Resident Evil 5 is not a bad game. Yes, to some this is where this horror franchise took a nosedive, its creepy survival aesthetics eschewed in favour of bombastic action heavy gunplay. But to many, RE5 is the most fun game in the entire Resident Evil series with memorable action sequences punctuated by co-op gameplay – seriously, pacing through infected savannahs and shanty towns with a buddy in tow was always a blast.
Despite its action orientation being grounded in some semblance of reality, Resident Evil 5 was at the time the biggest selling Resident Evil game, ultimately shifting upwards of 13 million units by 2022. Yes, the story was a little pedestrian, especially through its middling middle section, with underbaked characters and slew of underwhelming boss fights, but Resident Evil 5 absolutely deserves to be remade in the same vein as Resident Evil’s 2 and 3. Resident Evil 5 has something the other games in the series don’t – bright, searing daylight. Capcom’s success in rejuvenating past Resident Evil games into modern triumphs is in large part to their respect of the original source material. Their strategy, to cherry pick the best aspects to embellish in a modernised remake, is a winner. If they re-do Resident Evil 5 then paying homage to the sun-baked gameplay of the original is a must. Sure, this’d represent a 180 degree turn from the darker, gloomier aesthetic of Resident Evil remakes up to now, but it’d maintain Resident Evil 5’s sense of differentiation and provide opportunity to address some of the game’s shortcomings too.
Whilst plenty would love Resident Evil 5 to have utilised the tense survival horror mechanics and tight resource management of which the series is famed, shoehorning those features into a remake risks upsetting fans of the original game. The simple fact is Resident Evil 5 is an action heavy experience, but owing to the game’s uniquely bright, sweltering setting, perhaps there’s scope to incorporate survival mechanics without interrupting the gunplay. We can assume in the game’s fictional depiction of Western Africa that the sun is scorching. Maybe spending too long in the sun can have adverse effects on the player: sunstroke could lead to wayward weapon aiming, heat exhaustion might reduce player health, glints and glare on the screen could affect visibility adding an extra layer of desperation to the numerous encounters with zombie hordes. To counteract the effects of the sun, players might have to seek refuge in shade. Buildings could become sanctuaries to rest and recuperate, or evils shy of sunlight could lurk in wait, forcing players to make split second decisions on whether to endure a sunlit encounter or risk-taking shelter indoors. Sure, if overdone, this mechanic has potential to become annoying, but should Capcom get the balance right it could be a worthy way to address Resident Evil 5’s dearth of survival mechanics whilst still maintaining the action-led gunplay fans of the game would expect.
As already stated, remakes are an opportunity to address shortcomings in the original source material. One principal aspect of Resident Evil 5 which needs a re-vamp is its companion gameplay. Yes, in co-op Resident Evil 5 is incredible fun, but playing single player reduces Chris Redfield’s narrative companion Sheva Alomar to AI control. Since RE5’s release in 2009, there’ve been tons of advances in AI technology, which is just as well as Sheva when computer controlled behaves haphazardly at best. She’s forever in the way, which is an easy fix, but most unforgivably she burns through ammo, unloading the most valuable weaponry into the weakest enemies. Whether more intelligent AI should be utilised to help Sheva make cleverer, more frugal decisions, or whether control over her arsenal could be handed to the player to command during encounters would be a decision for Capcom. Both options are viable, although the latter may provide unnecessary busywork for players who’d rather focus on headshotting as many lurching zombies as possible than managing Sheva’s choice of weapon.
There’s scope for Capcom to expand on the companion led gameplay too. For instance, stealth is drastically underutilised in Resident Evil 5, and could be a worthy addition to mix up gameplay. Modern titles such as A Plague Tale: Requiem demonstrate how successful stealth mechanics can be incorporated between two characters, with each character in that game possessing unique skillsets which complement and support each other. Whether computer controlled or via co-operative gameplay Resident Evil 5’s Sheva could be adept at sneaking past enemies whilst Chris is more proficient at ranged attacks. There’s already hints of this in the original – Sheva’s dainty frame grants her access to high ledges and areas inaccessible to Chris, but it isn’t used for much other than traversing the environment. Also, maybe RE5 could take a leaf out of It Takes Two’s book, where both characters can combine individual weaponry to create something more destructive. It might not make up the bulk of the action but seeing as Resident Evil 5 is notoriously light on puzzles a revamped and mixed-up co-op or AI companion gameplay which focuses on stealth or unique firepower combinations could be the way to go.
And as for Sheva, her character development is as shallow as a puddle. Sure, she has an emotional backstory, one whereby she evaded a massacre in her hometown in which her family perished at the hands of Umbrella, but besides this being mentioned as her motivation behind assisting Chris it’s never really built upon during the game. In fact, the game’s overall story suffers pacing issues as a result. Chris is hellbent on finding Jill, but the game’s principal twist whereby it is revealed Jill is alive and brainwashed after suffering at the hands of Albert Wesker for the past 3 years happens deep into the game. It’s hard to garner an emotional response when the story had essentially flatlined up until this point. Likewise, with Sheva dealing the RPG-blow to finally destroy Wesker in the game’s volcanic climax there’s little emotional payoff as the game hasn’t invested enough time to getting us to care about her character. For a remake, either give the RPG to Jill, or spend more time developing Sheva’s character.
At present, it’s unknown if Capcom will opt to remake Resident Evil 5. Should 5 be remade, then logically its successor Resident Evil 6 will need to be remade too, and we all know how divisive that title is amongst fans of the series. Tweaks to gameplay and narrative aside, Resident Evil 5 still holds up graphically. Released on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC in 2009, a high-definition remaster for current gen consoles – if anything – might be all Resident Evil 5 needs to rejuvenate this title. From this point of view, an answer to the question of whether Resident Evil 5 needs a remake is largely a no. A few subpar boss battles aside, gameplay is generally good and except for the inability to simultaneously run and shoot encounters are oftentimes fun, with co-op aspects genuinely thrilling and memorable. The question of whether Resident Evil 5 deserves a remake is a different one – and to be honest, the answer is a resounding yes. There’s enough potential here to evolve an already decent experience into something truly memorable. Providing Capcom stick with the aspects which make Resident Evil 5 unique – that is, its action-heavy gunplay in searing daylight sections – there’s no reason a RE5 remake can’t be a success.
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