“Fear We Can’t Forget.”

These are the words that developers at Capcom are using to describe the newest entry in their long time running survival horror series, Resident Evil. The series is known for its slow pacing, buckets full of blood and zombies. But can the newest entry live up to these series standard and still manage to frighten gamers? Let’s find out.

Released on Friday, March 13, Resident Evil 5 marked the first time that the series went multiplatform. Resident Evil 4 started on the Nintendo GameCube and later ended up on the Playstation 2, but Resident Evil 5 was the first to launch on two systems simultaneously.

Both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 versions play and look great. This is the first time that we really see each platform running identically. The Xbox 360 is known to have the superior versions of the multiplatform games, whether it being better graphics or online support, but this is not the case here. The game will have you absolutely floored with its visuals no matter what system it is played on.

The story picks up with Chris Redfield, the protagonist from the original Resident Evil. We find Chris in Africa working for the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance investigating a series of new outbreaks in remote villages. Along with his new partner, Sheva Alomar, they explore and encounter a dangerous new plot that threatens to unleash hell on earth.

Game play wise, the action is very similar to Resident Evil 4. It has the same slow, over-the-shoulder perspective that forces you to stand still when firing, but it also introduces some new concepts. The first major one is Sheva your partner. Instead of tackling on all the action by yourself, your partner will now aid you in your exploration and attacks. You can set her to fire at will or just at your targets. This time around it is really appreciated to have that extra firepower because the enemies are stronger and attack in hordes.

The real jewel of the game however is the co-op play. For the first time ever in the series, you can now play cooperatively with a friend over the network or split screen. Teamwork is engrained in the game and is encouraged. You will have to handle item management in real-time, often while engaging with the enemy.

Those who played through Resident Evil 4 may be disappointed with the length of this game. It can be completed anywhere between 12-15 hours, which is on the short side when compared to the others in the series.

Also it seems as though the developers got lazy with some of the animations because it is clear that they are recycled from Resident Evil 4.

Even with its shortcomings, this game is well worth it. Any fan of the series will feel right at home with the game play, and any newcomers to the series will have no problem jumping right in. Just make sure to play this game with the lights on.