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, until 2005, when Resident Evil 4 radically departed from its predecessors and broke new ground as a more action-oriented game. In Resident Evil 5, the biohazard threat has not ended; just when it seemed that the menace of Resident Evil had been destroyed, along comes a new terror to send shivers down player’s spines.

The game starts in 2009, six years after the destruction of Umbrella. Chris Redfield has become a member of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance and is sent to investigate possible Bio Organic Weapon smuggling in Africa.Chris Redfield, returning Resident Evil hero, has followed the path of the evil literally around the globe. Chris heads to Africa where the latest bioterrorism threat is literally transforming the people and animals of the city into mindless, maddened creatures. He is joined by a new partner, Sheva Alomar, who lends her strength, intelligence and sharp-shooting skills to the mission. In order to survive, Chris and Sheva must work together to take on the challenges of discovering the truth behind this evil plot.

All of this boils down to a simple premise: everything you see has been “bionized” and your job is to kill it. The game is rated “M” (Mature – 17+) for extreme violence and blood and gore.

… if you’re a hardcore Resident Evil fan and can overlook the superficial storyline. Actually, if you’re into online play, this version has significantly improved the dual play capabilities over prior releases. As a single player game, however, it fails on many levels.

• Beautifully detailed graphics and character animations
• Having a partner enhances the fun and excitement while adding tension
• Real-time menu system keeps you immersed
• Plenty to do once you've beaten it.

• Frustrating hurdles to leap when joining an online game (although once there, the play is great).
• Slow, deliberate movement and gunplay may not appeal to everyone
• Can't swap weapons with a human teammate online.
• Supporting A.I. makes one-player agonizing
• Several uninspired scenarios and sequences

take a break. It would be fun to go back and explore. The visuals are truly state-of-the-art and there is a new world of dangers to overcome and to explore but the single player mode is taxing and there are better games available. In the end, I put it back in its case and it will sit – glistening in the sunlight – alongside the original Resident Evil games.

frustrated! The game is designed for two efficient players. Several set pieces, especially the boss battles clearly are laid out for strategies where both characters attack the problem from different angles. The workaround approaches to accommodate the A.I.’s limitations leaden the experience and only heighten the frustrations with the game’s decision on the controls and inventory. The survival horror motif, as established in the Resident Evil series, has always been about enduring with limited supplies. Playing RE5 alone, the limitations seem to be the game itself as it continuously gets in the way of an enjoyable experience.

is CAPCOM, an international developer and publisher of video games headquartered in Osaka, Japan. According to Capcom, "the name CAPCOM is an abbreviation of CAPsule COMputer. This was a phrase symbolic of an internal company objective to create a new gaming experience that would exceed that of rival personal computers which had also been increasing in popularity during the same period".

due to a weak story line, Resident Evil 5 has been reduced to a “kill them all” run and shoot game. The survival horror aspects of the original games has been buried under slick graphics and I personally think that CAPCOM has lost it way with this franchise. The competition, with games such as Assassin’s Creed, offer equally engaging graphics and much more satisfying storylines. One note of hope: an updated version of the game, Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, was released on March 9, 2010. It features a new level and a brand new Mercenaries mode.

In 2002, a movie based on the gaming series entitled Resident Evil was released, which did well enough financially to warrant a sequel (Resident Evil: Apocalypse) in 2004. A third movie, Resident Evil: Extinction was released on September 21, 2007, and led the box office in first place. The fourth movie in the franchise is titled Resident Evil: Afterlife and is currently in production. It is scheduled for a 2010 theatrical release. Be warned, however - any similarity between the game and the movies are superficial.

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Created Jun 10, 2010 at 10:19am • Submit your own review...