--Albert Wesker, Resident Evil 5
"Has it never occurred to you that this planet might be overpopulated? Only a handful of humans truly matter."
--Albert Wesker, Resident Evil 5
Despite not completely removing some of the negative traits that appeared in earlier Resident Evil games, Resident Evil 5 is a competent shooter that utilizes the gameplay format of the fourth title. It sees the Las Plagas parasite return from its predecessor as well, with the story serving as a direct sequel to the events of the previous game. The emphasis is placed on action and shooting more than on survival horror, so there is little to frighten players. The included DLC mission Lost in Nightmares provides a more intense horror atmosphere than the main game, so it is not as if horror fans need to totally skip the offering--there's actually a lot of diverse bonus content.
Though I am very grateful that Resident Evil 7 later abandoned most of the over the top cheesiness in favor of a thoroughly horror-driven experience, not even the sometimes laughable writing of Resident Evil 5 prevents the game from offering excitement. As usual with the series, the gameplay, not the story, is the strongest feature--though the story does have moments of emotional weight or lore richness. The revised partner system in the gameplay is accompanied by the consistent theme of partnership between Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar in the plot, and the overlap accentuates the co-op mechanics well.
Production Values
Decent graphics, clear sound, and a consistent frame rate don't hide the largely lackluster dialogue, but they do enrich the overall experience. Although there are certainly more attractive, detailed games on the Xbox One, there is nothing bad about the animation quality. The visuals are noticeably superior to those of the Resident Evil 4 port for the Xbox One--likely because the the fourth and fifth games were originally released on two separate console generations, in the GameCube and Xbox 360 eras respectively. Deserving of particular praise are the very minimal load times, which sometimes finish so quickly that there is almost no waiting involved at all. The script, despite featuring a very weak tertiary villain named Irving (who thankfully dies long before the end), handles the returning Albert Wesker well. He lacks significant depth, but at least he is not poorly written like Irving. Little of the utter silliness of Resident Evil 4's horridly out of place "humor" was carried over.
Gameplay
--Campaign
Anyone who disliked the controls for Resident Evil 4 will not enjoy the control scheme for Resident Evil 5. Once a player adjusts to the abnormal inability to aim a gun and walk around simultaneously (which was a series staple for several games), combat turns out to not be as difficult as it might seem at first. Another aspect of the game that might be found unpleasant is the very small amount of items that can be carried at one time. Inventory space is scarce, though Chris and Sheva can strategically exchange items to make the most of what both are carrying. The problem of having few inventory slots is somewhat abated when weapons are upgraded to hold far more ammunition, which eliminates the need for holding as much reserve ammo, but some enemies can absorb a lot of bullets before finally dying.
The expanded partner system is the primary evolution here, as Resident Evil 5 takes the gameplay of its immediate predecessor and expands upon it by allowing AI or a human player to control a partner all throughout the campaign, whereas Resident Evil 4 only made Ashley Leon's companion for part of the story, and even then she couldn't fight. While a skilled human companion always provides more of an advantage than a CPU, the AI can actually be helpful on occasion, by using bullets only when it has clear shots, sharing ammunition, or healing you when your health drops below a certain point. After the campaign is completed, a new game plus option becomes available, and players can finally choose between controlling Chris or controlling Sheva.
--Mercenaries
Mercenaries is a bonus mode where players choose from eight characters (18 skins), with each skin having its own unique combination of weaponry, and then kill as many enemies as they can before a timer runs out. The amount of time can be extended by destroying little pillars scattered around each map, as well as by killing enemies with melee finishers. Mercenaries can be played alone or with a partner in split screen mode. For those who appreciate greater difficulty, No Mercy is an even tougher version of Mercenaries with more enemies. Since there are no perks like there are in the 3DS game The Mercenaries 3D, Resident Evil 5's version of the mode might quickly become boring once the novelty wears off, unless one plays splitscreen with another person. Even those who tire of Mercenaries in less than an hour should try out different characters and skins just to experience alternate weapons and physical attacks. For some reason, as pictured below, Sheva is the one character that is played on the right side of the screen, with every other character appearing on the left in accordance with the series norm. The unlimited ammo bow she uses when wearing her tribal costume is an excellent weapon, though!
--Lost in Nightmares
For those who dislike the lack of horror in Resident Evil 5's campaign, the DLC Lost in Nightmares provides some of what is missing from the main story. This bonus mission centers on Chris and Jill's infiltration of the Spencer estate on the night that Jill went missing after pushing Wesker out of a high window. The atmosphere is superb. Although there is only minimal combat leading up to the climactic fight with Wesker, the mansion itself is foreboding and eerie enough to enhance impact of certain puzzles. Completing the mode unlocks Jill as a playable character (Chris must be controlled before she is unlocked), and there are achievements specifically tied to this DLC, including one that involves destroying each of numerous score stars scattered about the estate. The biggest problem with Lost in Nightmares is its extreme brevity. On the easiest difficulty setting, it can be completed in 30 minutes or less. There is little incentive to replay it--some of the dialogue does change when playing as Jill, and players get to access a part of the house that only Jill can enter, but all of this can be discovered within the first five minutes spent replaying it as her.
--Desperate Escape
Desperate Escape shows how Jill reached the helicopter that brought her to the volcano fight with Wesker at the climax of the campaign. Found by Josh, a member of the West Africa Branch of the BSAA, she defeats a great number of parasite-controlled humans. Departing from the suspense of Lost in Nightmares, this DLC focuses on the action that defines Resident Evil 5 as a whole.
Story
Spoilers!
Chris Redfield arrives at Kijuju, Africa, to help prevent Ricardo Irving from triggering a bioterrorism disaster, as Irving is expected to sell a bioweapon on the black market. BSAA member Sheva Alomar is assigned to him. It quickly becomes apparent that many of the locals are victims of the Las Plagas parasite, a dangerous organism last encountered by Leon Kennedy in Europe. Data about Chris' former partner Jill Valentine is recovered, indicating that she survived a seemingly lethal confrontation with Albert Wesker several years before (she had tackled Wesker out of a high window to save Chris). Irving, it turns out, is only a lesser symptom of a larger danger.
The Uroboros project, far more alarming than the Las Plagas, is overseen by Wesker, who aims to use the Uroboros virus to kill the majority of humankind. His intentions are to save the world by purging it of destructive human influences: either the virus rejects a host, killing it, or it grants those with genetic advantages special abilities. A mysterious woman who periodically appeared with Irving is revealed to be Jill, under the influence of mind control that renders her obedient to Wesker. After she is freed from Wesker's influence, Jill informs Chris and Sheva of the way to weaken Wesker, and the two thwart his plot to subject the world to Urobosos.
Intellectual Content
Resident Evil is far from Metroid, Legend of Zelda, Tomb Raider, or even God of War when it comes to the depth of its puzzles. Still, there are some minor ones scattered throughout the campaign. Guiding beams of light around rooms using a series of reflective devices are among them. These puzzles do not require more than cursory examinations and basic in-game actions to solve, but they are present nonetheless.
Conclusion
Those who enjoy Resident Evil 5 the most will probably be the same people who cherish the fourth entry in the series, since it continues the story and brings back the same gameplay style, albeit while focusing far less on developing a suspenseful atmosphere. The attempts to introduce more variety (such as on rails turret/boat sections) do provide diversity of gameplay, but they also make the game seem far more mechanical than Resident Evil 4, which remains one of the best in the series. Even so, all the flaws of the dialogue and execution combined can't overshadow the large amount of content in this remaster, as well as the engaging shooter experience in the campaign.
Content:
1. Violence: Though gunfire can be used to disable and kill enemies, melee attacks can be especially brutal in their execution and effects. Heads can be shot completely off of torsos and the Las Plagas parasites infecting human hosts can be blown apart.
2. Profanity: Profanity is not constant, but it is used at times.
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