Partners in Horror

Published March 16, 2009

Standing at the edge of the rooftop, I clutched my pistol, slick with sweat born of panic and a merciless African sun beating down upon the terrible scene. My partner stood below, surrounded by creatures who only days before had been peaceful men and women tending to their jobs, their children, and their community.

One old, one new. Our heroes.

Now they were driven to bloodlust, compelled to unspeakable acts by a force unknown, and without careful aim and a steady hand they would eviscerate and devour my partner. Tearing my eyes from the mob, I spied a barrel of gasoline. I fired, hoping the liquid flame would spare my friend.

The ensuing screams and searing flesh were distraction enough, allowing him to burst through the window he was pinned against and so earn the precious seconds required to regroup and prepare a more defensible position.

It's this more action-oriented, third-person shooter centered approach that Resident Evil 5 continues.

The preceding moment is ripped directly from my own cooperative Resident Evil 5 experience, and for all its drama, it's a tame example of what the game has in store for the legions of franchise fans waiting to wade through the blood, guts, tension, and thrills in this latest entry in the series.

Setting the Stage
Resident Evil 5 begins with series stalwart Chris Redfield, now an agent for the BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance), making the trip to a small dusty African village, considered a target for potential bioterrorism.

Here he meets fellow agent Sheva Alamor and together they are ensnared by a merciless army of mind-controlled zombie-like creatures (Majini). While they mirror the "Las Plagas" threat in Resident Evil 4, the Majini represent a more advanced, mature form of the infection. It's up to Chris and Sheva to not only survive, but to track down those responsible for the Majini's subjugation.

Be prepared for a number of nods to the series' longstanding, conspiracy-theory-laden lore, complete with cameos best experienced, not discussed.

Shoot or run? Shoot quick, run quicker!

Sequel to Four
Where the early Resident Evil games focused on a slow-burning tension punctuated by horrifying staccato action, Resident Evil 4 took the franchise in a new and critically acclaimed direction. It's this more action-oriented, third-person shooter centered approach that Resident Evil 5 continues.

The tension and fear in RE5 is in the claustrophobic predicaments in which Chris Redfield and series newcomer Sheva Alomar find themselves. When the Majini crash through doors, punch through barricades, climb over fences, and crawl up and down through holes in the floor or ceiling, when they hound you relentlessly no matter where you flee, it's a thrilling but unsettling experience.

Add to the mix elite enemies and bosses that mingle with the droves of Majini, and RE5 evokes the fight or flight instinct like few other games.

Co-op Survival
Where the game truly separates itself from its immediate predecessor though is with its unflinching dedication to absolute cooperation throughout the campaign. Chris and Sheva depend entirely on one another. When separated, the added injection of fear is palpable, and when side by side, the boost in confidence is tangible.

Damn dogs.

While you can certainly play with Sheva as an A.I. controlled partner, and indeed, her remarkable A.I. is always helpful and rarely frustrating, RE5 reaches a new level of thrilling satisfaction when played with a friend.

There is no replacing the joy of hearing your friend scream out for help, seeing them pinned down by an infected dog ready to snap its mutated maw over their face, only to beat it off a moment before it delivers the killing blow. Even something as simple as shouting "Behind you," allowing your friend to turn and blast a sickle-wielding Majini in the face, is very satisfying.

Perhaps most telling is the tense dialogue between players. After a three-hour session with a friend of mine, I realized there had been no idle chitchat of any kind. Every question, answer, and panicked outcry was focused exclusively on the action at hand.

Keep plugging away!

Game Mechanics
While the shared Resident Evil 5 experience is worthwhile, it's made more enjoyable by a series of features designed to heighten the sense of true cooperation.

• Item swapping: Inventory management has long been a staple of the franchise, and RE5 is no different. You'll still need to make tough decisions on whether you want to keep that Green Herb or swap it out for a grenade or extra ammo. However, you can exchange items on the fly with your partner, so you can work to maximize your inventory slots.
• Co-op actions: RE5 features a series of context sensitive cooperative actions. For example, the Assist Jump allows Chris to toss Sheva across a gap or up onto an otherwise out-of-reach ledge. Importantly, many of these are not "required," so searching them out gives you a legitimate tactical advantage.
• Recovery/help!: Should your partner take enough damage to trigger the Dying state, revive them by pressing B if you're close enough. If an enemy pins or grapples them, you can beat off the offending enemy. This feature alone helps emphasize the importance of fighting close together at all times.

Replayability
Beyond the story and action, Resident Evil 5 does an excellent job of packing the game with enough bonus content to keep folks playing back through the game time and time again. Whether it's discovering new weapons, upgrades, or costumes by tracking down BSAA symbols or secret eggs scattered through the levels, or even simply playing back through on the unlockable War Hero difficulty, Resident Evil 5 is begging to be conquered several times over.

Tight-knit co-op is key.

A series of grades for aiming, enemies killed, time, and more is granted after each level, and these combine for an overall grade. There are Leaderboards for every level as well.

Mercenaries
Those that brave the story mode to completion will also be rewarded with a new game mode, Mercenaries. Playable on your own and cooperatively, Mercenaries drops you into a combat zone and tasks you with surviving against wave after wave of enemies until the round is over.

Resident Evil 5 continues to prove Capcom's mastery of survival-horror as well as their willingness to stretch beyond the commonly held parameters of the genre. The Majini are waiting. Will you dare face them?

Article by Ryan Treit