Resident Evil 5 was an unusual contradiction as it abandon most of the horror survival elements that defined the series but it was also a guilty pleasure.
Gamers who missed out on its original release along with fans who haven’t tried it yet should take this moment to pick up Resident Evil 5 HD. This Next-Gen port of the games Gold Edition has all the DLC along with special features are included.
The plot is set in a world threatened by terrorist and Rouge States that have acquired the Bio Organic Weapons (BOW) following the collapse of Umbrella. Players take on the role of Chris Redfield as he works with the international counter-terrorism agency, Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance.
Redfield and a BSAA team have been deployed to a West African city to stop a arms dealer from selling BOW’s to terrorists. However the operation instantly becomes a race against time when it’s uncovered that Albert Wesker is plotting a global attack using a new virus.
The story starts by making players feel like they’re going to have an experiences similar to Resident Evil 4. However by the third level, it becomes obvious that this is going to be a different gaming experience. Then at the end, players will be concerned about the series when the game punches the boulder in a volcano level.
Unlike its predecessors, Resident Evil 5 is an action game that has obviously been influenced by titles like Call of Duty. It may be disheartening to most fans but it gives gamers a memorable action zombie game. It’s not what old school gamers have wanted but compared to other action zombie titles like Dead Island, it’s one of the best games of its kind.
The original game was rich in replay value thanks to it’s Co-Op gameplay along with a plethora of unlockable secrets. Resident Evil 5 HD includes the content from the Gold Edition, which adds more replay value to a tittle that’s guaranteed to have at least +100 hours of fun.
The graphics of the original Resident Evil 5 are still among the best of the Seventh-generation consoles as it has hardly aged. The HD graphics adds a little more detail and enhances the games visual quality.
While the lack of the horror survival elements is an issue that many could have forgiven the game for, however its greatest problems have to do with its treatment of Jill Valentine and the volcano ending.
(Spoiler Alert) Fans of the series know Jill Valentine as a strong willed character who has also broken away from the gender stereotypes defined by old Hollywood. So to give her the Jessica Jones treatment that diminished her into a “damsel in distress” role is very insulting to her as a character.
Next there is the last level of the game which is set in a volcano and has Chris Redfield punching a boulder. Not only did this almost ruin a good game but it was the turning point for when the series would “jump the shark” (or “punch the boulder”).
Thankfully Resident Evil HD and Zero HD saved the series while 7 is going to be an actual horror game. Resident Evil 5 HD is still fun to play but the series is a horror survival and it needs to return to its roots.
Resident Evil 5 will always be a guilty pleasure for fans while the HD port is an opportunity for those who missed out. It may not have the tone of the classics but it still has it’s many moments.
Disclaimer: I bought this game on the PlayStation Store and compared it to the Gold Edition for the PS3.
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Resident Evil 5 HD (PS4)
8
Pros
- Good shooting mechanics
- Lots of extra content
- Sharp visuals
Cons
- No real horror or survival
- Way too over the top
- The volcano level
Stan Rezaee
Stan Rezaee is the founder and Editor of 8Bit/Digi. He is a journalist and gamer from the Bay Area who has been writing about the medium for over five years.
re5 was so fucking stupid i dont see how it gets 8/10 when it deserves -10 becaue of how bad itz. did you even play it or capcom give it to you for free because all you gamer journalist are liars despret for free stuff. why don’t you get a real job or go to real journalism school and be honst instead of lie for a living.
@Frankie101 what is the point of your rant? Also learn to speak properly.
This review would have been great had it not been for all that feminist bullshit you wrote at the end. So this game gets an 8/10 because of some feminist crap regarding Jill? You obviously have some political agenda but don’t force that Anita Sarkeesian crap into our video games.
WTF you guys gave RE6 a 3/10 but you give RE5 an 8 despite being the same fucking game!!!! This is just bandwagon review because you can’t really think for yourself as a person so you do what others want just for approval.
RE5 offers more action and immersed in the depth and detail in all the levels which has always been a trademark for the series. Quick time events play more in the game this time around. For those who have not played the last few titles in the series, the controls can feel wacky at first.
Nice review, I definitely agree with you that Capcom must return to the survival horror genre. 7 is looking like it could have those elements but we’ll see. Thankfully we have Res 2 being remade to fall back on it it doesn’t live up to our expectations!