Resident Evil 5 is a strange creature. It has all the flash and graphics of a next-gen game, yet the gameplay itself feels as if it’s years old.

This isn’t that warm nostalgia feeling you get from playing an old game again after many years. It’s that feeling where you played that type of game years ago and realise that, while it was fun at the time, those conventions have evolved into better, more intuitive play and controls since.

That’s the feeling I get from RE5.

While this conflict of evolution is present within the game, Capcom tailored the experience towards that conflict. They understood that moving is clumsy, so the infected can only run till they are 30 feet from you. At which point they slow to a shuffle. This tailoring helps alleviate what would have been a killer to playing the game. While they help most of the issues, a few still go unchecked.

If you are playing the game in single player, STOP! The AI is comparable to a testosterone high teenage boy. While they can handle themselves against regular infected, (“Boom, headshot!”), once the boss appears they freak out and hug to you for comfort (“I’m scared daddy”). This turns boss battles from strategic encounters into, see how fast you can unload your ammo missions. Thankfully though, boss battles have painfully obvious weak spots or ways to kill them.

What RE5 lacks the most though is memorable moments. Looking back to RE4, that title had much more memorable boss battles and set pieces. Stranger was how satisfying the death sequences were. Much of this is lacking from RE5 oddly enough. This doesn’t mean the game is mundane, it just means it doesn’t have that punch.

While many of the advancements made in the game don’t go far enough, some were hit head on. RE5′s cutscenes were excellently directed with sometimes clear inspiration from Metal Gear Solid 4 and Black Hawk Down. Coupled with that is the, (for the most part), great voice acting. Most of the main characters feel believable with their dialogue, but on occasion the corny lines detract from that enjoyment.

Thankfully the in-game dialogue doesn’t have a high rate of repeating itself or using lines that don’t fit the situation. The AI is even helpful sometimes in vocalizing when to reload or sighting a bosses weakness. One of the few things the AI does right.

As originally mentioned, Capcom tailored the gameplay so the its fault were not as crushing. This helps focus the core gameplay of kill everyone, which never gets old. The pacing of infected, puzzle, infected, then QTE keeps your experience from being monotonous. This does mask the lack of inventiveness in the encounters. That being said, the satisfaction you get from those encounters is great.

RE5 (thankfully) keeps the tradition of having plenty of metagame and replay value to it. The bonus menu offers a long list of unlockables ranging from costumes to figures to infinite ammo on certain guns. Since you will be going through many of the levels multiple times included is a leaderboard for time trial junkies, and BSAA emblems hidden through-out levels to collect.

Their is a hefty amount of content to unlock through Mercenaries mode for the hardcore as well. All of these extras keep you busy for more hours then the initial run-through will take.

With all the ups and downs through-out the game, it ends up in a nice above average position. While the game does take itself too seriously sometimes, playing it with a metagame attitude can make those times easier.

Even if RE5 may be the middle child, it still needs some love too. Play some catch with him in the backyard. You may not enjoy it the whole time, but it provides a sometimes fun experience until the next, hopefully better child is born.

- 7 / 10