I Unapologetically Love ‘Resident Evil 5’ (Editorial)

Resident Evil 5 is one of the games in the franchise that gets the most flak, but I love it and I don’t care who knows.

There are some Resident Evil games that are considered classics: Resident Evil, Resident Evil 4 and now Resident Evil 7: Biohazard are considered some of the best in the series. But on the opposite side of the coin, there are those other installations that were not well-loved and accepted like Resident Evil 5, 6 and Operation Raccoon City. While I agree that the last two weren’t the most phenomenal games, I have to say, I unapologetically love Resident Evil 5.

Image courtesy of Capcom

Resident Evil 5 was released by Capcom in 2009 for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, and stars Chris Redfield. After travelling to Europe following the first game to hunt down the Umbrella headquarters and losing his partner, Jill, in the process, Chris now works for the B.S.A.A. (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance). The B.S.A.A. works to stop companies like Umbrella and TriCell from selling BOWs on the black market and using them. Chris gets called to Kijuju in Africa where he meets fellow B.S.A.A. agent Sheva Alomar and they work together to try and find out what’s going on in the villages and infecting the people. It is set five years after the events of RE4.

This installation was pretty controversial when it came out due to the environment it was placed in. There were accusations of racism, but after an investigation was conducted, it was ruled as false claims. While the gameplay was similar to Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 5 offered an offline co-op storyline. That was the biggest draw for me. I could sit with a friend and play through the story while we both played on our strong points. I was always a better sniper while they were usually more run ‘n gun. Having a co-op Resident Evil was a total game changer for me.

Image courtesy of Capcom

The environment of Resident Evil 5 was nothing like we had played before. While I admit, by this point, the game had become an action shooter and not survival horror anymore, it was so much fun. I have always been a fan of sitting and watching someone play a Resident Evil game, sometimes more than actually playing them myself, but to be able to play side by side was a blast.

The monsters dealt with a parasite like in RE4. In RE4, it was Los Illuminados and Las Plagas but in Resident Evil 5, it was my boy Wesker and Uroburos. Maybe someday I will go into my deep love for Albert Wesker. He is by far one of my favorite characters in the entire series. There’s just something about him.

One of my only complaints in regards to the gameplay was that of the partner A.I. If you weren’t playing with an actual human as Player 2, Sheva was pretty much worthless. She wouldn’t shoot anything and would wander around like a kid at an elementary school concert, just not doing anything she is supposed to.

While the ending broke my fan girl heart, I loved this game so much. I have lost count on the number of times I have played and beaten it. No matter what anyone says, Resident Evil 5 is an amazing game.

Next: Resident Evil VII: ‘Not a Hero’? More like ‘Not My Redfield’!

How do you feel about Resident Evil 5? Are you a big fan of Resident Evil 2? Check out the documentary on YouTube about the game. What’s your favorite Resident Evil game? Let us know in the comments!