When I tried Resident Evil 5 for the first time back in 2022, it didn't take long for me to put the game down - only a chapter, in fact. Whilst it was after having played through a mix of other RE games prior to checking it out, there was something about the game that just felt off. It was released on the following generation following RE4, but right from the getgo, it felt like more of a drastic departure, and one I just didn’t gel with.
Whereas RE4 had a direct connection to 2, picking up several years after the Raccoon City incident with Leon and now on the hunt for the President's missing daughter and very much a changed character, RE5 reintroduces Chris after he'd been absent from the mainline series since RE1. However, he doesn't really hold the same level of cachet as Leon, and so there wasn't the same initial enthusiasm from me about seeing him again. The game also introduces Sheva, a completely new protagonist who tags along as Chris’ partner for the entire game through a variety of environments that continues 4’s trend of expanding into a slew of new locales.
However, whilst it was cool to see Chris again, the general setup and gameplay just didn’t hook me at all back then and I put the game down after about 20-30 minutes.
Looking back, I'd say I was pretty harsh on the game and likely suffering from burnout from the series since I had played a number of them leading up to this. With a bit more time having passed since then however, I loaded it up again on a whim recently and saw it right through to the end, realising that this entry actually has a number of interesting ideas that, even if they're not all executed perfectly, it's fun to see them play out and experience how the series had evolved after 4, on the then-new generation of hardware.
First and foremost, it's rather clear that the action aspects of RE4 - particularly that of the game's village ambush opening - seemingly influenced a ton of RE5's gameplay encounters. Not only that, but Capcom were continuing with the same combat system whereby you are forced to stand still to be able to aim and attack.
For the most part, this works as well as it did in 4. However, as I neared the end where the game begins to get quite a bit more over the top and frantic - going as far as implementing its own, admittedly clunky, cover system - I did start to wonder if this one might've been better off if there was a bit more mobility during combat. It’s no surprise this change was one that’d be made in literally the next mainline title which ups the ante even more. Whilst some of RE5’s encounters don’t quite feel as tight as others, it’s here where the new co-op focus was likely at the forefront of the developer’s minds, and probably what makes these sections flow a bit better.
That's right, RE5 takes a different approach to core gameplay with companion character Sheva alongside you for the entire game. This new focus dictates many of the game's encounters and systems, bringing to the table a RE game that plays fairly differently to what'd come before it.
One of the most immediately-noticeable effects of this approach is the inventory system, one that is now asking you to juggle resources between two characters. There are no storage upgrades for the entire game, so you have to make do with 9 singular slots for each character, adding a new dynamic to how its survival elements play out. Initially I was concerned about how this limitation would impact gameplay, but it didn't take long for this co-op-focused approach to present the same satisfying survival gameplay loop of past entries, all whilst retaining much of the essence of how this system traditionally works.
I played the whole game in single player, meaning I was often juggling ammo, weapons, and items between Chris and Sheva, having to stop on several occasions to take stock and evaluate the current situation. Even with more of an action focus, I still found myself engaging with these systems just as much and it’s most definitely still a core part of the game, and one that I can imagine being fun to figure out with a second player in a true co-op setting.
There are times where it got clunky - for example, when Sheva would often automatically hand me an item as soon as a slot on my end opened up, even though I was literally in the process of intentionally splitting ammo and items between us. Other times, thanks to an at-times awkward control scheme, I'd end up handing over an item after spamming O to get out of the menu, requiring me to dive back in and request Sheva give me the item back so I can then use it.
The choice of button for this can be frustrating in those tense moments that demand quicker reactions, and even if it’s partly a mistake on my part, sometimes the problem would be exacerbated by Sheva deciding to hand me another item I didn’t ask for. This then leads to another step of inventory management at which point I might've had to exit the menu and reposition as an enemy was too close.
There were also times where I’m fairly confident certain options weren't appearing in the menu as they should, preventing me from swapping items properly. Along with that, there are weird design decisions where, for example, if you have an item equipped in your hand, you can only hand it over with the O button when in-game, outside of the inventory. To do it via the menu, you’d have to first unequip that item and then you can transfer it to the other player/character's inventory.
Come to think of it, in hindsight picking different weapons might've been best to prevent conflicts of ammo types we both had, but there's a surprisingly nice little bit of camaraderie garnered when dividing ammo and items anyway, and the AI on the combat front seemed to be solid for the most part too. Towards the end of the game she did start to take weird routes through levels or not have enough automation to avoid being hit by certain enemy attacks, getting herself killed and forcing me to restart at the last checkpoint, the kind of thing the AI had otherwise been doing pretty well at not doing for most of the game up to that point.
I’ve got to say though, on the whole I was actually really impressed with the independence and functionality of the companion AI here, particularly since it can be so hit-and-miss in other games. Sheva was often finishing enemies off, combining herbs the way you'd expect, healing me when we both needed it, and reloading as soon as I handed over ammo, making the experience of inventory management and combat much more seamless than one might anticipate. Even if it tapered off towards the end or had other weird issues, the AI still felt pretty reliable and felt like really considered design.
In those later game stages too, it honestly felt like the encounter design was somewhat to blame too since Sheva had my back plenty of times throughout the game, feeling like a true co-op partner. I can’t speak to how this shakes up on the higher difficulties though, as I didn’t end up trying them out.
One element I want to give a very specific shoutout to in regards to the inventory management are the weapon upgrades. Between chapters, when you load the game and whenever Chris or Sheva dies, you’re given a chance to sort out your inventory, buy, sell, or store items, as well as upgrade the weapons you own. One of the upgrades I invested most into were the ammo magazine capacity boosts that, whilst completely nonsensical allowing you to have up to 100 rounds per mag in a handgun or 150 shots in an SMG, is a strong way to offset some of the challenge the dual-protagonist inventory management presents. Not just that, but it injects some of the series’ campiness into a core gameplay element backed by smart design, making it a yet another considered choice.
As for the game itself, I was also impressed by the variety of locations, an aspect the game continuously shakes up with some fun set pieces throughout, all whilst moving at a generally good pace, with no location really outstaying its welcome. The story wasn't particularly interesting to be fair and the voice acting can be a bit shoddy, but there were still plenty of great moments and cutscenes with fun direction and over the top action throughout. The bosses were pretty fun too, embracing not just lots of visual spectacle, but various co-op-focused mechanics that – for the most part – function pretty well when playing in single player. I especially liked how either partner can carry out the same tasks, letting you change tactics on the fly.
After finishing the main game, as is often the case with RE titles, there are a bunch of additional unlocks and content to check out across various DLCs, modes, difficulties, and costumes. Whilst it is often a staple of RE titles, it wasn't untraditional for games across PS2 and PS3 to have tons of replayability and bonus unlocks, and it's an aspect many titles today don’t dabble as much in unfortunately, so it’s always nice to see it here like in many of the older games I’ve returned to over time.
The whole tone of RE5 – as serious as it can get in its core story – still has a lot of goofiness too, whether that's with a villain like Wesker and his acrobatic fighting skills and megalomaniac mindset, or in some of the bonus costumes like Chris' ridiculous Warrior outfit. I admire games that don't take themselves too seriously and let things get a little goofy from time to time – you see this in several of Kojima's games, but it can also be found through the RE series, and others like Jak & Daxter, Final Fantasy, and more.
Overall, I found Resident Evil 5 honestly far more enjoyable than I had originally anticipated. A large part of that is down to the action focus, but I found myself really impressed by the implementation of its companion AI and how Capcom evolved the series' inventory management system for a co-op setting that could still then also function for anyone playing the game in single-player. I did see some reports online of people running into issues with this feature, but other than some hit-and-miss late-game stages, it all functioned and flowed pretty seamlessly for me.
Add in Sheva as a protagonist who I ended up quite liking and grew somewhat attached to – something the co-op aspects of this game no doubt brings more to the fore – and you've got a well-rounded adventure that, whilst veering away from the survival horror roots, proves to be a fun game nonetheless that I would still consider very much a Resident Evil game. Even if it's not looked back on as fondly as RE2 or 4, kudos to Capcom for taking a risk and building a Resident Evil title in this way.
I'd be curious to see if Capcom ends up remaking RE5, and if so, whether they'll keep this co-op gameplay or not. There's definitely something unique to it and seeing how RE4 was a pretty faithful remake, keeping much of the action focus without completely transforming it into a full-on horror game, I'd hope RE5 can find some middle ground that can appeal to both crowds.
After all, in a similar vein to Final Fantasy, I see Resident Evil as a series that has a lot of wiggle room to experiment in its gameplay styles and genre, so forcing itself to always be one type of game would feel a little narrow-minded to me. So let Resident Evil get a little crazy from time to time to explore some more wacky ideas, because if the last few years of this franchise have shown anything, it’s that these different gameplay approaches are only to the series’ benefit, and as long as they don't totally lose sight of their core, I think things will all be good.
Whereas RE4 had a direct connection to 2, picking up several years after the Raccoon City incident with Leon and now on the hunt for the President's missing daughter and very much a changed character, RE5 reintroduces Chris after he'd been absent from the mainline series since RE1. However, he doesn't really hold the same level of cachet as Leon, and so there wasn't the same initial enthusiasm from me about seeing him again. The game also introduces Sheva, a completely new protagonist who tags along as Chris’ partner for the entire game through a variety of environments that continues 4’s trend of expanding into a slew of new locales.
However, whilst it was cool to see Chris again, the general setup and gameplay just didn’t hook me at all back then and I put the game down after about 20-30 minutes.
Looking back, I'd say I was pretty harsh on the game and likely suffering from burnout from the series since I had played a number of them leading up to this. With a bit more time having passed since then however, I loaded it up again on a whim recently and saw it right through to the end, realising that this entry actually has a number of interesting ideas that, even if they're not all executed perfectly, it's fun to see them play out and experience how the series had evolved after 4, on the then-new generation of hardware.
First and foremost, it's rather clear that the action aspects of RE4 - particularly that of the game's village ambush opening - seemingly influenced a ton of RE5's gameplay encounters. Not only that, but Capcom were continuing with the same combat system whereby you are forced to stand still to be able to aim and attack.
For the most part, this works as well as it did in 4. However, as I neared the end where the game begins to get quite a bit more over the top and frantic - going as far as implementing its own, admittedly clunky, cover system - I did start to wonder if this one might've been better off if there was a bit more mobility during combat. It’s no surprise this change was one that’d be made in literally the next mainline title which ups the ante even more. Whilst some of RE5’s encounters don’t quite feel as tight as others, it’s here where the new co-op focus was likely at the forefront of the developer’s minds, and probably what makes these sections flow a bit better.
That's right, RE5 takes a different approach to core gameplay with companion character Sheva alongside you for the entire game. This new focus dictates many of the game's encounters and systems, bringing to the table a RE game that plays fairly differently to what'd come before it.
One of the most immediately-noticeable effects of this approach is the inventory system, one that is now asking you to juggle resources between two characters. There are no storage upgrades for the entire game, so you have to make do with 9 singular slots for each character, adding a new dynamic to how its survival elements play out. Initially I was concerned about how this limitation would impact gameplay, but it didn't take long for this co-op-focused approach to present the same satisfying survival gameplay loop of past entries, all whilst retaining much of the essence of how this system traditionally works.
I played the whole game in single player, meaning I was often juggling ammo, weapons, and items between Chris and Sheva, having to stop on several occasions to take stock and evaluate the current situation. Even with more of an action focus, I still found myself engaging with these systems just as much and it’s most definitely still a core part of the game, and one that I can imagine being fun to figure out with a second player in a true co-op setting.
There are times where it got clunky - for example, when Sheva would often automatically hand me an item as soon as a slot on my end opened up, even though I was literally in the process of intentionally splitting ammo and items between us. Other times, thanks to an at-times awkward control scheme, I'd end up handing over an item after spamming O to get out of the menu, requiring me to dive back in and request Sheva give me the item back so I can then use it.
The choice of button for this can be frustrating in those tense moments that demand quicker reactions, and even if it’s partly a mistake on my part, sometimes the problem would be exacerbated by Sheva deciding to hand me another item I didn’t ask for. This then leads to another step of inventory management at which point I might've had to exit the menu and reposition as an enemy was too close.
There were also times where I’m fairly confident certain options weren't appearing in the menu as they should, preventing me from swapping items properly. Along with that, there are weird design decisions where, for example, if you have an item equipped in your hand, you can only hand it over with the O button when in-game, outside of the inventory. To do it via the menu, you’d have to first unequip that item and then you can transfer it to the other player/character's inventory.
Come to think of it, in hindsight picking different weapons might've been best to prevent conflicts of ammo types we both had, but there's a surprisingly nice little bit of camaraderie garnered when dividing ammo and items anyway, and the AI on the combat front seemed to be solid for the most part too. Towards the end of the game she did start to take weird routes through levels or not have enough automation to avoid being hit by certain enemy attacks, getting herself killed and forcing me to restart at the last checkpoint, the kind of thing the AI had otherwise been doing pretty well at not doing for most of the game up to that point.
I’ve got to say though, on the whole I was actually really impressed with the independence and functionality of the companion AI here, particularly since it can be so hit-and-miss in other games. Sheva was often finishing enemies off, combining herbs the way you'd expect, healing me when we both needed it, and reloading as soon as I handed over ammo, making the experience of inventory management and combat much more seamless than one might anticipate. Even if it tapered off towards the end or had other weird issues, the AI still felt pretty reliable and felt like really considered design.
In those later game stages too, it honestly felt like the encounter design was somewhat to blame too since Sheva had my back plenty of times throughout the game, feeling like a true co-op partner. I can’t speak to how this shakes up on the higher difficulties though, as I didn’t end up trying them out.
One element I want to give a very specific shoutout to in regards to the inventory management are the weapon upgrades. Between chapters, when you load the game and whenever Chris or Sheva dies, you’re given a chance to sort out your inventory, buy, sell, or store items, as well as upgrade the weapons you own. One of the upgrades I invested most into were the ammo magazine capacity boosts that, whilst completely nonsensical allowing you to have up to 100 rounds per mag in a handgun or 150 shots in an SMG, is a strong way to offset some of the challenge the dual-protagonist inventory management presents. Not just that, but it injects some of the series’ campiness into a core gameplay element backed by smart design, making it a yet another considered choice.
As for the game itself, I was also impressed by the variety of locations, an aspect the game continuously shakes up with some fun set pieces throughout, all whilst moving at a generally good pace, with no location really outstaying its welcome. The story wasn't particularly interesting to be fair and the voice acting can be a bit shoddy, but there were still plenty of great moments and cutscenes with fun direction and over the top action throughout. The bosses were pretty fun too, embracing not just lots of visual spectacle, but various co-op-focused mechanics that – for the most part – function pretty well when playing in single player. I especially liked how either partner can carry out the same tasks, letting you change tactics on the fly.
After finishing the main game, as is often the case with RE titles, there are a bunch of additional unlocks and content to check out across various DLCs, modes, difficulties, and costumes. Whilst it is often a staple of RE titles, it wasn't untraditional for games across PS2 and PS3 to have tons of replayability and bonus unlocks, and it's an aspect many titles today don’t dabble as much in unfortunately, so it’s always nice to see it here like in many of the older games I’ve returned to over time.
The whole tone of RE5 – as serious as it can get in its core story – still has a lot of goofiness too, whether that's with a villain like Wesker and his acrobatic fighting skills and megalomaniac mindset, or in some of the bonus costumes like Chris' ridiculous Warrior outfit. I admire games that don't take themselves too seriously and let things get a little goofy from time to time – you see this in several of Kojima's games, but it can also be found through the RE series, and others like Jak & Daxter, Final Fantasy, and more.
Overall, I found Resident Evil 5 honestly far more enjoyable than I had originally anticipated. A large part of that is down to the action focus, but I found myself really impressed by the implementation of its companion AI and how Capcom evolved the series' inventory management system for a co-op setting that could still then also function for anyone playing the game in single-player. I did see some reports online of people running into issues with this feature, but other than some hit-and-miss late-game stages, it all functioned and flowed pretty seamlessly for me.
Add in Sheva as a protagonist who I ended up quite liking and grew somewhat attached to – something the co-op aspects of this game no doubt brings more to the fore – and you've got a well-rounded adventure that, whilst veering away from the survival horror roots, proves to be a fun game nonetheless that I would still consider very much a Resident Evil game. Even if it's not looked back on as fondly as RE2 or 4, kudos to Capcom for taking a risk and building a Resident Evil title in this way.
I'd be curious to see if Capcom ends up remaking RE5, and if so, whether they'll keep this co-op gameplay or not. There's definitely something unique to it and seeing how RE4 was a pretty faithful remake, keeping much of the action focus without completely transforming it into a full-on horror game, I'd hope RE5 can find some middle ground that can appeal to both crowds.
After all, in a similar vein to Final Fantasy, I see Resident Evil as a series that has a lot of wiggle room to experiment in its gameplay styles and genre, so forcing itself to always be one type of game would feel a little narrow-minded to me. So let Resident Evil get a little crazy from time to time to explore some more wacky ideas, because if the last few years of this franchise have shown anything, it’s that these different gameplay approaches are only to the series’ benefit, and as long as they don't totally lose sight of their core, I think things will all be good.