Game Review by Ishmael A. Elias
In 1996, Capcom and Shinji Mikami brought “survival horror” to the gaming world with the advent of Resident Evil, which captivated players with its 3D gore and violence, creepy atmosphere, bizarre puzzles, and B-movie dialogue. The series stayed true to its roots until 2005, when Resident Evil 4 broke from convention, discarding static camera angles for an over-the-shoulder perspective, and lifting combat above ammo conservation. Following up on Resident Evil 4’s formula, Resident Evil 5 ups the excitement and the number of heroes.
Resident Evil 5 begins in a dank warehouse with a mysterious masked woman standing over a man on his hands and knees as he begins to convulse. He reaches up in agony, grabbing her arm for assistance, but the woman snatches it away and leaves him to be overcome by whatever has infected him. Cut to a scene of former S.T.A.R.S. alpha team member, Chris Redfield, now apart of an anti-bioterrorism organization known as the B.S.A.A., driving in a jeep through African brush. His latest mission brings him to the fictional West African village of Kijuju where he and his new partner, African native Sheva Alomar, attempt to uncover the Uroboros threat and confirm the whereabouts of Chris’ former partner, Jill Valentine.
Like other Resident Evil games, the mystery unfolds through cutscenes and found text (discarded or abandoned sheets of paper, diary entries, etc.), and while the plot is straightforward enough, some character motivations feel thin. Consider badguy Wesker’s hatred for goodguy Chris. During the course of the game, he could have easily killed Chris, but does not due to the artistic license syndrome that makes fictional villains reveal their schemes and give heroes multiple chances to escape. While this method serves to move the story forward, it prevents players from being as invested as they could be.
Graphics and Presentation
Resident Evil 5 is a beautiful game. The high-definition backgrounds and character models are detailed, well-designed, and well-animated. Cutscenes are cinematic and interactive. Weapon, melee and various other sound effects compliment the visuals well, and the music works to instill tension or invigorate players during a battle. The voice acting is quality, with only a few moments of inconsistent delivery.
Gameplay
A heavy theme of Resident Evil 5 is partnership. Instead of walking through dusty mansions alone, players take on zombie hordes with a computer- or human-controlled partner via online or split-screen mode. This may be a positive or negative depending on one’s style of play. For instance, having a buddy alongside can double the amount of zombie carnage and abate sudden death, but the sense of abandonment and dread felt in past titles may be diminished as a result. On the other hand, there is a thrill in rushing to a partner’s aid before they receive a deathblow, or in surviving long enough to be saved from one’s own demise. The computer-controlled character (initially Sheva—Chris becomes available after completing the main campaign) handles its own for the most part, but will sometimes block the player’s view of enemies, rush into a crowd of deadly foes, fail to attack, or add items to the player’s inventory at inconvenient times.
With the addition of co-operative play comes a new inventory management system. The option to leisurely handle supplies and ammunition on a separate pause screen is gone, making players decide in real-time what items to trade, equip, combine or discard (which can make for tense situations when a chainsaw boss is seconds away). While clunky at times, the system works overall to keep the action moving and to promote cooperation. Another addition is the ability to change weapons or use supplies on the fly by mapping them to the four cardinal directions on the d-pad. Teamwork is not only necessary for survival, but also to navigate through and over various obstacles, and to acquire new weapons. Chris and Sheva part ways at several points in the game, but these moments never last long.
Resident Evil 5 maintains the series requirement to stand and shoot (as opposed to running and gunning) which makes the act of shooting much more deliberate. Players are given additional movement options, however, with the ability to move sideways and execute various melee attacks via context-sensitive situations.
Replayability
Collectibles and unlockables come in the forms of new costumes and character models, while extra modes include: Mercenaries, the familiar time-based survival game; Versus, which allows players to battle one another with any playable Mercenaries character; and “new game+,” which carries over from previous games all weapons, supplies, monies and extra costumes.
Sidebar
Before the game’s release, claims of racism sparked internet debates due to the depiction of African village people as inhuman savages. Because the latest “zombies” in the Resident Evil universe are not technically zombies—especially the decaying humanoid kind, stumbling around to snack on human flesh—the casual onlooker would not know the buff Anglo-American soldier shooting up the African village is not there to conquer it or the people who inhabit it, but rather, to survive the effects of a biohazard infection. So, while the game is not racist, it is stereotypical with its reliance on antiquated and unnecessary “Dark Continent,” “Black Hawk Down” imagery to trigger emotions. How many times must the story be told of the Anglo-American hero who triumphs with help from a local over “uncivilized” villagers or tribesmen? Placing an African theme over the recent Resident Evil model—shooting infected locals that look human, collecting gold and treasures from said locals, their tombs and their land in order to upgrade weapons to kill more effectively—begs for associations with colonization, genocide, and colorism to be drawn.
Sheva’s appearance is also an issue. On one hand, she is not as dark as her African comrades and her features allude to a multicultural heritage. But on the other hand, not all native Africans share similar features. After all, Africa is a large, diverse continent, making it possible for Sheva to appear multiethnic, but still be a native African. Who has the right to say what makes a person more African than another based solely on appearance? That said, colorism could be at play as there is a widely-held misconception that having dark skin and curly hair is not as beautiful or valuable as having fair skin and straight hair.
It should be noted, however, that Capcom included heroes and villains of various skin tones. Some see this as a sign of caving in to pressure from racist claims, while others think the inclusion to be a more accurate depiction of modern-day African populations. After all, if there are non-Anglo villains, is it unreasonable to have non-Anglo heroes?
Final Comments
Resident Evil 5 is an enjoyable, well-crafted co-op experience. While stereotypical imagery is problematic at times, it steers clear of being malicious or hateful. Free of the blind angles and jump-scare tactics that helped to provide a sense of vulnerability in past titles, there is still a natural tension that runs through each level that draws players in for subsequent rounds.
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Ishmael A. Elias is a writer and teacher based in Oakland, Calif. He is
completing his debut novel, the first chapter of which is due to appear
in the upcoming "Cherokee Writers from the Flint Hills of Oklahoma: An
Anthology" by the Cherokee Arts & Humanities Council.
Author Harry Louis Williams II, a minister at Allen Temple Baptist Church on International Boulevard in Oakland, uses this setup to shed light on the disparities between the Bay Area’s privileged and impoverished, as well as to expose the deadly cycle of street life. Peppered with vivid character descriptions and mentions of several East Oakland locations (such as Jack London Square, Fruitvale BART, and sections of International Boulevard), the novel succeeds in being both an interesting cautionary tale and a call for greater community involvement in the lives of troubled youth. 
