Crush! Frag! Review! – Resident Evil 5

What can be stated about Resident Evil 5 that hasn’t been mentioned already?  If you’ve been even slightly paying attention to the goings on in the game’s industry over the last two years then you’ll know exactly what I’m referring to: race.  Is RE 5 racist?  Is it a metaphor for colonial conquest, a Lawrence of Arabia tale in game form?  Hell, is it even a good game despite this?

To get the obvious issue out of the way, Resident Evil 5 is not racist, be it intentional or otherwise, but it does feature a few moments that could be misconstrued that way if taken out of context. In fact, the game brings to light real life issues surrounding Africa and what pharmaceutical companies have done and are currently doing there to citizens in that continent.

Resident Evil 5 takes place in a fictitious region called Kijuju and sees long time protagonist, Chris Redfield (RE 1, RE: Code Veronica, RE: Umbrella Chronicles) taking center stage once more.  As a member of the BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance) he is sent to investigate rumors of a new form of bioterrorism.  Assisting him is a fellow BSAA agent and native of Kijuju, Sheva Alomar.  Of course, shortly after arrival the situation takes a turn for the worse and the two are forced to fight for their very survival against an army of infected (i.e. fast-moving zombies) and other man-made biological weapons.

Unfortunately, as with Capcom’s other console offerings, story is executed fairly unevenly.  Cinematography, character animation, and voice acting are among the best in the industry but are simultaneously hamstrung by a predictable revelation, cliched antagonist, and moments ripped straight out of the previous game in the series, Resident Evil 4.

Like the other games in the franchise, strewn throughout the game are journals, reports, computers files, and other forms of readable material that flesh out the plot and answer questions not addressed in the cutscenes.  Additionally a “library” feature in the main menu serves as a glossary, detailing plot, characters, and more to bring newcomers up to speed and to serve as a refresher course for those of us who were there at the beginning but have forgotten about all the different viruses, double-crosses, and the “always prone to exploding” bases.

The other issue surrounding RE 5 (though not nearly as taboo a subject as race) was a concern over it’s controls, specifically the “stop and shoot” gameplay introduced in Resident Evil 4.  Is a control scheme from roughly five years ago still relevant today, after similar games have made small but significant additions to the formula over the years?  The answer is yes, the control scheme still offers accuracy unparalleled by other 3rd-person action games because of the focus placed upon stationary shooting instead of a more twitchy “run and gun” approach.  The choice to shoot or run also offers a strategic element which forces the player to pick and choose when to attack and when to retreat in order to survive.

Furthermore, the player’s survivability now is influenced by Chris’ partner, Sheva, who can be human or AI controlled.  She accompanies the him throughout the entire campaign, fighting the infected, side by side, every step of the way.  Though not nearly as helpful as if another person controlled her, “AI” Sheva is still more beneficial than not, even if she does possess some annoying quirks.  She’ll occasionally and temporarily run in front of -or behind- the player before moving out of the way and in a rare circumstances will get killed, prompting a checkpoint restart.  It should be noted that during my three runs through the campaign (i.e. thirty five hours), Sheva died only three times, gave me ammo automatically when I was running low, and provided surprisingly decent support throughout the three difficulty levels that I’ve played through (amateur, normal, and veteran).

The Resident Evil games have always been stellar examples of extra content, encouraging replays with the promise of various incentives for players.  The sentence above is a clear indication that that tradition is alive and well in RE 5.  Upgradable and unlockable weaponry, viewable action figures, character profiles, the ability to play as Sheva upon completion of the game, and the return of The Mercenaries (think survival mode) ensure that it still be spinning in your console’s spindle long after the game’s release.  Even the difficulty levels distinguish themselves from one another with more aggressive AI (friendly and non- alike) and added techniques during boss encounters occurring on the higher settings.

Resident Evil 5 isn’t the AAA, killer app that some were expecting.  The story is rather ho-hum (even by the series’ standards), it deviates too little from RE 4 to the point of copying it at times, and runs the risk of alienating it’s older fan-base with the inclusion of a partner but those who go in with an open mind and realistic expectations may just enjoy this game for what it is, an incredibly fun time-sink that is more than worth the price of entry.

—————

Things We Liked: Strategic gameplay.  Co-op.  Unlockables and bonus features.

Things We Disliked: Sheva’s sometimes wonky AI.  Lackluster story.  Parts recycled from Resident Evil 4.

Target Audience: Fans of action, pretty graphics, and co-op gameplay.

(Resident Evil 5 – Available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Xbox version reviewed. New to CFD’s reviews? Read our explanation here.)

Tags: Capcom PS3 Resident Evil 5 review Xbox 360