Game review: Resident Evil 5

Published on Wednesday 25 March 2009 17:30

PS3/XB360, £44.99

AFTER the acclaim for Resident Evil 4, this was always going to be a tricky one for Capcom. How do you improve on the best survival horror title?

The plot sees series hero Chris Redfield travelling to Africa in pursuit of a criminal named Irving, who possesses a new strain of Las Plagas, a virus that mutates living organisms, transforming them into brutal killing machines. Paired up with the headstrong Sheva Alomar, he must battle to save the world from biological terror.

Sheva allows two players to play co-operatively on one console or online. When playing solo however, your AI partner is competent and never a burden.

With a focus on action, rather than the tense horror of previous instalments, the pace rarely dies down during relentless enemy encounters. Upgradeable weapons that carry over after completing the game, secret items and dossiers, and an unlockable Mercenaries survival mode warrant several playthroughs.

With a slew of big guns, production values and bigger battles, the game exudes the gusto of a blockbuster action movie, but can't break from the shadow of its superior predecessor. Regardless, this is a highly polished title, boasting great replay value and appeal that few games can match.