Resident Evil 5 (PS4)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Resident Evil, Resident Evil 3 (2020), Resident Evil Code: Veronica X, Resident Evil 4 (2005) and Resident Evil 5

The same year that Capcom released the original Resident Evil 4 (2005) (RE4), they already got to work on the next main game, Resident Evil 5 (RE5), with the goal to take advantage of the capabilities of seventh-generation consoles. Development of RE5 involved multiple scenario rewrites and changes in direction, which included scrapping ideas like having enemies attacking from the shadows or having the camera reflect the player character adjusting their eyes to darkness (not unlike Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater), the main constants were setting the game in Africa during the day, both to explore the origins of the Progenitor Virus and take advantage of the then-upcoming seventh console generation, and using RE4 as a foundation for gameplay due to its popularity. Although RE5 wouldn’t release completely without incident in 2009, it still garnered generally positive reception, though critics and fans noted a shift away from survival horror and more towards action. The following year, Capcom would also release an updated Gold Edition, which included additional content not found in the original release, as well as Move support for the PS3 version; PS3 copies of Gold Edition had all of the content on the disc while 360 copies still required a separate download of the new content (owners of the original version could also purchase the Gold Edition content separately).

As with RE4, I actually had a little bit of experience with RE5, specifically the PS3 Gold Edition, before I really got invested in the series with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. However, I didn’t actually get very far, not even past Chapter 1-1, as I found the controls too awkward and didn’t have the patience for it at the time. Naturally, my deep dive brought me back to RE5, this time through the PS4 rerelease, and while I enjoyed it much more this time around, I can also see why reception remains mixed.

Five years after the events of RE4 (2005), Chris Redfield, now an agent of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), an organization formed to counter the surge in bioterrorist attacks around the world following Umbrella’s downfall, is dispatched to Kijuju in West Africa to apprehend Ricardo Irving, who plans to sell a Bio-Organic Weapon (B.O.W.) on the black market. To smooth the operation over, Chris is partnered with Sheva Alomar, a native and fellow BSAA operative. Not long into the operation, Chris and Sheva discover that the locals infected by a variant of Las Plagas and the BSAA Alpha Team have been killed. When they are rescued from a hairy encounter by the BSAA’s Delta Team, which includes Sheva’s mentor Josh Stone, Josh’s data leads Chris to believe that Jill Valentine, presumed dead after a prior encounter with Albert Wesker, is still alive, further motivating him to complete the operation.

Chris Refield begins his journey into darkness.

Following RE4’s somewhat independent misadventure with Leon, RE5 returns to the ongoing Resident Evil (RE) storyline regarding Umbrella, this time starring Chris Redfield. Where RE4 could easily be played on its own, in fact serving as a jumping-on point for a number of fans, RE5 assumes prior knowledge of Chris Redfield and his relationships with Jill Valentine and Albert Wesker from all the way back in the original Resident Evil (RE1). Chris himself also references the events of Code: Veronica X (CVX) in passing, firmly establishing those events as canon. Certain in-game files and loading screens also reference both CVX and Resident Evil 0 (RE0) in a way that assumes the player is already familiar with them. In essence, while there is a story one could follow even if they jumped straight from RE4 to RE5, players unfamiliar with earlier entries will more easily get lost on the significance of certain details or where Chris’ hatred for Wesker stemmed.

With that said, RE5 has a solid emotional core through Chris’ quest to find and reunite with Jill, which acts as a good motivation for sticking through the various twists and turns regarding Ricardo Irving and the mysterious masked figure with him, the BSAA itself and Wesker. While Wesker’s ultimate and rather horrifying plan might feel unoriginal for some, its reveal and the events that follow both make sense within the context of RE4 and cement him as one of the best and most memorable villains in the series. His inevitable defeat also feels conclusive, as though RE5’s story is the culmination of everything that had occurred up to that point and that the series could have easily ended there, especially since all of the new information about Umbrella and revelations surrounding Oswell E. Spencer seemingly tie every loose end together.

Albert Wesker's plan has been in motion for years.

On the flip side, RE5 has even more cheese than RE4, with plenty of unintentionally hilarious moments, even discounting the infamous “boulder punching” scene from the final Stage, and more over the top action, especially during the final fight against Wesker. It also goes back to the more reliable and very specific formula that has persisted since RE1. Just for good measure, Las Plagas returns from RE4, but in more advanced forms and at least with a somewhat different execution in the resulting Majini, though they remain highly similar to Ganados, as though also trying to ride the success of RE4.

As for the characters, I felt that the narrative largely did the returning characters justice, especially the relationships and dynamics between Chris, Jill and Wesker. While Chris and Leon S. Kennedy had evidently moved on to other things after Umbrella’s downfall, Chris had a much harder time staying away from corruption, as he discovers in the latter half of the story. The newer villains don’t really have much going for them in terms of characterization, with Irving and Excella Gionne feeling less developed or complex compared with Wesker. By contrast, Sheva Alomar felt like a more interesting inclusion as both Chris’ partner and a soldier getting wrapped up in a larger conflict she’s only just learning about. Although Josh Stone doesn’t have too much going for him by comparison, his presence still feels justified through his relationship with Sheva and Chris, strengthened by their collective involvement with the BSAA.

Gameplay-wise, RE5 refines the updated formula established by RE4, with further modernized controls featured in the default Type D controller configuration, both in aiming and shooting with the triggers and a new strafing ability. Players who find comfort in the RE4 controls can select Type A, which plays exactly like that game, but I personally got used to Type D rather quickly. Other quality of life changes as of the version I played include an Action Assist option, which decreases the randomization of button prompts; changing the camera distance from the player; and an optional minimap that proved useful enough that I always had it on throughout the game’s sixteen Stages (divided into six Chapters).

Some aspects of gameplay remain the same, of course, like kicking doors, explaining the Herb system in the item descriptions (though yellow herbs are noticeably absent), and risking a snake attack when breaking boxes and barrels (snakes even still drop eggs when killed), though RE5 makes additional tweaks of its own. Players no longer play “inventory Tetris” and instead deal with a 3x3 grid, accessed in real time, that comes with the benefit of swapping between weapons and items with the d-pad (depending on their grid position) at the cost of carrying only nine items at a time. Chris can shoot BSAA emblems that help unlock items the player can, for the first time in the series, buy in Bonus Features with the points they earn from gameplay, including Figures represented as capsule toys (Chris (BSAA) and Sheva (BSAA) are available at the start for free). There’s also more gameplay variety in the form of a boat section that the 2023 remake of Resident Evil 4 (RE4R) would expand on, as well as a turret section (complete with overheating guns). Depending on how you interact with certain areas, it’s even possible to break open a number of objects before triggering an enemy encounter, which can prove a real boon when the enemies actually do show up.

Arrange your inventories in real time!

For every interesting or even great idea in the base gameplay, however, RE5 also has an odd tradeoff. Although Jewels and Treasures reappear from RE4, you can’t socket the former into the latter in spite of the varying shapes, so you might as well just sell all the Jewels you have when you can. For the first time in the series, RE5 has no final Ranking screen summarizing your performance across the entire campaign, only the Results screens for each Stage. Although the game generally improves the combat, you can still easily blow through a lot of ammo even on Amateur, including for reasons beyond your control (more on that in a bit), and, worst of all, the series still insisted on implementing archaic tank controls at this point, meaning you can’t move and shoot at the same time, unlike it’s contemporaries. It would feel disingenuous if I didn’t also mention the relatively more linear level design, especially in the third act, even with some level of exploration. This does mean less backtracking, though it may disappoint players used to the less linear design of the “Classic” games.

RE4’s economy returns in RE5, but with some changes apart from the lack of a Merchant. Like RE4, players can obtain Gold throughout the game, which they can spend on various weapons, items and upgrades. The difference here, however, is that you can buy, sell and organize your inventory not only between Stages, but within the main menu as well. I quickly got used to this system and ended up even enjoying it, as it offered a brief respite between Stages and also let me play around with the inventory at my leisure between play sessions. Although this means RE5 doesn’t have its own answer to the Merchant, I found it a small price to pay.

No Merchant, but still effective.

RE5 builds upon the foundation established by RE4 for combat, though it takes the action one step further. Enemies can more easily swarm the player and, in places, seemed noticeably faster. Players can melee stunned enemies, though these have more of a physical impact than before. Enemy variety feels more mixed, however, as a good amount of them are simply Majini versions of the Ganados thanks to the newly introduced variants of Las Plagas. Though the Majini have some unique variations of their own, including a somewhat silly “Motorcycle” variant, they nonetheless feel familiar. This also extends to the Las Plagas parasites, as although the Kipepeo and Duvalia very easily throw off RE4 veterans, the Cephalo and Bui Kichwa tread old ground. Speaking of treading old ground, Adjule continues the tradition of dog-like enemies, Lickers return in the form of Licker β and insect-like enemies return through the Reaper, which I found particularly annoying during one section. As for the bosses, they all provide their own unique challenges, although they’re a bit of a mixed bag. While all the Wesker encounters present their own unique challenges and successfully present him as intimidating, even if implementing the solution in one stage requires some exploration, the other bosses fall short either due to odd timing windows, in the case of Ndesu’s button prompts (one major reason to turn on Action Assist) and one of the Uroboros bosses, having a solution that’s potentially hard to implement, like Popokarimu, or having more obtuse solutions, like another of the Uroboros fights.

The biggest change in RE5, however, is its interpretation of the Partner system, which feels like a cross between RE0 and RE4. Like in RE0, Chris and Sheva are both present at the same time and fight simultaneously and have their own separate health and inventories, though your partner is completely AI-controlled, like in RE4, and you can’t freely move items between inventories once the Stage has started. You can, however, Exchange, Give or Request items between characters or heal each other. Either character can break objects and while you can usually choose who gets an item, your partner may sometimes pick something up or mix Herbs on their own. You can also issue commands to your partner with Circle, either calling them to your side with a single press or issuing an Offensive or Defensive command by holding it down, as well as track their position with a single button press.

Naturally, both the level design and gameplay elements are designed more heavily around the Partner system than previous games. Some doors require both characters to open them, mostly as a transition between different areas, some ladders require both characters, as it will place your partner at a different vantage point, and you can choose who interacts with some objects, which alters your role in a fight. Either character can rescue each other if they’re overwhelmed, which ties into a system similar to Gears of War (released only three years earlier) that RE4R would later play around with. In this system, if either character takes enough damage, they’ll enter the Dying state, which prevents them from doing much apart from running away. You can revive your partner while they’re in this state with Circle, but you can’t revive yourself. If either character takes fatal damage in this state, they’ll die, resulting in an instant Game Over.

As this game has the Partner system baked into its design, that means that you cannot turn off the Co-op functionality, though you can set whether or not someone can join your game through the Network and toggle Attack Reaction (essentially friendly fire, which I would advise permanently turning off). If you go it alone, you’ll play with an AI-controlled partner of questionable intelligence (regardless of scenario) who will blow through whatever ammo you give them, randomly break objects and pick up items you didn’t mean them to and happily shoot through you if they can, among other actions. Though you can get through the game with an AI partner if you manage them properly, as I did, playing with a human partner either locally or online will make getting through the game significantly easier. Either way, both partners must reach a door to advance to the next part of the Stage. I’ll also note that couch co-op also requires a little setup: Start the game, then have Player 2 press Start during the Stage and go through the menu that pops up.

How splitscreen looks.

Since RE5 marked the franchise’s jump to HD, the developers took advantage of the increased graphical fidelity by setting most of the game during the day. While you can certainly see a difference between RE4 and RE5, RE5 also falls into the graphical trend of the time when slapping a brown, or in this case green, filter over everything magically made it “realistic”. While this tint arguably works in favor of the setting and you get used to it, it’s very prominent in the early Stages and can feel more immediately jarring and off-putting as a result. As you complete certain challenges within the game, you can unlock different filters you can apply in place of the default, which some players may find more aesthetically pleasing; similarly, you can change Chris and Sheva’s costumes, though the difference is purely aesthetic. The increased graphical fidelity also means that the enemies generally look more realistic than in RE4, though they still match the somewhat stylized look and feel of RE. Since I still have the PS3 Gold Edition (you’ll find out why later), I did a direct comparison and found the PS4 version the superior visual experience, as it had crisper graphics, a better aspect ratio and a smoother framerate that made the experience more pleasant. This didn’t stop the occasional odd physics interaction, though there’s only so much a remaster can fix.

Apart from the increased graphical fidelity, RE5 also innovated in the series’ cutscenes and animations. While they do lean even harder into the “action” focus established by RE4, and to some extent CVX, RE5 has the distinct honor as the first game to use virtual cameras. After the director got the desired choreography through motion capture sessions, where he could see the finished character models interacting with the in-game environments in real time, he could then go back and infinitely “reshoot” the scene from multiple angles with a virtual camera in real time, allowing exact control over the cinematography. This effort certainly paid off, as RE5 stands out with some of the most creative camerawork in the games up to that point, as well as the human touch from real-time motion capture.

Since Capcom based RE5 at least partially off of RE4, however, it’s clear that they recycled certain elements outside of the gameplay. Throughout my playthrough, I noticed very similar visual cues, reused sound effects and that, on a smaller level, Wesker has the exact same surprisingly intimidating finger wagging animation as Verdugo when you miss a shot.

Along with addressing the lack of subtitles in RE4, RE5 has some of the best voice acting in the series up to that point. Among the amazing cast, who all bring out the best in their characters, Roger Craig Smith does a great job as Chris Redfield at the start of his short tenure with the character, although admittedly it sounds like his Sonic the Hedgehog voice (a role he would take on in 2010) slips through. You can also tell that DC Douglas (as credited) is having the time of his life as Albert Wesker, striking a great balance between intimidating and hammy, all without going overboard, and delivering some of the game’s most memorable lines; interestingly, his line, “Seven minutes. Seven minutes is all I can spare to play with you,” also tells the player that they must survive for exactly seven minutes after he says it. While the game may not have music as memorable as other RE games, it still has a very strong orchestral score that stays true to the spirit of the series, most notably in how the Results screen music sounds like a variation of the Safe Room music from RE1. One piece of boss fight music, “Sad but true”, also sounds vaguely like the music from Kingdom Hearts, which I would consider a compliment.

I’ll also note here that beating the game once unlocks New Game+, Sheva as a playable character, some costumes and the ability to play with Infinite Ammo once unlocked on a weapon. You can also view any unlocked Files, Figures and Extra Figures at any time in the Library, although you can only view Cut Scenes from the main campaign.

Outside of the main campaign, players also have access to two other modes from the start, The Mercenaries United and Versus, and can unlock both DLC Stages (included on the disc), Lost in Nightmares and Desperate Escape, by reaching certain points in the story. For the sake of completeness, I’ll be talking about each of these separately.

The Mercenaries United is the RE5 incarnation of the popular The Mercenaries mode and combines both The Mercenaries and The Mercenaries Reunion from a prior release of the game into one. This interpretation of The Mercenaries plays very much like in other RE games where you must defeat as many enemies as you can before the rescue chopper arrives. Players can find special powerups that can either increase the time limit or boost their score from combos, which can grant an additional score bonus. What sets United apart is the breadth of content, with eight Stages based on in-game locations and a whopping eighteen characters (Chris Redfield, Sheva Alomar, Jill Valentine, Albert Wesker, Josh Stone, Excella Gionne, Barry Burton, Rebecca Chambers), including multiple variations, with everything unlocked from the start. Despite the roster size, every single character and variation has a unique loadout and everyone has a unique animation for interacting with powerups, as well as unique melee attacks. On top of that, you can play this mode Solo (no partner), Duo (online co-op) or Split-Screen (local co-op), as well as a No Mercy variation that offers a more difficult Solo challenge.

Although I can’t say for certain how The Mercenaries United stacks up to the mode as presented in the original release of RE5, I did have an easier time playing this than RE4’s interpretation despite the holdover of tank controls. The roster honestly feels bloated with variations taking up ten out of eighteen slots, but I appreciated that they all felt unique and that they each promoted a different playstyle that kept the experience fresh. Getting the most out of this mode would require a good amount of time, time that I didn’t have for this review, but it's still a great way to squeeze more playtime out of RE5.

As was the style at the time, RE5 had its own form of online multiplayer through the Versus mode, previously released as DLC, which players can access through the Extra Content menu. In Versus, players can compete against each other in one of four modes (Slayers, Survivors, Team Slayers and Team Survivors) within one of the same eight Stages from The Mercenaries United with one of ten characters (three variants of Chris, three variants of Sheva, two variants of Jill and two variants of Wesker). Both Slayers and Survivors are a free for all fight where you compete for the highest score, though Slayers requires killing as many Majini as possible while Survivors focuses more on PvP. Regardless of where and how you fight, you can only pick Chris or Sheva at the start and must buy the other characters through the Bonus Features menu.

I wish I could say much more about the multiplayer, but I found it, quite frankly, unfun. I tried Hosting a match with open slots for five minutes in each mode on the same Stage (Ship Deck) and only had success starting one during Team Slayers, where I got a full room after only about two minutes. During the match, however, I found myself easily steamrolled and didn’t even go the whole five or so minutes, as someone left midway. I’ll note that you can set up a private room and invite specific players when Hosting, which may be the only reliable way to get trophies or even have any semblance of fun.

The first DLC story, Lost in Nightmares, covers the night Chris lost Jill. On that fateful night, the BSAA’s European division sent Chris and Jill on a mission to find Oswell E. Spencer, which they accepted in the hopes of finding Albert Wesker following the events of CVX. This DLC features very similar gameplay to the base RE5, but has some changes that carry over into Desperate Escape, namely that you can’t upgrade any of your weapons and that you can boost your Ranking by destroying or collecting Score Stars hidden throughout the environment.

As for the experience itself, it’s very reminiscent of RE1 to the point that it’s the closest we’ll get to a modernized update of the game. Apart from the presence of Chris and Jill, the mansion they explore has a very similar layout to the one in the Arklay Mountains, classic crest and crank puzzles return, doors have a special animation when moving between rooms and there’s continuity with Jill’s lockpicking skill, plus a very skillful use of ambient noise that messes with your sense of safety. Veterans will also recognize shoutouts to the iconic “itchy tasty” line and “Moonlight Sonata” puzzle that opens a passageway, including how Jill can play the tune and Chris can’t. There’s even a special Easter egg where if you investigate the mansion’s front door enough times, you’ll enable the original fixed camera, tank controls and aiming, which should more than satisfy those who prefer the “Classic” style of gameplay (though this doesn’t change the camera angles for every animation). Beating this DLC also lets you play as Jill, which feels natural while also doubling as part of the throwback.

Perfect for people who can't stand the idea of playing
Resident Evil without fixed camera angles.

Since I played on the lowest difficulty, I also faced no enemies during the first section and found myself dealing with fewer enemies overall, but I could see places where higher difficulties would make the player fight more enemies or collect more pieces of a puzzle (whereas in an underground section, I only fought one enemy and only needed one piece). Regardless of difficulty, however, the Wesker fight at the end feels truly hopeless in a way that matters narratively, partly because of the sheer difference in ability at that point in the overall story and partly because you know full well going in that there’s only one way it can end.

Personally, I thought the story did a good job filling in the events that the main game had previously only hinted at, as well as establishing, both in cutscenes and hidden files, how the events of the series, including CVX, tied into RE5 and Wesker’s plans. Although there’s a mention of a new character named Alex Wesker, hinting at a potential follow-up, you still get a greater sense of finality from how everything ties fairly well together. Overall, a solid DLC that does a good job satisfying both RE5 players and longtime fans.

The second DLC story, Desperate Escape, is unlocked after completing the main campaign and covers Josh and Jill’s escape from the Tricell facility. The story does a good job at filling the story gap during Chapter 6 that helps explain an event during the end of the final battle with Wesker, as well as giving Josh and Jill some additional characterization through their interactions with one another. Although they aren’t suddenly very deep compared to the main campaign, as Desperate Escape only lasts about an hour, you do still get a sense of their camaraderie and the strength of their fighting spirit as they do what they can to help Chris and Sheva.

Apart from having the same gameplay tweaks as Lost in Nightmares, Desperate Escape feels similar to the Island setpiece from RE4, especially as the two of them make their way past soldiers, laser fences and large turrets. There’s also a similar ending to the previous DLC, as you must survive until help can arrive (some may also view this as prepping them for The Mercenaries United, in a sense). While it does feature a more linear design compared to Lost in Nightmares, there is a noticeable and interesting contrast between the open setting of this DLC compared to the other’s closed setting, which helps them stand apart from each other. Notably, Jill has a different animation for her Knife attack than Chris, which easily alters how you use the weapon.

As with Lost in Nightmares, Desperate Escape is a solid DLC and is good for fulfilling its purpose, though it may not satisfy players looking for more than filling in a story gap. That said, the Score Stars and ability to play as Josh upon completion help greatly with the replay value.

Before I end this review, I’d also like to talk about the PlayStation Move support in the PS3 version, which, incidentally, is the only reason I still own the PS3 Gold Edition. For the sake of completeness, I went back and played Chapter 1-1 entirely with this method and found the results rather interesting.

The most obvious difference is the control method. Although the game does a great job at redistributing actions across the Move and Navigation controllers, even providing two possible running methods (depending on your controller settings) and altering in-game prompts (with more actions tied to the Move button), moving and aiming take a little getting used to. For one thing, you have to keep in mind that the game centers the aiming reticle based not on your arm’s exact position in space, but rather a straight line from where the camera detects the ball on the Move. While you can recenter the reticle during gameplay, it’s best if you start physically in a straight line from the TV. Additionally, you control the Inventory exactly the same way as a regular controller and use the Move controller for swinging the Knife and breaking holds (though you use aim a readied Knife with the Navigation controller).

Once you can adjust to the different control scheme, as well as the difference in the PS3 version’s presentation and performance, the Move setup is actually very fun. Aiming with a Move feels very responsive and since you can point the reticle exactly where you want to onscreen with little to no hassle, shots are generally more accurate. I also finished Chapter 1-1 at roughly the same time I did with a standard controller, so playing entirely with the Move setup seems doable. I now wish the series would try and revisit motion controls outside of VR, if only so this feature isn’t locked to a slowly dying platform.

Discourse around RE5 may inevitably lead to discussion over the allegations of racism brought against it, so instead of perpetuating a cycle of misinformation, I'll give a brief summary. After the very first preview footage for the game, Newsweek journalist N'Gai Croal raised concerns over potentially racist implications not from the idea of black enemies in a game, but from the lack of a positive depiction of a black person within the footage, which he suggested came from the developers taking influence from Black Hawk Down (to his credit, Croal did acknowledge that only one piece of preview footage existed at the time). In the weeks that followed, Capcom released additional footage depicting Sheva Alomar and more racially diverse zombies, both of which producer Jun Takeuchi made clear had always been a part of the game. Despite this, misunderstandings on part of the fans and news outlets created a negative feedback loop, which notably also led to Glenn Bowman, senior lecturer in social anthropology at the University of Kent, as well as the British Board of Film Classification and Karen Dyer, who is of Jamaican descent and Sheva's voice actress, dismissing the allegations. Regardless of the public's reaction, however, Capcom themselves were blindsided by the allegations and made internal changes to avoid such incidents in the future, allowing the western PR team greater involvement within early development of future projects to vet material that western audiences could potentially find offensive.

Although RE5 leans more into the action-oriented direction established with RE4’s reinvention of the series’ formula and has some noticeable issues, it still has some memorable moments and a surprisingly conclusive storyline that would have made for a decent stopping point if they never made any other games. I can easily recommend this to those who either don’t mind or even like the heavier action style, as well as longtime fans who wanted a more direct continuation of the storyline compared to RE4. Otherwise, you may still enjoy it if you don’t care too much about Resident Evil’s story and just want decent gunplay, even if it’s a little behind compared to its contemporaries.