Thirteen years ago, Capcom helped revolutionize the action adventure world with Resident Evil, a game that would define an entirely new genre dubbed "survival horror." In the years that followed, the series continued to build upon the standards set by the first game, Then, in 2005, Resident Evil 4 radically departed from its predecessors and broke new ground as a more action-oriented game. Resident Evil 5, the latest offering in the long-running series, expands on the action-heavy formula of its forerunner and is built from the ground up to support cooperative gameplay. Though it can no longer be considered a survival horror game, Resident Evil 5 manages to retain and effectively translate the most important aspect of that genre--tension--into its new mechanics. It crafts a fun, collaborative experience that will keep you on your toes the entire time.
Ten years after the destruction of Raccoon City, former S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team member Chris Redfield is an agent of the B.S.A.A. This paramilitary anti-bio-organic weapons organization travels the globe to seek out and destroy Umbrella Corporation's creations, which have fallen into the hands of terrorists following the collapse of the multinational pharmaceutical company. When Chris gets a tip that a known weapons dealer will be making a big deal in the remote African nation of Kijuju, he heads there to put a stop to it and learn what he can about the mysterious doomsday project known only as Uroboros. Chris is joined by Sheva Alomar, a local B.S.A.A. agent, and together they battle wave after wave of infected villagers, horribly mutated monsters, and even series archnemesis, Albert Wesker.
The core combat mechanics haven't fundamentally changed since Resident Evil 4. The action still unfolds from an over-the-shoulder perspective, certain battles or cutscenes are accompanied by brief quick-time events, and you still have to stop moving to fire your weapon (though you gain a bit more mobility thanks to your newfound ability to walk sideways). Resident Evil 5's slow movement and gunplay take some time to get used to, and folks expecting a run-and-gun game may find the action too sluggish for their tastes. Fortunately, this slowness isn't really an issue within the game, because enemies are deliberate with their attacks and are better handled with a cool head and steady aim. Though the Xbox 360 controller is fully supported, the standard keyboard/mouse combo offers vastly superior aiming precision and control, which makes it by far the better option.
Regardless of how similar the combat in Resident Evil 5 is to its predecessor, the addition of a second character makes encounters feel quite different. Teamwork is necessary to take down more powerful enemies and bosses, and having someone to watch your back goes a long way toward keeping you alive. Furthermore, there have been radical changes made to the inventory management system. The immersion-breaking briefcase from the previous game is gone, and enemies no longer politely wait for you to rummage through your things because bringing up your armory doesn't pause the action. Each character can store up to nine items, and as long as you properly organize your inventory using the simple click-and-drag interface, all of your items are only a single keystroke away, which offers an unprecedented level of accessibility to your gear. It's often necessary to trade items with your partner, and keeping track of who has what at all times is crucial, especially during boss encounters.
Sheva's artificial intelligence makes her a competent companion, though her degree of skill seems to rely more on her armaments than anything else. She is extremely good at using burst fire with a machine gun, for example, but she tends to waste ammo when equipped with a handgun. That said, at no point does she feel like extra baggage that needs babysitting (unlike some of the series' previous companions), and she can hold her own in a fight. Sheva really shines when there's someone else controlling her. Resident Evil 5 supports online co-op play through Games for Windows Live, and exploring Kijuju with a friend greatly enhances both the experience and the fun factor. Every game has the potential to go multiplayer, since other online players can join in on a free-for-all or invite-only basis if your game session is set up to allow this from the get-go.
