'Resident Evil 5' video game review

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Developer: Capcom (“Resident Evil 4”)
Publisher: Capcom
Available On: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Reviewed On: Xbox 360

The regular “Resident Evil” games have always mixed action, puzzle solving and sheer terror in such a compelling way that it’s one of the few series to never strike a bad note (the gun games and other spin-offs, however, are a different story). So in sticking fairly close to the formula that made 2005’s “Resident Evil 4” the best game of that year, “Resident Evil 5” emerges as another strong showing in an always solid series. Seriously.

Set in the fictional African country of Kijuju, about ten years after the original 1996 “Evil,” “Resident Evil 5” brings back that installment’s hero, Chris Redfield, on a mission to locate bio-terrorists. But things get complicated when he realizes the Kijujuians have been infected with a similar virus as the villagers in “R.E.4,” turning them into mindless zombies.

For the most part, this third-person zombie shooter plays a lot like “Resident Evil 4,” though there are some fundamental differences. For starters, you now have a choice of control schemes that are variations on the one from “R.E.4,” including a more traditional third-person action game set-up. The game also doesn’t pause the action when you access your inventory, and you’re even more limited than usual in the amount of stuff you can carry, which means you’ll probably die at times when, in earlier games, you would’ve survived.

But the biggest change is that Chris has been paired with Sheva Alomar, an agent of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance. And while you don’t get to swap characters like you did in 2002’s “Resident Evil Zero,” you do have to work together, share supplies, and save each other’s butts (it helps that Sheva is as resourceful as she is tough). Even cooler, you can play the game co-op, both offline and on, with occasional moments of separation.

There are times, though, when this isn’t very “Resident Evil”-y. Just as “R.E.4” was more action-oriented than its predecessors, so too is “R.E.5.” Even more so. As a result, it isn’t as varied or as epic as its predecessor. The game is also uncharacteristically linear, with none of the backtracking normally associated with the series, while you’ll be well into the second of six missions before you have to locate the pieces of a pointlessly complicated key or solve a puzzle.

Despite the changes, though, “Resident Evil 5” is still an utterly addicting shooter that’s a natural progression of the series. It’s not only the best game of the year so far, and one of the best co-op experiences we’ve had since the first “Gears Of War,” but it’s also one of the visually striking games we’ve seen on the current generation of systems.

Oh, and for those for whom this great game just ain’t enough, there’s a Collector’s Edition for both consoles that includes such goodies as a messenger bag, a bonus DVD with a making-of documentary and a Chris Redfield action figure, while Microsoft and Capcom are releasing a limited edition red Xbox 360 comes with a matching controller and headset, as well as some other goodies.

Bottom Line: This is one evil we hope never loses its residency.

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