Resident Evil 5 Review

Reboot is a word often touted in reference to entertainment IP's, but rarely understood by the public at large. In the case of Resident Evil 5, it hasn't really been used much at all, even though it applies big time.

A reboot essentially entails taking a previously established and widely recognized franchise and reinventing it. The basics, such as characters, overarching plot and vital themes, all remain intact, but the styling and mood get reformatted - or rebooted.

One pertinent example may be the upcoming Star Trek movie, done by J.J Abrams and billing itself as "not your father's Star Trek". It now features an alternative rock soundtrack, contemporarily-choreographed fisticuffs, and anti-hero protagonists.

This is how yours truly views Resident Evil 5- as a reboot. Over a decade of success has made Resident Evil (RE) a household name, but the latest addition has much in the way of the new to say. Previously a survival horror series with shooting elements, RE is now almost entirely a shooter. The isometric camera angles of the first releases have been discarded in outings past, but now are nigh on extinct. RE5 moves along the lines of Dead Space more than anything else RE has done before, with your character taking up most of the foreground and staying at a fixed angle and location on the screen, save for when sprinting.

Production values for RE titles have usually been good, but the games weren't celebrated for their looks, more their gameplay and fiendish personality. RE5 is quite the opposite - it's among the most beautiful games ever released, with slick graphics and tremendous detail. Minor clipping occurs, but otherwise, this is one clean cut product, with no textures popping or updating slowly. Shortcuts are apparent - note the limited environmental damage, static sky and still flora or the world, which quickly take a backseat to the hi-res work on display.

Combined with its new shiny exterior, the compelling cutscenes and almost goof-free story render RE5 a closer relative to a Metal Gear Solid release than anything in the RE catalog. This is a good thing, and RE5 is my first pick for 2009 game of the year.

It takes place in Africa, which initially put pressure on Capcom due to concerns over racism - completely ridiculous, of course, but still, it had an impact. As a result, while the action occurs in Africa, many of the folks you ventilate don't look African, and there are only a handful of character models for the baddies. However, all are gorgeous, particularly the tribal warriors and spectacular boss opponents. Yes, being a Capcom game this has bosses aplenty, so come in expecting a fight.

It's also a rich game, laden with story elements and interesting items to hunt around for as you play. Gamers once again take on the role of special agent Chris Redfield, bioweapon-interdicting extraordinaire and all round hero. He's joined by the sexy Sheva Alomar, a young African woman raised in the US and adept special forces troop in her own right. Both benefit from amazing character models, with the one for Sheva boasting a few very obvious attractions.

As the two unravel a plot to unleash horrible bioweapons upon humanity, they take on hordes of zombies, monsters and much more. None of it is especially scary - a complaint from dyed in the wool RE followers. Also, aiming could have been more responsive, plus it probably wouldn't have killed the designers to let us aim while moving. These are minor issues, though, you quickly get used to the control method.

As one who typically resents difficult and overly challenging games, RE5 seemed a perfect candidate for scorn initially. After all, it comes from Capcom, an outfit known for taking pleasure in the suffering of gamers everywhere. Most titles from these sadists have been notable for high difficulty levels and annoying save systems - a quick mention of Dead Rising ought to suffice.

None of that with RE5 - this one proves Capcom have finally come around to the human side of things. You can choose to play on amateur, which as their own descriptor says, lets one simply enjoy the journey. More skilled players can go for tougher settings, which do offer a challenge. And frequent saves make losing less painful, as checkpoints are quite logically placed, although we must reiterate the call for save-anywhere in this age of huge hard drives.

Resident Evil 5 is an excellent product that has almost everything going for it and consequently shouldn't be missed out on. I applaud the maturation of the series and of Capcom as a gamemaker, and find this title truly uplifting and enjoyable. Kudos to them.

Xbox 360 version reviewed