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Not quite as incredible as 4, but still a worthy follow-up.

We could probably easily get away with not calling the Resident Evil titles survival horror anymore, and that's become most evident from the newest release, Resident Evil 5. I don't mean this in a bad way though, in fact, Resident Evil has transformed into a damn solid action title, but I fail to see anything terrifying coming out of the series since having the zombie dogs jump through the window in part 1. However, even though RE has lost its ability to scare me over the years, it's improved ten fold on the playability side of things, and it's transformed into a top-tier series that's worth taking a look at for just about any action game fan out there.

There are certain elements to the RE games that fans seem to think are integral to the series. No running while shooting, businessmen with world domination ideas, and a plot that's as far out there as the creature designs tend to be. For the most part I won't disagree with this, and while I'm in the camp of people that think running and shooting wouldn't ruin the gameplay, I can see why the developers opt to keep that style of gameplay present for the latest entry.

Along with Chris, we're introduced to the new character, Sheva, a BSAA operative from Africa that partners up with Chris at the beginning, and also serves as the introduction to the new first for the main series, which is co-op play. This is a title that's obviously been built around the co-op mechanic, and while a partner isn't particularly new to the Resident Evil series (RE0 anyone?) this is the first time that the AI aspect of it's been handled well enough to be called successful, and definitely the first time that we've been able to play with a friend, either locally or through Xbox Live or PSN.

Online co-op is a flawless experience too, and easily the best way to play the game. While the AI of Sheva isn't particularly troublesome, you're not really able to fine-tune it past the point of having her focus on offense or defense. She doesn't always take time with her shots, and sometimes it'll feel like she's really wasting her bullets. Also, equipping her with a melee weapon like the stun rod is almost always a waste, because she rarely hops into the fray if enemies are swarming you. She does do a pretty good job with healing items, and I found her to be really useful as a back up healer, equipping her with a first aid spray or two, and it allowed me to keep my mind off of dealing with my own inventory to equip and spray out a can or two. v Also, outside of a couple enemies that can kill you in one hit, she does a solid job of staying out of the line of fire, or away from attacking zombies, and thankfully the gameplay system itself does a great job of warning you when she's pinned down or in danger. Likewise she'll respond quickly to your own cries for help, and I definitely escaped a few game over screens thanks to the quick response time of the AI. Honestly, I handled Sheva as if she was a pet character in an MMO, which is the closest thing I can compare her AI to. If you put her into Action mode, she'll actively participate in fights, going all out against any nearby enemy. If you put her into cover, she'll conserve ammo and generally try to stay out of your way, allowing you to lead the path to the next spot in the area. She does jump the gun for scripted events sometimes, which can be troublesome if you don't know when these parts are coming up, but for the most part the AI helps the player more than it hinders them.

The same can be said of the gameplay too. It's obviously built upon the house that Resident Evil 4 built, with the over the shoulder camera and aiming functions, and the default control scheme (one of four) doesn't feel too different from what we had in RE4. Certain things have changed, like the knife isn't nearly as powerful a tool as it once was, and the inventory system has seen a slight overhaul allowing for a quick swap of items mapped to the D-Pad, along with the ability to bring up the full inventory screen during the action and switching out weapons with a relative amount of ease. Also, having a partner along means you can switch items between the two, or have your partner pick up particular items found if you don't have the room or have no current use for them. Returning again is the found treasures from the RE4, which will end up as your primary way of making money in the game, money you'll most likely put into the various upgrades for all of your weapons, something that it's worth taking the time to do if you plan on playing through the game more than once.

Still, for players that were blown away by the transition between RE3 or even Code Veronica to RE4, you might feel a little under-whelmed by what Resident Evil 5 does, especially since we've seen two Gears of War titles and EA's Dead Space that have built upon some of the great mechanics introduced by RE4. There is a cover system in place, but you won't find much need for it until the last half of the game, or even the last third of the game really. And while it's there, it's not nearly as polished as what we've seen in a couple other action titles, and often it feels like it's easier to just stand behind an object than it is to actually go into cover like the game intends. In particular, one mid boss fight wants you to use a lot of the cover around an indoor area, but at the same time it seems to slow you down more than it helps, and that seemed to be the case for me more often than not.

In reality, the main game clocks in pretty short, but there's so much stuff to do after the game is finished that you don't really feel like you're being ripped off due to the game length. Regardless of the extra content though, I felt like the time it took me to go through the RE5 was pretty much the perfect running time for an action game anyways, and being able to sit down and get the core experience over the course of a weekend is always a welcome change from the grind that some games seem to represent.

Also, the game is gorgeous to look at in HD, and the cutscene work in particular is some of the best out there. I'd also like to point out that facial animations are top notch, and while PS3 titles like Heavenly Sword and Uncharted might win out there, RE5 definitely comes in close to the work done on those games, and it really helps nail the characters down for the story. Also, the voice acting is top notch, and outside of one somewhat comically voiced boss, the guys and girls behind the voices help the somewhat goofy plot excel past pure camp, which is definitely a good thing. In particular, I thought one of the side characters, Josh, was handled really well.

Along with the voice work, the soundtrack makes use of the action quite well, with lots of cues to let you know when enemies are present or on their way, and distinct pieces for each boss fight that really sell the scope of each encounter. There's plenty of pieces that are reminiscent of the RE series in general too, and even the small level over screens and inventory screens have music that fits in well with the entire series. Overall, the soundtrack and FX quality is top notch, and well worth taking note of.

The game does have a few cheap deaths, mostly from the QTE sequences that occur during the cutscenes, and while I'm sure some players will have the reflexes necessary to clear these bits in one go, I hate having to die and start an entire sequence over just for missing one button, so that was one of the more annoying aspects of the game for me. Also, since they were included, I never felt any of them reached the level of awesome that the Krauser fight from RE4 had, so I could have done without them altogether.

But really, any complaints I have about the AI and QTE bits are pretty minor in comparison to the game as a whole. I definitely loved this entry into the series, and think that it's a great follow-up to RE4. It might not innovate as much as the previous entry did, and the bits it borrows from titles that were inspired by its predecessor don't seem to have the level of polish that I think they should, but for the most part the game is a joy to play, and something that any action game fan should be willing to check out. If you have a friend to play along with, then that's obviously the way to go, but don't let the thought of playing with the AI deter you from picking this up. It's a great game, and well worth your time.