Chris Redfield, the hero from the original Resident Evil, returns to fight a mysterious new bioterrorism threat literally transforming the people and animals of the African village of Kijuju into mindless, maddened creatures.  This time around you are joined by a new partner, Sheva Alomar. Players will be able to control Chris in single player, or team-up in co-op mode to shoot and strategize their way through the most action-packed Resident Evil yet!

Resident Evil 5 wonderfully marries the classic survival horror game-play with more action-oriented elements. RE purists may scream bloody murder at the amount of weapons and ammo available in RE5, but we love the added gun-play and action. Instead of running by gaggles of slow walking infected, we enjoyed mowing them down with our trusty shotgun.

You’ll also be able upgrade your weapons and buy new weapons between levels by collecting gold and “treasures” hidden throughout the level; giving added value to players who want to spend more time exploring the beautiful African landscapes in search of hidden gems.

The game really shines in co-op mode, via Xbox Live, PSN, or local connection. While the AI partner is adequate (she routinely shoots us in the back, but can take care of herself), having a partner in crime makes the game much easier. It is tough to flank enemies or pull off stunning cooperative battle maneuvers when Sheva is constantly standing behind you.

In addition to standard single player and co-op story mode, Capcom has also created a competitive 4-player “Versus” multi-player mode that offers deathmatch, team deatchmatch, and zombie frag fest modes. Curiously enough though, the multiplayer comes as DLC for 400 Microsoft Points via Xbox Live or 4.99 via the PSN available a few weeks after launch.

Verdict 4.5/5