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I am a huge Resident Evil fan. I remember paying extra, just to get the first Resident Evil instalment on my original Playstation a week before anyone else. There have been many episodes and reincarnations since then, and although I had become a little bored of the series in the years since the original, Resident Evil 4 totally refreshed the game for me and I absolutely loved it. I played Resident Evil 4 on my Playstation 2, and so as Resident Evil 5 was to be the first version of the game on the “next generation” consoles, I was awaiting this game with baited breath.

I remember drooling at the graphics in the teaser trailer, which was released shortly after I completed RE4. Although that was a few years ago now, and graphics have naturally improved over time, I still was looking forward to seeing what the geniuses at Capcom could come up with graphically, for my Resident Evil starved eyes to feast on.

I was not disappointed, as my first impressions when I stuck the game on were that the presentation was sleek and the game graphics were very impressive. Some of the best I’ve seen on the 360 in fact. That said, I was a bit unsure of the game itself to begin with. I initially thought it felt a bit sluggish and the chunky characters took up too much room on the screen. I also thought turning to aim was a bit slow and hence frustrating. So although initially graphically I was pleased, in terms of gameplay I was a little bit dissatisfied.

However, having persevered into the first hour or two, my opinion completely changed. I became used to the controls and menu system again and also became familiar with the new interaction system with your partner. This game can be played completely in co-op mode; a nice touch that means you can enjoy this great game with a good friend (or indeed a complete stranger if you like).

On the topic of your partner, Sheva, she can sometimes be an annoyance as she will pick things up before you get to them, use up your first aid supplies, get in your way and block your vision on occasion. With that said, she will save your bacon on more than one occasion so you do tend to forgive her. It makes for an interesting and colourful relationship, as one minute you’ll be cursing her and the next minute giving her praise.

You can choose for your partner to be more attack or defence minded, by selecting attack or cover respectively. I opted for her to be more defensive, so that I could do most of the shooting and she would heal me if I needed it. This worked well for me, but you could play the game differently if you preferred. To do this you would simply make Sheva attack and let her do the dirty work for you. There are times when you are over-run with enemies however, when you will need to team up and then you’ll be thankful that your partner is there to take out her share of the bad guys.

Changing the topic back to graphics, I’d liked to emphasise that they really are superb, and at times quite sublime. The lighting effects at different times of day are very realistic and one of my favourite and atmospheric moments takes place in an underground tunnel where all you have to see is the limited light provided by a torch. These effects all help add to the overall atmosphere of the game.

There are a large variety of enemies, some harder than others and in typical Resident Evil fashion there are certain enemies that can take you out with one attempt. You will find there is a larger Boss type enemy at the end of the levels as well to give you a slightly harder challenge. You tend to have to work out these enemy’s particular weaknesses, for example, you may have to target a specific part of their body or work out how you can use your environment to get the better of these larger foes. Nothing too unfamiliar or perplexing, but a decent challenge and an aesthetic treat awaits you when you reach these end of level bosses.

The game overall is a fluid experience with a good combination of normal gameplay and occasions when you will be prompted to press certain buttons to avoid danger in one form or another. These button prompts can happen at any time, so it does keep you on your toes.

The controls are great, and although I did find it a little sluggish and restrictive at first once I figured out the buttons to reload, control Sheva, change weapon and turn around quickly, I was laughing. You can set a weapon or item to each point on the d-pad, so that you simply press up, down, left or right to equip it instantly. Something I found very handy during gameplay.

You will be rewarded for your actions throughout the game, and the 360 achievements awarded to you are fair and satisfying. You can expect to get a decent gamerscore if you simply complete the game once, however those keen on getting all 1000 points will have to work that little bit harder and complete the game on multiple occasions to tick off every achievement on the list.

The game’s longevity is decent for a modern day game but don’t get me wrong, this is no Fallout 3. To simply get through the story will not take you too long, perhaps 15 to 20 hours or so. There are 6 chapters each with 3 stages. However, there is lots of replay value in this game, as you’ll find you can’t do everything you want to do in simply one play through. Also, the coop mode over Xbox Live opens up another dimension of the game and will add a few extra hours of game time to this game.

I purposely have not given any of the story away as I think that would just ruin the game for some people, I prefer just to know what is good and bad about a game, and an overall opinion before I decide to buy it. Another way to try out the game is to try the demo on Xbox Live, however be warned that I personally did not really enjoy the demo level but I did end up loving the game.

This for me is a no brainer. Resident Evil 5 is a cracker and therefore a must have! I’d consider it one of the best games available at the moment and probably, one of the best on the 360 to date. I give it 9/10.

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