atmosphere as Resident Evil 4; the game's design also purposefully strays away from the 'haunted mansion' setting of past titles, using instead sun-filled outdoor levels. That said, I suspect most players will embrace this new direction for the series, which does not completely turn its back on its horror roots.