What would I consider the perfect sequel to Resident Evil 4? I suppose this isn’t even a Resident Evil-specific question. In general, this depends on the time between each game, the budget, who the developer is, and so forth. Problems with the developer can often lead to titles being pushed back, hype building even more, among other pressures. Resident Evil 4 had it going on. It received universal praise as one of the best games of its generation, and is even considered by many to be the finest example of a survival horror game.

I really don’t think I actually need to take an in-depth look at Resident Evil 4, though, since that’s what this was for. Any sequel should progress the story, which is a check mark for Resident Evil 5. For those long-time fans of the series, old memories are returned to. At the same time, any person who has invested minimal time in the series, if any at all, will find the story to be enjoyable.

This is where the first problem lies, though. While the story by itself is a jolly good time, it creates an atmosphere that deviates much from the fantastical one in Resident Evil 4. It was scary, and you always felt vulnerable. Resources were scarce and the idea of facing a group of enemies or even a boss was something I not only dreaded, but also became frantic about. Resident Evil 5 failed to return this atmosphere. This is due to two things. The first is that you always have your babe of a partner, Sheva, by your side. She’s there to help, and instead of being a helpless waste of air, she can usually hold her own. You feel a slight comfort with her, even if she is just a pile of code wrapped in a fine digital skin. The second part that destroys some of the atmosphere is the addition of co-op to the game. When sitting beside my friend, I feel like we’re on top of the world. If I fall, he’s there to pick me up and vice versa. I’ve lost that vulnerability and I’m not afraid anymore.

Implementing co-op was understandably a requirement for many and one that really can’t be blamed on this bland feeling. The true culprit is the story itself, which doesn’t force the player into as many suspenseful moments. It’s something I find hard to put into words, but the AI being more intelligent and human-like almost seems like a negative in this case. Initially facing off against a rural village with shovels, the shift to military outfits on a gigantic cargo ship, using electric clubs, guns, and cover, seems to betray much of the earlier game and series. It feels much more “action” than “survival horror.” To compliment this, we’ve been given a larger variety of weapons to choose from. It begins to feel anything like survival, but more like taking your little brother to a candy shop and watching him go to work.

Given that this sequel took place on a new generation of consoles, there are some expectations from Capcom, and they surely felt that some change was necessary. Tinkering with the inventory seems to be a hot topic and not favoured by many. I, however, oppose these thoughts. Being able to access four of your preferable items via D-PAD is a nice touch. Switching back from one gun to the next is a frequent occurrence as you’ll be running out of rounds quite often, and navigating around your inventory is something that only slows you down.

Resident Evil 5 is still a solid game, with intense boss fights and plenty of “what the hell?” moments. It follows the same formula that Resident Evil 4 did, which means satisfaction is a strong bet. It would be lovely if we could have been given a mere extension of the story, but the chances of that ever happening with a series as highly regarded as Resident Evil are slim to none. It lacks much of the refinement of Resident Evil 4, but that doesn’t mean you should prevent yourself from experiencing this kind of intensity.