User Score
7.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 378 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 41 out of 378

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  1. May 22, 2013
    9
    You play this game so you can see Chris Redfield punch the out of a boulder. 'Nuff said. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah~
  2. Nov 25, 2012
    9
    Really, really good game. I don't understand the negativity of this, but each to their own. People saying it's no longer 'horror' need to understand that previously (IE - Resi 1-3), you were alone in dark places fighting a virus in a secluded environment, shut off from the rest of the world. But now the virus is all over the world, so it's less frightening as you're aware you're not the only one experiencing it, combine that with the fact you have a partner, also takes away the scares. The virus, like games has evolved and you're no longer one of only a few experiencing it. It is one of my favourite games on the PS3 to date, as it takes you back to the Resident Evil world once more, just with a different outlook. My one & only gripe is sheva is more of a hinderance than a help. Expand
  3. Nov 19, 2012
    10
    the perfect game for you and your best pal, not for playing alone. Great story, graphics and good shooting action. For those who say RE its not what it used to be, it had to evolve, and they did it very well.
  4. Oct 31, 2012
    10
    One of my best game ever played on console. A balaced game with really cool animated characters. The game on the release for its year was outstanding. I played this game 24/7. The controller wasn't perfect but still really good.
  5. Sep 20, 2012
    9
    (Translate from Portuguese into English)Sou um grande fã de Resident Evil,mas me decepcionei com este jogo,ele não é ruim,pelo contrário é muito bom,mas depois de ter jogado o RE4 esperava muito mais de uma continuação,esse jogo só supera o RE4 em gráficos e no chefe final,Albert Wesker sempre será o vilão n°1,mas mesmo assim ele só aparece lá pro final do jogo,aquela transformação dele ficou muito ruim,seria muito melhor ele na forma humana,nem o final foi digno,Wesker merecia muito mais,gráficos muito bons,mas a criatividade na construção de inimigos foi muito baixa,praticamente todos os chefes do jogo tem o mesmo ponto fraco,não precisa nem pensar muito pra descobrir como derrotá-los,na verdade não há segredo nem estratégia,é só atirar nos seus pontos fracos que são bem visíveis,modo co-op nunca deveria existir em Resident Evil,Sheva mais atrapalha que ajuda,sempre que ia atirar em algum inimigo ela atirava ao mesmo tempo no mesmo,quando ele morria eu sempre dava um tiro em falso errando e diminuindo a precisão,odeio quando agarram o Chris e demora muito pra ele se soltar só pra dar tempo da Sheva chegar e livrá-lo,inventário muito pequeno,este jogo é 100% ação,"zumbis" com armas de fogo?ridículo.Repito é um bom jogo,fiz tantas críticas porque como fã esperava muito mais desse jogo,5 anos depois e recebemos o que considero o pior jogo da franquia que pertence a cronologia (os paralelos todos foram ruins) Expand
  6. May 28, 2012
    9
    Resident Evil series is the reason why I bought my first PS 1,.. and i'm falling in Love with the story and characters ever since,.. Killing zombies never stop amusing me...
  7. Apr 12, 2012
    9
    Resident Evil 5 takes a lot of flak but it's an amazing game. It was one of the best games to come out back in 2009 and it still holds up. Graphics are still some of the best on the PS3. Co-op is a lot of fun with a buddy and the AI isn't terrible. There is a lot of tense moments and many memorable enemies. The story was also fantastic. The sounds in this game are definitely some of the best in gaming. It may not stick to the typical Resident Evil formula but it stands alone as a great title regardless. Expand
  8. Apr 9, 2012
    10
    Resident Evil 5 is one of my all time favorite games. It gives you the first person shooter game. With a side of scary, horror. While at the same time has a good story plot to follow. I have been following all the Resident Evil games, and find it to be my favorite out of all the Resident Evil games out so far.
  9. Mar 20, 2012
    10
    I dont care about what people say resident evil 5 is an awesome game, i know Resident evil 4 was better! But i still think RE5 was a great one of the best this gen, cant wait for Resident Evil 6
  10. Mar 19, 2012
    9
    Controls got much better than RE4. It's a HARD GAME (THAT'S WHAT REAL PLAYERS LIKE). Chris Redfield is Tougher than Rambo and Sheva is Tougher than Lara Croft! Graphics are AMAZING (I don't believe they made so much on just 720p). The gameplay is long, the multiplayer is good and the Minigames are very interesting. The only bad thig is that the RE series lost the "Horror" title. Now it's more a good survival "Action" game. A Must-Have for sure. Expand
  11. Mar 6, 2012
    9
    This game is great but it could have been a perfect 10 if not for the stupid people complaining it was racist. The beta version would have been a fans dream but of course it was called racist just because there were AFRICANS in it. Still though it was a awesome game and i still loved every second of it
  12. Feb 24, 2012
    10
    Resident Evil 5 is without a doubt one of the best games this gen! The mix between Horror and Action is spot on in this game.. The story is AMAZING! the gameplay mechanics are greatly improved over older RE games, and the replay value is really HIGH! especially the GOLD version (complete edition) which has all the extras (new modes,DLCs). All in all Resident Evil 5 is an AMAZING! game.. You MUST own it if you like action/Horror games Expand
  13. Feb 12, 2012
    10
    One of the Best games this Gen!! My 2nd favourite game in the resident evil franchise/series (Resident Evil 4 is the Best).. I dont why people hated Resident Evil 5! I know it wasnt like old Resident evil games.. But still it was a GREAT game.. I really liked the story.. Tbh One of the best games this gen! I rate it 10/10 (well deserved)
  14. Jan 20, 2012
    10
    Amazing game, the best Resident Evil ever, the best action game, horror game, the final is amazing with Wesker, I love Jill and Chris again, the so emotional scene. I really hope that RE6 be better and GOTY 2012.
  15. Nov 21, 2011
    10
    Gameplay: 10 - Perfect. RE5 is the best example of 3rd-person shooting in recent memory. The stop-and-pop mechanics may annoy some, but in reality it makes the shooter more accurate (real cops/soldiers don't run-and-gun!). The melee is fun, and the Co-op is some of the best ever. Add in the excellent bonus Mercenaries mode, and RE5 has great replayability.
    Story: 9 - Amazing. RE5 makes yo
    u care about Chris's quest. Though it starts slightly slow, it quickly gains momentum, resulting in an action-packed and twist-filled ending.
    Graphics: 10 - Perfect. RE5 has some of the most beautiful graphics on any system.
    Sound - 10 - Perfect. When the tone requires, the music can be moody, creepy, thrilling, or sad. The sounds of Majini (non-zombies/infected) chill the blood when heard in the dark when you have few shots left...
    Overall: 10 - Perfect. Need a co-op game? Resident Evil 5 is perfect for you.
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  16. May 21, 2011
    9
    Let me start with saying that I never took a interest in the Resident Evil series... never. Somehow when the series started I was into LucasArts games... adventures... Star Wars... many years later I got a quick peek at the PC... and I was sold! The graphics and face animations... the cut-scene quality... the voice acting... the adrenaline shock from the first majini encounter... But playing on PC, there was never the option for me to do some Co-Op. A few months later my PS3 arrived and I had to get that sweet gory game for it. Since then passed something like 2 and a half months and I was still doing Co-Op damage in it.
    One thing I have to notice first... I really had the impression, that there were more enemies in the PC version... so that would be one minus point... but I didn't really count them, so whatever!

    First impression... the whole thing begins with an amazing cut-scene, featuring some of the best "for game" cinematic's I came across... the camera movement, the angles the editing... it is simply a good movie between the levels with amazing production values... why only a good movie? Well, the plot isn't that great and the dialogs are sometimes idiotic... but the voice-cast is so amazing that you can easily forget that the last line you heard is actually pretty stupid! The voice-cast and the facial animations... which are really outstanding... the eye movement, the eyebrows, the lips it is simply a joy to simply watch them two main heroes!

    So now lets talk about our main protagonists... Chris Redfield... as much as I love the way he was animated, I am not quite a fan of his muscularity... I mean the guys looks like a descended of Donkey Kong himself, just watch his ears! But besides that he is quit a likable character. On the other hand we have his always present female sidekick, which is simply anatomically perfect, no over sized silicon breasts (like most of the female characters designed for games), a beautiful face and as Chris a likable character.
    But what Sheva really offers is "an excuse" for the possibility to play the whole single player campaign in Cooperative mode with friends on-line! Of course there are in game button assigned commands to communicate within game, but a headset is definitely the way to go! I would especially recommend the original PS3 headset from Sony!
    The replay value in Co-Op mode is extremely high, when you got some folks to play with. People say the single player experience vs. the Co-Op experience is radically different... maybe, but the Co-Op is in my opinion the more fun way to play. Gathering the treasures and emblems and trophies together really is much more rewarding and you have to really work together to go through some game points to not waste amo or healing stuff. The difficulty level is somewhat unbalanced sometimes, you start with a very tough set piece followed by some easier points along the way, then you get to another hard point and so on and so on... but that is not really a complaint, more an observation about the games pacing.
    A minus point is the engine, which on one hand offers stunning graphics, but on the other hand really narrows your movement options. You can't jump over any given ledge, the game has to allow you this, the cover system is OK, but why do they reload before going back to cover after shooting, leaving you literally out in the open for counterattacks? Some might not like the fact, that you can't run and shoot, but this too isn't really that bad... one has just to rethink his game strategy.
    So if you like games which offer a spectacular presentation, but no really strong plot or dialogue (but perfectly voice acted and featuring likable characters), which offer amazing graphics and a ton of fun instead of a complicated game engine, then this one is the right one for you... for weeks, if not months!
    This game has some cons, but the pros definitely out wage them... so this is a 10 in 10 for me! The DLC are also worth the purchase!
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  17. Oct 19, 2010
    9
    This is probably the best game ever made. It is like Resident Evil 4 with more action, more replayability, and better graphics. Resident Evil is beyond cool. If you like gun management, exploring, collecting treasure and killing zombies look no further. The only thing I hated about this game was its price. Compared to Resident Evil 4, the DLC is a complete ripoff. RE4 was two games, Ada Wong story. This is like 1.5 games and even more expensive. If RE6 gets too chincey I won't play it, but so far this is the best Zombie Killing experience and the best game on PS3. Expand
  18. Sep 11, 2010
    10
    Starting the series with RE5, I can easily say I am very impressed. The only reason not to get this would be if you hate shooters. True, it's not as scary as it's previous entries but it has amazing replay value. All of the DLC is absolutely worth it. Let's break it down:

    Graphics:9/10
    You really can't say anything bad about the graphics. Maybe not flawless, but excellent. The only dis
    appointment that I have was that the console versions can only produce limited amount of enemies at a time, but technology will advance, so I'm not too upset.

    Gameplay:9/10
    The gameplay is amazing and is addictive. Everything you could want from a game like this. Except you can't run and gun...I don't really care if you can or not but that's up to you. And, no, of course it's not like old style Resident Evil. It is more of a TPS now mixed with the horror element.

    Sound:7/10
    Voices sound cheesy. Real cheesy. But other than that the sound is great.

    Replay Value:10/10
    Absolutely addicting! You will be drawn into this game from the start and there are a variety of difficulty levels that will keep you playing the story mode. The mini game Mercenaries is the best. Mercenaries Reunion is not nearly as good as Mercenaries but still loads of fun. Versus is the competitive side of RE5 and , in my opinion, is almost as fun as Mercenaries. Lastly, there are the DLC stories that will keep you busy for at least another ten hours. Overall, the game is one of the best games I have ever played. It's midnight and I am tired so my review is not as detailed as it should be but take my word for it and buy it/
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  19. Aug 16, 2010
    9
    Resident Evil 5 was, undoubtedly, the most anticipated game of 2009. It was in development for a long time and gamers were eagerly waiting for it, thanks to the success of the masterpiece RE4. So, now that its been out for while, reception for it-by critics and gamers-has been positive, but they were dissapointed that it didn't live it to the hype and expectations that was bestowed upon it. So, is that true? Yes, yes it is. RE4 was practically perfect. RE5, on the other hand, isn't. It has many flaws that weigh the game down, but thankfully, Capcom has enough 'pros' to keep the quality of the game at a even-keel. RE5 is too familiar to RE4. The gameplay is exactly the same, and the inventory system and A.I. are actually worse than RE4's; there's no horror element to the game, although it does make you tense when you play co-op; the story is good, but its not as varied and exciting as RE4's. But, despite those flaws, the game is still a blast and it is amazing throughout most of the game. The Co-Op is suprisingly, the best component of this game. It's one of the best Co-Op offers around here in the gaming world. The campaign will take you about 12-16 hours to complete on any difficulty, but I would like to note that this game loses a lot of its luster and charm when playing single-player. The A.I. is pathetic (Sheva, I look at you), the inventory system is a hazzle, especially if Sheva will use a herb for any messly wound (Stupid **** so be sure to put most of the important stuff like Herbs, Ammo, Weapons on your side and leave the retarded **** with only a pistol and a sub-machine gun. The end battle and the ending itself are very, very, very dissapointing. It felt rushed and unnecessary. And last, but not least, the characters are ok at most. The only one worth seeing is Albert Wesker. Wesker shows the world ehy he is one of the greatest villains in history. His voice, his stance, his goals, etc; Wesker makes this game entertaining and if it wasn't for him, the game would've fallen apart. I recommend this game to everyone (mostly hardcore RE fans). RE5 is a great game and at times, it not only matches the quality of its predescessor, but surpasses it. It's a shame it couldn't be as innovative, inventive, original and breath-taking as RE4, but with Wesker and Co-Op, it almost gets to that level of excellence. A 9.4/10. Expand
  20. binamram
    Oct 10, 2009
    10
    this the best resident evil game by far. the graphics and gameplay are utterly brilliant and so is the online co-op. I bought this game for £20 and now I think to myself, what a bargain!
  21. StuartI
    Aug 31, 2009
    9
    Game Of The Year candiate from me -- awesome game, amazing presentation, enjoyable from start to finish if you can just accept that it's different from the others. Fantastic action game.
  22. GrantZ
    Aug 23, 2009
    10
    Resident Evil 5 is the perfect survival horror, many people reading this won't think it is scary. I think it is, sometimes. I got attacked with my friend with a chainsaw, and we both sat there screaming. It was the funniest thing ever. Graphics are amazing. And Sheva is the perfect partner. Also towards TYLER H, a loser. The story is epic, it follows on from REmake, and completely misses out outbreak and 4, mainly cos their stories were crap. The story had enough twists, and introduced Jill Valentine again, which was my favourite moment in a videogame EVER. Buy this, or your console will throw itself out your window in disgust. Expand
  23. CodyBaker
    Jun 17, 2009
    9
    I was beyond satisfied with this stunning conclusion of the resident evil series. With more than 5 million copies sold within just a few months (surpassing sales of gears of war 1 & 2), most resident evil fans around the world consider this the best in the series (my favorite will always be the gamecube remake of the original and resident evil 4 but this one comes damn close). Although some people bitch about the controls because they expect too much out of the gameplay so they just give up like losers. Another thing a few people complain about is the story arc; this is ONLY because the people who do complain about it are confused, they're just dissapointed that this is the end of the series, or they're just too fucking retarded to understand the substance of this masterpiece and have NO taste in brilliant storytelling WHATSOEVER, they should TAKE THE TIME to actually get to know the story arc before judging it like inexperienced dumbasses. Me, my friends, and 5 million people around the world finally got to experience the end of the resident evil series and we enjoyed every plotline revolving around it. The graphics in this game are the best I've seen yet, Africa never looked so beautiful, and not to mention how incredibly realistic the characters looked, especially the environments. Also, not only is Sheva sexy as hell but she is useful; while only a few people complain how "useless" they think she is, that's only because when people play the game as Chris, they just stand there and expect Sheva to do all the work because they're just too damn lazy...or scared to do anything, she's there to HELP you, not do EVERY LITTLE THING for you. And another thing, the 3rd greatest villain in videogame history (behind ONLY Liquid Ocelot and Xahenort), Wesker, the main antagonist of the entire series is the ultimate badass and the final boss at the climax before the end; his evil is resolved as well as the main villain behind EVERYTHING that happened throughout the ENTIRE resident evil series, Lord Ozwell E. Spencer, appears in resinend evil 5 and finally dies at the hands of Wesker (this is Spencer's first, final, and ONLY appearence). Over all, I give this game a 9.5 out of 10, just about everything in this game is epic. The ONLY thing that I would consider a dissapointment is that my 3rd favorite villain in all my years of videogaming, Wesker, dies; as the resident evil series' main antagonist, I guess it had to be done, at the hands of both Chris and Sheva. Resident Evil 5 is a truly memorable experience. Expand
  24. THEREALDEALDUDE
    Jun 9, 2009
    10
    LISTEN UP U FU*K FACES I AM PISSED TO HERE BULLSHIT THAT THIS GAME IS BAD WTF U TALKING ABOUT THIS GAME IS THE 2BD MOST SOLD RE GAME IN LESS THAN A MONTH AND IN A YEAR OR SAW IT WILL BE THE MOST SOLD THIS WAS MY FIRST RE GAME AND I LEARNED THE HISTORY NOW I BOUGHT UMBREALLA CHRONICLS RE1 RE4 DEAD AIM OUTBREAK 1 AND OUTBREAK 2 AND CODE VERINONCA AND I HAVE TO SAY I LIKED RE5 MORE BUT I DID LIKE RE 4 TO
    BUT ONE THING IS THAT U DIDT LIKE THEY CHANGED THE THEME OF THE GAME FROM SCARY TO HORRAR THE QUESTION IS DID THEY SUCCEED THE ANSWER IS YES THEY MADE RE5 INTO AN ACTION GAME DO PEOPLE PLAY IT YES ITS PACKED AND ONE THING IS U NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS JUST BECUASE THE THEME CHANGED DOESNT MEAN SHIT AND WTF U TALKING WHO CAN WALK AND SHOOT IN CALL OF DUTY CAN U DO THAT NO SO SHUT THE HELL UP AND FOR THE LAST FREAKIN TIME COMPARE DEAD SPACE TO SOMETHING ELSE LIKE RE3 OR ALONE IN THE DARK
    RE4 RE5 ARE ACTION GAMES NOT HORRAR UNDERSTAND AND WTF THE PLOT IS WEAK ITS REALLY GOOD THE BEST I HAVE SEEN THE ONLY GAME OF RE THAT I DONT OWN IS RE 2 AND RE3 AND TH DARKSIDE CHRONICLS CO OP IS GREAT BUT THEY SHOULD GIVE U A CHOICE NOT TO PLAY WITH A PATNER WHY COULDT THEY JUST PUT CO-OP ONLINE AND OFFLINE 2 STORIES LIKE RE1 ITS WOULD MAKE MORE REPLAY VALUE I PLAYED THE CHAPTER LIKE 20 TO 30 TIMES FOR THE TRPOHIES AND VERSUS GETS A BIT BORING BUT IS FUN SO SHUT THE FUCK UP YES I SAID FUCK LOOK FOR THE LAST TIME IF U THINK THIS IS A HORROR GAME ITS NOT AND THATS WHY ITS MUCH MORE FUN DEAD SPACE IS A HORRAR GAME BUT IT SUCKS MONKEY SHIT FOR ME I LIKED IT BUT COME ON NO ONLINE NO COOP NO SPLIT SCREEN ONLY A SMALL SET OF WEAPONS UNLESS DLC
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  25. KyuuDMC
    May 28, 2009
    9
    Sorry GameFocus but we're talking about the Versus patch not the whole game.
  26. JohnGarcia
    Apr 20, 2009
    9
    Great game!! Addictive with plenty of replay value. Once you get past the fact that there is no run and gun you begin to like it because it gives the game a more tactical feel. You have to stop and shoot at the right place and time. It makes you work together more.
  27. granth
    Apr 12, 2009
    9
    It may not be the survival horror game that everybody thought it would be, but Resident Evil 5 should not be put down just because it became an action/horror hybird. The game was amazing, though some parts were frustrating. The co-op is some of the most fun I have ever played. It had stunning graphics, many many bosses of a wide variety, action sequences that could rival any game. The only people who truly do not like this game are people who really wanted to be scared out of their witts. You can tell that the developers were trying to appeal to more people than horror fanatics. The only thing stopping it from a 10 is that there aren't as many weapons to unlock, and some parts can get frusterating. Expand
  28. MikeG
    Apr 4, 2009
    9
    Great game, especially for 2ppl friends online coop. I don't find any videogame scary and this wasn't an issue for me. beat the game 3 times and still want to play. The AI partner is much smarter than James leads to believe,btw all of James complaints were on display during the demo, why would you buy and review a game if you dont like the demo? Unlock infinite ammo on a magnum, give it to AI and see how many enemies he leaves for you to shoot, or don't give AI a gun and do the work yourself.AI never dies on me, even in pro mode.Thank you capcom for not making another generic 1st/3rd person single player shooter, there's enough of them out there for James to play. Expand
  29. YannickH
    Mar 22, 2009
    9
    Resident Evil 5 sure didn't brought the same feeling that came along with Resident Evil 4, but sure showed that teamwork is a must in a survivor horror action game. For those cry babies who whines about the fact that the you can' t shoot and run at the same time, leave THAT game ALONE. If you can't survive without having to move, don't play this game. All of the previous Resident Evil games were like that. What were you expecting? Something new? How stupid can you be to think that? You're as the same people who said that Street Fighter IV was poor game. If you REALLY had played the previous titles of either Street Fighter or Resident Evil, you wouldn't have give poor rating to these games. Resident Evil 5 was packed with awesome action and a great story. The RE4 and RE5 never meant to be real horror games. Why? The angle of the camera. Now you can fully see your enemies. RE5 maybe didn't beat RE4, but still made proud its predecessor. Expand
  30. FrancisM
    Mar 16, 2009
    10
    Love this game although the ending was disappointing in the sense of I can't look forward to the same villainin the next game which isnt as good as some would thing a series long antagonist getting killed is cracked up to be... otherwise Co Op is genius and you can play the ame over and over to unlock everything
  31. AshleyR
    Mar 16, 2009
    10
    Resident Evil 5 was great! I played the full game in 3 days, on co-op mode and it was seriously addictive and just as i expected. I'm a huge fan of the series, and thought it would be hard to top RE4, but the co-op for RE5 really did it. I totally disagree with any other reviewers who said it was 'tired'. It's anything but.
  32. GinoC
    Mar 14, 2009
    10
    The game was good and its different set of controls from other games out there. If I wanted a FPS game then I would have bought and FPS game. Resident Evil is like Resident Evil and that what I was expecting from resident eviil. Gears of Wars2 was not that good and it got raves reviews it was boring and the story was lame. Resident Evil was fun to play and that to me is what I pay my money for. FPS shooters are good when you are in the mood to play it. I notice all this bias towards resident evil what gives ? Expand
  33. benk
    Mar 14, 2009
    9
    Large, engaging battle sequences, online co-op mode, solid story-telling, and an amazing atmosphere make this a through evolution of the Resident Evil franchise. The game suffers a bit in off-line AI-controlled co-op - which takes away more than it adds to the experience.
  34. DaveC
    Mar 14, 2009
    10
    This game rocks, I dont really understand why does everyone has to complain about the control settings and the lack of run-and-fire system, you simply dont need it, to have a great time playing. I would like to clarify that this is a CO-OP game, everyone that complains its because they dont have a good friend to play with. Great voice acting, great history, supeb enemies, well balanced difficulty and lots of unlockable items. Expand
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 76 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 76
  2. Negative: 0 out of 76
  1. Perhaps Resident Evil 5's most remarkable achievement is how it deftly straddles the line between the franchise's sometimes endearing, sometimes frustrating, legacy gameplay mechanics while incorporating more contemporary action adventure elements like enhanced interaction and exploration of environments and a decidedly more shooter-like control scheme. [Mar 2009, p.38]
  2. 90
    Hardcore fans may be disappointed by the departure from the traditional survival-horror roots but trust me, the game delivers enough thrills that you probably won't care. [Apr 2009, p.68]
  3. In too many ways this is identical to the last game. That's not necessarily a bad thing - "RE4" is one of the greatest games ever made because it rewrote the rules for action games, setting a template for everything from "Dead Space" to "Dark Sector." Because of that this is still a damn near essential purchase. It's just a shame that the lack of evolution means it occasionally feels like it's lagging behind the very competitors it inspired. [Mar 2009, p.80]