Resident Evil 5 (Collector's Edition) (Sony Playstation 3, 2009)

Graphics: Excellent 9.0/10
Sound: Excellent 9.0/10
Gameplay: Very Good 7.5/10
Replay: Great 8.5/10
Overall: Great 8.5/10

Note to the reader: I have been playing the Resident Evil Series since it’s introduction on the Playstation One.

Graphics: Excellent 9.0/10
The graphics are excellent, the cut-scenes and in-game graphics are seamless, and this is as good as Capcom has done for this series. The shadows, lighting effects, and motions are great, and really immerse you into the game. The zombies, the backgrounds, and environments are detailed, rich, and engrossing.

Sound: Average – 9.0/10
The thing that Capcom has always nailed in this series is the sound, and this game is no exception. The sounds of the groans, the heightening tension of the music when an attack is coming, and the sounds of the weapons are dead on. The ambiance is set in the different areas by the increasing tones of heightening sense of importance through the use of music in this game.

Some may say that the voice work is poor, but it goes right along with the “cheesy” style that this series has always had, and the delivery is spot on for those that have been with the series for some time.

Gameplay: Very Good – 7.5/10
Let me start by saying that when playing this game with a friend in the co-op mode, there is nothing better. Having to people that can communicate and work together makes this game perfect. However, that being said, when this game is played in offline mode, it is not the best experience. The computer ally A.I. will shoot you in the back, use herbs unnecessarily, and not help in the most critical times of the game.

Replay Value – Great 8.5/10
Once the game is over, you will most likely be wanting more. Luckily, there are many unlockables, difficulty levels, and time runs to keep you busy for some time. To upgrade every weapon alone (without glitching) would take 6-8 playthroughs! The mercenaries mode, further co-op adventures, and just general playing will keep you coming back for more.

The score would have been greater if Capcom didn’t already include multiplayer on the disk, and charge $5 to download the unlock patch to play multiplayer. This is a trend I do not wish to se continue.

Overall – Great 8.5/10
This is a great game, do not get me wrong, but it is not perfect. This game is a detour off the survival horror that the series has created, and perfected, and has gone down the pure action path. This is not a bad thing, but the controls don’t lend themselves to that type of gameplay.

With less suspense, more gripping events because of the sheer amount of enemies, and over the top ammo and drive of the game, it is a mixture of Resident Evil 4, Gears of War, and the Matrix. Where this game does many things right, it is flawed and glitch in just as many areas. If this were any other title, it would not have been as scrutinized as closely as it was in this title.

Resident Evil 4 was, and still is, on my top 5 games of all time. This game will not place on that list, but I must recommend it just for the sheer fun, playability, and co-op opportunities that are available. This is a must play.

Change can be a painful process. Just ask one of the unfortunate citizens of Kijuju, the fictional region of Africa that serves as the setting of Resident Evil 5, the latest entry in Capcom's ongoing zombie videogame saga. A power-mad corporation's evolutionary manipulations have caused a biological disaster that turns people into mindless hosts for a military-grade parasitic infection. And you thought the Bird Flu was nasty.

The citizens of Kijuju are going through some ugly changes, many of which involve tentacles, oozing eyeballs and heretofore unexplored bloodlust. And, as is the custom in a Resident Evil game, you drop into the situation woefully underprepared for what awaits. The resulting experience is an intense, action-packed adventure replete with satisfying combat, tight gameplay and gorgeous, well-crafted environments. Resident Evil 5 offers all those things and then some, but it doesn't do many of the things longtime fans of the series expect. It won't scare you. It won't fill you with creeping desperation. It won't have you collecting and counting bullets like they're precious stones. It won't, in essence, make you feel like you're playing a traditional Resident Evil game.

Like the story it's trying to tell, Resident Evil 5 is all about evolution. Capcom has gone out on a limb with the latest numbered sequel in its long-running survival horror franchise, and although one of your goals as a player is to survive the horrors around you, this entry in the series is a radical departure from the genre Capcom helped create near Raccoon City more than a decade ago.

many fans of the series seemed to disown this game. personaly i find it to be one of the best games i have ever played. the mercinary mode from re4 returns and is now even more exciting with 2 player split screen or online survival! i enjoy the much larger variety of charecter/weapon load outs/ and maps that are avalible in the survival mode... not to mention all the extra players you get from gold ed or dlc. also if you have the gold edition you get to play with move! which is a bit of a mixed bag, slightly better and worse than re4 on the wii in terms of controls, but still a very fun shooting experiance!
i enjoy most re5's better hit detection overs re4's. exp, how you can shoot them in dif parts of the body then finish them with a sweet context melle move (only a few times you can do this in re4)|
the main story of the game is a great departure of the resident evil games with more action and less horror... which i miss, but the survival mode is were the game shines! i remember back in the days when me and my roomates would take turns played re4 mercs to try and get all 5 stars to get the handcannon.... now we get to watch each others back and fight off an unstopable terrifing hoard of monsters together! best 2 player game since gears of war (1) buy far and most hours ive ever put into a game. BUY IT NOW! (gold edition if you find any)

OK, I already know all the superfans hate the title I have given the review....but as a hardcore RE fan myself I expected alot from this latest addition. Was I disappointed? My answer is "a little bit". Here is why. When I got my first Playstation and Played RE2 for the first time...I must say I was witnessing an evolution in the video game. Hardcore violence, puzzles, cinematic cut scenes, stunning graphics....I could go on forever. And when RE4 came along I knew that the legacy was solidified....RE was destined to be the greatest of all video game franchises of all time, no question. Now we have RE5.... the great return of Chris Redfield....so exciting. Here we go, where are the genius problems and puzzles to solve to get to the next area????? Who's idea was it to turn tradition into a lead through, rather than a mind boggle....where is the reward in that????? I used to love spending hours trying to figure it out, in this edition, I did not get that challenge. That is my major beef with the game. Now, the graphics are sick and the gameplay is pretty cool, but the weapons purchase and upgrades is also a hand out...actually quite boring. I do give it props for the team play. Even though sheva shoots chris more than the enemy sometimes it is very handy to have someone around at all times to help out in tight spots. So I will wrap this up......Story 5 stars, Puzzles 1 star, Gameplay 3 stars, Cut scenes 5 stars, menus and options 3 stars. Just being honest here. RE5 is a good game, but I feel that the tradition is slowly slipping away and turning into an action franchise.

The special edition Resident Evil 5 set comes with trinkets that some may find superfluous, however to a fan like myself they are a pleasant addition to the game. Along with the steel case, alone a very nice addition, the set comes with a Messenger bag with the Tri-Cell logo screen on the flap, a Kijuju pendant necklace in the shape of Africa (including Madagascar which i found entertaining), a BSAA embroidered badge and a bonus disk with very interesting behind the scenes info. The game itself is very entertaining but as far as "horror" goes it seems lacking compared to recent titles like dead space and bio shock. It plays out more like an action game with very few puzzles. the Co op is really a great edition allowing for online or split screen, the latter of which seems to be hard to find anymore. Replay value is great allowing you to keep all your upgraded weapons from the last run. All in all an enjoyable game, but as far as the Special Edition goes, if you don't like random things clogging your odds and ends drawer, go with the game alone. I on the other hand use the bag regularly, and the badge is on my paintball BDU's.