You are now entering the world of Action Horror...

If Resident Evil 4's reboot of Capcom's famous Survival Horror franchise proved one thing, it's that a sequel can be completely different from every other game in the series, so long as it happens to be five-star stunning. Conversely, the biggest flaw with Resident Evil 5 is that it is, if anything, far too similar to its lauded predecessor to avoid comparison. And comparisons to one of the most celebrated games of all time are always going to skew your judgement.

Playing catchup

So, we should probably get the big negatives out of the way first. At around 10-12 hours long, Resident Evil 5 is about half as big as Resi 4. It's also nowhere near as fresh-feeling. In the last four years, games like Gears of War have built upon the foundation of third-person shooters, and with its ill-fitting linearity, insta-death QTEs and occasional me-too cover system, Resi 5 at times feels like it's trying to play catchup with conventions its forebear helped create.

Lastly, there's that thorny issue of franchise integrity. Before Resi 4, Survival Horror used to mean exploration, tension and surprise scares. Resident Evil 5 is linear, bombastic and so in-your-face that instead of feeling afraid, you can at times actually feel a tad desensitised.

Still want to play it? You should. It may not be highly original, but Resident Evil 5 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 delivers enough thrills along its gore-laden rollercoaster ride to make it well worth a purchase, while spinning out a story which (unlike RE4) feels like it really belongs in the long-running series.

It's difficult to call Resi 5 'Survival Horror', really – Action Horror would be more appropriate. There's plenty of mutated nasties, gruesome bloodshed and a general all-pervading sense of dread throughout, but the gameplay is weighted almost entirely towards action-packed gunplay, and the most significant scares come from unexpected attacks in the heat of battle, not the creeping, insidious fear of roaming around a spooky mansion, never knowing when to expect the next zombie onslaught.

Let go of the old ways, though, and Resident Evil 5 proves a relentlessly enjoyable action romp. Indeed, as a third-person shooter, it's probably second only to Gears of War 2. The big controversy is of course the aiming system; unlike its genre counterparts, you can't shoot and move at the same time. The cynics would call it a stubborn refusal to move with the times. Capcom say it adds to the tension. We'd tend to agree with the latter philosophy.

Don't panic!

There are times in Resi 5 where you'll be pelting away from foes, quick-turning and struggling to get off a few rounds before they're upon you. It creates an enormous sense of panic, and a deep interdependence between you and your co-op partner.

Sheva is her name – and she's Resi 5's other big talking point. Played on your own, it's down to the computer to control her actions, and it does a passable, if not wholly intelligent job. There are times she'll run off and get slaughtered, while at others she'll seem for all the world like her sole purpose in life is to drain your ammo resources. In that respect, it's hard to argue that Capcom haven't sacrificed some of the singleplayer experience in order to include co-op.

With a second player controlling her however, Resident Evil 5 springs to life. A little like a two-player Left 4 Dead, you'll be screaming for help, covering each other, picking complimentary weapons (we went for Chris with a shotgun, pistol and sniper, while Sheva took a machine gun, grenade launcher and handgun), and always foraging for ammo and health pickups, both in crates and the shrivelled corpses of your intelligent, ferocious, parasite-infected foes.

The inventory metagame has always been an intrinsic part of the Resi experience, and in RE5 it's handled fittingly, with a real-time menu letting the pair exchange and discard items, upgrade weapons and between chapters (and after death) purchase new firearms, vests and health with treasures found throughout the game. Sadly the jewel/treasure combining from Resi 4 is absent, and the inventory is never upgradeable, so there is a distinct feeling of dumbing down – and yet, the interrelation between Chris and Sheva is pronounced enough to make up for it; the feeling of friendly co-operation against hordes of undead never less than tantalisingly nerve-wracking – especially on the harder difficulties, where Resi 5 becomes the intense, frightening experience it always promised.

Lap it up

This feeling is transplanted to Resident Evil 5's Mercenaries mode, which on 360 (and hopefully soon PS3) has just received a patch to be playable online. Unlocked after completing the story, Mercenaries is like Resi's two-person answer to Gears 2's Horde, and adds time-attacking, high-scoring shooter fun to the package – while competitive multiplayer modes are also a future possibility.

It goes without saying that Resident Evil 5 looks fantastic, but it's also difficult to escape the simple fact that with its brash action focus and an overall lack of exploration, it doesn't feel that much like Resi any more – and the way it ends makes us wonder where the series goes from here. Rumours are rife of another revamp, which might not be such a bad thing. For now, though, the many fans of Resi 4, Gears et al should lap up Resident Evil 5, before the series mutates once more.

GAME's Verdict

• A supremely paced, panic-inducing action romp with a story that really belongs in the series.
• Superbly implemented co-op and ammo-foraging, item-swapping inventory management.
• Online Mercenaries mode massively extends the longevity.

• Nowhere near as fresh-feeling - and only half as long - as Resi 4.
• Treasure and inventory dumbed-down, cover system feels shoehorned in for Gears of War fans.
• Incredibly linear; no real puzzles; not particular tense - it really doesn't feel like Resi any more.

Review by: Mark 'Agent S' Scott (with co-op assistance from Lee 'Operative H' Higgitt)
Version Tested: Xbox 360
Review Published: 11.03.09

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirk!"

Survival Horror is dead. At least in the way we remember. Where it once meant exploration, puzzles and slow-paced tension, it now means the fast, linear, rollercoaster ride of Resident Evil 4. Resident Evil 5 continues the trend.

For those that voted Resi 4 our 2005 People's Choice winner, this will be welcome. But even they might raise an eyebrow at the new co-operative gameplay. The great news is that it doesn't detract from the Resi formula. If anything, it feels like a natural evolution of the partner-swapping from Resident Evil Zero. But more on that a little later.

Sinister secret

Resident Evil 5 takes place in a nondescript part of Africa, with the starring role taken by original Resident Evil lead man Chris Redfield, now working for the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance. Since the collapse of Umbrella, the corporation's research has gone global, and it's up to people like Chris and his new partner, fellow BSAA agent Sheva Alomar, to wade into bioweapon hotspots and shut them down.

But it's soon apparent that this sandy, shanty town of wooden shacks and corrugated metal rooftops is hiding an altogether more sinister secret. Indeed, events soon take a turn for the decidedly deadly, as the pair stumble upon a bloody execution scene, only to see the infected crowd swiftly turning towards our heroes, baying for blood.

Like Resident Evil 4's opening village area, the phrase 'in at the deep end' seems fitting. Finding yourself penned indoors, you dart around foraging for ammo and health-giving herbs, push bookcases in front of doors and pick off the weapon-wielding hordes one-by-one as they climb through windows… but slowly, you find yourself being overwhelmed.

Then all hell breaks loose. The enormous axe-lugging executioner slams through the wall and you're forced to improvise – diving out of a window, pelting away, then quick-turning to take aim at something – anything – which might do damage. As rabid villagers close in, you spot an electric generator, and let rip with your handgun – sending a shower of sparks across a pathway. But still they keep coming. Still that axe trundles ominously closer, forcing you upwards, bounding across rooftops; until finally Kirk the handy chopper guy (surely a relative of Mike!) shows up with handy-timed rocket-propelled help.

Fraught

And that's just the first area. We played Resident Evil 5 for a solid three hours, and every scene is equally fraught; every conflict an adrenaline-pumping alacrity of adapt-or-die anarchy. And that's not including the bosses – gruesome freaks of nature, each of which you'll need to figure out the trick to defeating, in the grand tradition of gaming's best end-of-level guardians.

Given the situation, it's a good thing you're not alone. Sheva is integral to progressing through Resident Evil 5, with that contentious co-operative mechanic seamlessly interwoven into the game's puzzles, weapons, health and combat. You can switch her between ammo-consuming Attack and a more cautious Cover mode, but that's it – so fans need not worry; this is no Ghost Recon.

But it is intelligent. Sheva takes care of herself, heals you when needed, and can be sent off to flip switches and cover you on high with brilliant branching level design. Resident Evil 5 is also incredibly immersive. The backdrops here feel more real than in Resi 4, and even the more 'gamey' aspects are less apparent. Where Resi 4's travelling weapon salesman felt out of place, popping up at random, Resident Evil 5 lets you purchase weapons, health and ammo between chapters only. It's less arcadey, then, and together with an inventory screen which doesn't pause play, it strikes the balance all great shooters strive for – between feeling inhumanely powerful, and mortally vulnerable.

In truth, Resident Evil 5 plays not unlike Gears of War, presenting the same combination of gritty gunplay, ammo management and mid-battle resuscitation. The four control types even offer the option for a Gears-inspired setup. Switching to this after half an hour with the classic controls felt much more natural. It left us wondering how we'd ever played Resi 4 without it.

Looming large

Having said that, the shadow of Resi 4 does loom large over Resident Evil 5. The two are very similar – heavy on action and lite on puzzles – meaning those who miss Resi's old-style exploration and abstract item hunting will still be left wanting. But then, that's sort of the point; Resident Evil 5 solidifies the series' new direction with jaw-dropping HD assuredness. Everything from the visuals to the frenzied gameplay, partner A.I. to the potential for 30 hours of co-op action, and even the neat little 'History of Resident Evil' story snippets in the loading screens makes this scream 'must have' for anyone lucky enough to be 18 and over.

Survival Horror is dead, then. Long live Survival Horror.

Preview by: Mark 'Where's The Shotgun?!' Scott
Preview Published: 16.01.09

Capcom's Leo Tan answers 13 frightening Resi-related questions...

Hi Leo. You're Capcom's PR guru – what does that involve?

Obtaining top coverage for all of our titles, attending shows such as E3 & Tokyo Games Show plus trips to our development HQ in Osaka to get a sneak peak at what our incredibly talented teams will be bringing you in years to come.

And what have you been working on with Resident Evil 5?

Demoing the game to the press, recording gameplay footage for TV shows, working with our partners at Sony and Microsoft, basically anything to ensure the game is in the public eye.

In the GAME office, we often shout out 'MIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE' when things go wrong. Which is, of course, from Resi 4. What's your favourite Resi quote?

I'm going to have to go back to the original game and the immortal line 'Barry, where's Barry?'

Any choice lines from Resident Evil 5 we could get an advanced preview of?

As you can imagine, Wesker has some suitably Machiavellian lines, but I don't want to spoil them for you.

Resident Evil 5 is quite a different experience from the old Resident Evils. How would you describe the shift, and what was the thinking behind it?

With RE4 the team definitely placed a greater emphasis on action and this has been further expanded on in RE5. The first Resident Evil game was released in 1996 and in the intervening years not much was changed as new titles were added to the series yet other games had come along and brought with them quicker and more action based gameplay. So with RE4 the team realised it was time for radical overhaul.

Co-op play is of course the big new feature in Resident Evil 5. What's that going to bring to the formula?

The need to think about someone else. Sure you had to look after Ashley for part of the game in RE4, but Resident Evil has traditionally been a selfish experience. Now it is a case of if Sheva or Chris dies it is GAME OVER, so the tension is now increased as you are reliant on your partner being there for you. In terms of gameplay, the addition of co-op has allowed the development team to create new action and puzzle elements that require two people to complete them. But don't worry, if you are not able to play RE5 online, in single player AI controlled Sheva will watch your back.

Some fans are worried that Resi 5 will lose that famous 'Survival Horror' feeling of isolated terror. What's your response to that?

Having participated in the online testing for the game I can tell you that partnering with someone on the other side of the world where communication is limited to head set chat certainly is tense, especially when you have reached critical health and are shouting for Sheva to get to you before time runs out.

Aiming whilst stood still. Seems a controversial decision. What was the thinking?

While other games offer the ability to run & gun, RE5 has stuck to the formula of taking aim and making your shot count as this is one of the key features that has been prevalent throughout all Resident Evil titles and is something that really adds to the tension.

The enemies in Resident Evil 5 aren't your run-of-the-mill zombies. What are they?

It's true to say that the enemies are not the traditional shuffling, arms out-stretched, groaning zombies. They are far quicker, more intelligent which is in keeping with the faster paced gameplay. Naturally RE5 will also include many traditional boss enemies, immense and grotesque aberrations of nature, to test players' gaming skills.

Are proper zombies (if you'll excuse the pun) dead now, as far as being included in future Resi games goes?

I think it is unlikely, but if you are a fan of the this type of enemy then you can always check out Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop.

Any future Downloadable Content lined up for Resident Evil 5?

It is certainly something that the team is considering, but I can't confirm anything right now.

We've got the Resident Evil back-catalogue and an in-depth History article on the website. Which of the old Resi's is regarded the highest in Capcom HQ, and which is your fave?

If you ask the R&D guys at Capcom then it you'll always get a different answer as everyone has their own personal favourite. For me, it has to be Code Veronica.

Lastly, back to the Resi 4 quotes - can you compare insect life to humans, do you think?

I think Leon was probably right on that one.

He always is. Thanks Leo.

Interview by: Mark 'MIIIIIIIIKE' Scott
Interview Published: 26.02.09