Rating: * * * *
PS3 (R18)
Pros: Resident Evil is the all-time zombie-slaying classic game series where you must fight the undead to hang on to your grey matter because, apparently, brains are tasty. There have been some total dogs in this long-running survival horror franchise, but its
first high-def outing seems to have remedied many issues. The strange thing is, it's not all that scary. There's a new co-op mode which adds a good dimension, with jaded main character Chris Redfield teaming up with Sheva to fight the hordes. She can be run with AI, but it's much more fun and more effective with an actual player. There's a great variety of weapons available, but my favoured tool for dispatching brain-munchers is a tricked-up shotgun.The zombies have changed significantly and are now faster, smarter and harder to kill.
Cons: New controls might upset fans - the reaction to the game's demo last year was fairly scathing. Cut scenes ooze cheese, as always, and some content has been slammed in the blogosphere for being racist - be warned, some scenes are quite disturbing and will offend. It starts feeling like survival horror in the traditional sense, but quickly morphs into an action game.
Verdict: Great graphics, plenty of carnage and a good level of challenge, Resident Evil 5 delivers on Capcom's promises - but is a love/hate title that will divide gamers.
