Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition Review

In Capcom tradition of releasing a super-version of their successful games to milk for all their worth, comes Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition. The Gold Edition contains everything the plain vanilla did plus these extras: Lost in Nightmares Episode, Desperate Escape Episode, Versus Mode, Mercenaries Reunion Mode, four new costumes and Extra figurines. These extras are also available from the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live. This Gold Edition is aimed at die hard Capcom or long time Resident Evil fans as well as those gamers who missed the original release for one reason or another. This edition is available for PlayStation 3 as well as Xbox 360. All the extra goodies of this edition are available on disc for PlayStation 3 while it is a 1GB download for Xbox 360. Player will get the same Resident Evil experience either way. Graphics are excellent, Zombies are grotesque, environments are complex and frame-rate is mostly stable. Sound not great but manages to create the atmosphere nevertheless.

For newcomers Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition is the latest entry of this long running survival horror franchise. Though this latest instalment is more action horror but all for the better. Biohazards and zombies are plentiful, all with their slimy tentacles and oozing eyeballs, ready for massacred into disturbing undead chunks covered in blood. Actions will unfold via over the shoulder third person camera. There are also cinematic camera angles when the game calls for them. On screen display and users interface are keep simple and effective. Finally, real-time inventory accesses to keep whatever suspense left in this game.

In typical Resident Evil, player will play as the starring character alone and unprepared. In Resident Evil 5, player plays as Chris Redfield but this time Chris is not alone. Joining him on his hopeless mission is Sheva Alomar, an African national and bioweapon expert. Both are members of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance fighting against the evil mega corporation, typical Resident Evil story. Throughout the six chapters single player campaign Chris and Sheva will need to cover each other back and survive the ordeal, much easier said than done. The games will throw them into many situations where this opportunity arises.

The game will play into Chris brute strength and Sheva agile nature for player to co-opt their way to hard-to-reach areas. Sheva AI does a fair job as a partner but as with any AI, there are annoyances like being trigger happy with using that precious ammo or using the scarce herbs at the sign of a scratch. This is why Capcom encouraged player to play co-opt online with a friend controlling Sheva or if online is not accessible, second controller and a friend on a couch will suffice too. Co-opt combat is interesting with AI but takes on another level of awesome and satisfaction with an online friend.

The eerie and unsettling feels as player tiptoe their way through zombie-infested city is not in this Resident Evil game. In its place, as player progresses through the game, they will be involved in varieties of action sequences, involving vehicles and thrill ride. These action sequences will definitely pump that adrenaline out. Some long time fans voiced their critiques but this is a welcome change for a long running series. Regardless Resident Evil B-grade movie style storytelling is still present. Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition is Capcom’s way of redefining the franchise and genre it created. The eerie suspense is no more but replaced with over the top high intensity action sequences. Alone in the dark is no more but joined with a lovely partner. While offering top notch graphics and sound, the single player campaign will last for around ten hours but the game is designed to be replayed, with extra modes and episodes on offer, this is a worthy game to be added to any gamers’ library.