--OkeyDokey--

User Score
8.8

Presentation - 9.5
Gameplay - 8.5
Value - 9.0

I'll start with the bad...

Sheva is at worst retarded, and at best a glorified pack mule. She'll just stand there like a complete moron as you get swarmed by dozens of Majini, calling out for help in vain. Kinda ruins the single player portion of the game. It was obviously designed first and foremost as a co-op experience and this is where the game really shines. It's immensely satisfying to pull off devastating melee combos with your partner online.

Anyone who's played RE4 will feel right at home here. You still can't move while you shoot (this doesn't really bother me, to be honest) and control overall is clunky, but far from broken. There are, however, a few changes, most of which revolve around co-operative play. There are context sensitive team actions scattered throughout and you can swap items between Chris and Sheva with the much improved inventory system.


                                           They're back, and even tougher than before

The boss battles, in keeping with the series' tradition, are the highlight, and some of the best in any game, period. The final boss especially (don't worry, I won't ruin it for you) will surely please fans. The whole story, actually, is pretty much RE fan service. It does get a bit messy and the plot twist is perhaps the most blatantly obvious in gaming history, but it's an enjoyable ride.

Visually it sits near the top of the pile. The African setting has been milked for all it's worth and some of the enemy designs are truly terrifying. The end result is quite extraordinary and as of now, Resident Evil 5 stands as the best looking multi-platform title of the seventh generation. But the game feels a tad dated in almost every other area. This is most noticeable toward the end of the game where you'll be introduced to the cover system. You can't move while behind cover and you can only take cover when the game wants you to. It only serves to distance the game further from its roots and I can't help but think the game as a whole would have been better off without it.


                              Don't expect this to happen too often in single player

Puzzles are even more downplayed than in RE4 and they're almost insultingly easy, but still fun. It's also a lot shorter than RE4 but there's plenty of encouragement for repeat playthroughs. Upgrading weapons is just as much fun as it was in RE4 and there's heaps of unlockables that are definitely worth your time. Mercenaries mode returns and is surprisingly addictive, too. The only thing keeping it from getting a 10 in value is the decision to leave out versus mode and charge extra for it as DLC. Not cool, Capcom.

Despite any criticisms it's still a damn fun game. Even 4 years after RE4, there is still something uniquely awesome about the gameplay. Fans may be disappointed by the lack of scares, but RE5 is absolutely worth your time and money, if not quite the classic that it's predecessor (thanks TWRoO :P) is.

~OkeyD