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Systems > Xbox 360 > R > Resident Evil 5 > Staff Review

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Review by Felix Arabia
March 15, 2009

Resident Evil 5 emerges at an important time. Video games have become homogenous. Every title strives to reach an orgasmic level of over-the-top violence, or quasi-realism. The violence either becomes stale, or the realism falls short. Video games are still behind film, literature, and classical art as a form of Art. But at least a few titles, Resident Evil 5 being one of them, strive to set themselves apart from the rest of the crowd. RE5 is set in the desert sands of Africa, casting the player into the role of one of two rugged protagonists. They battle against grotesque inhabitants taking on the form of humans. No human can be as heartless as the vermin our two heroes encounter. Some are black. Others are white. One is dressed as a medieval executioner outfitted with an impossibly large axe. Another returns, licking at the opportunity for flesh. And still another slithers in its own worm-ridden filth. Their hideous insides emerge from their mouths when alerted to the opportunity for meat. Think you’ve got it bad? You haven’t been infected.

Chris Redfield finds himself in the fictional African nation of Kijuju. He meets a feisty woman early in his travels. Her name is Sheva Alomar. Together, these two will battle their way through the searing hot sands that stage the setting for this action-packed adventure. RE5 is not survival horror, though it still attempts to bring the horror. How someone could live in the dingy environs set as the unwelcoming locales is beyond anyone’s guess. Resident Evil 4 had creepy atmosphere. Its sequel is just chilling with its omnipresent, foreboding sense of doom. It urges you to press on, but to always take in the sights and sounds.

Few games look as brilliantly detailed. Every square inch of Kijuju is teeming with detail, and most of it looks hideously grotesque and decrepit. The standard is set by the level design, which always seems to contain surprises around the corner, along with less-than-ideal arenas for pitched battle. Chris and his cohort Sheva – who is deadly with a machine gun – will find plenty of vermin to kill. You and a friend, either online or in real-life, are free to go through the entire game. The online mode suffers from typical online issues, such as waiting around for someone to join a game, as well as having to go through tedious and boring menus to allocate weaponry, but playing with someone you know in the comforts of your own gaming center is such an enjoyable endeavor that it makes playing cooperatively through Resident Evil 5 a necessary experience.

Sheva and Chris work well together, both having plenty of opportunities to shine against the many foes that pine to take them out. The entire duration of RE5, which is sadly not as lengthy as its immediate predecessor, is still long and epic enough to make it a memorable adventure. The grisly moments will replay in your head long after you’ve first witnessed them in their bloody glory. And the call to replay such a sleek and well-put together game will be tough to deny.

Resident Evil 5 maintains the same standard of combat that RE4 first introduced to the series. Some have criticized this style of gunplay for being too slow. I would comment that these critics are slow. Things unfold perfectly enough. Chris and Sheva are outfitted with enough guns to bring down most anything that comes at them, but the pacing is so perfectly executed that there often is a feeling of impending annihilation from what we can’t see. Enemies continuously emerge from their hideouts, and some of the more imaginative foes will keep you on the edge of your seat. After all, there are more ways to kill a man than just by slicing through his neck.

We can thank the few games like Resident Evil 5 for bringing a true sense of feeling to our games. It contains all the elements you would expect to find in a multi-million dollar endeavor. Yet it still manages to provide an inimitable feeling of intimacy through its horror and unsettling character. RE5 is for the masses. Let it infect your soul.

Rating
9	Outstanding The majority of games simply aren't this good. It stands aside from the crowd and you'd be crazy to miss it.
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Game Profile & Content

Staff Score (Avg): 8.3 User Score (Avg): N/A Press Score (Avg): N/A
Reviews: 3 Guides: 0 Cheats: 0 Ratings: 8	High Scores: 0 Screenshots: 15 Videos: 0

Title: Resident Evil 5
Genre: Action (Survival Horror)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: March 13, 2009
Platforms: PC, PS3, X360

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