Co-op changes your approach to survival horror, and the masterful pacing ensures you never take your eye off the action. Like its predecessor, Resident Evil 5 is destined to be remembered as one of the best games of its time.

It's hardly the dramatic revamp that RE4 was for the series, but it marks the first time that co-op play has been implemented. As a result, the overhaul makes it a good single-player game, but a great multiplayer one. Thanks to its persistent approach to weapon upgrades, it's well-suited to replay. It's a visually splendid game with gorgeous cinematics that evoke the same awe as previous games did in their time.

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]

If you have a friend to play along with, then that's obviously the way to go, but don't let the thought of playing with the AI deter you from picking this up. It's a great game, and well worth your time.

Resident Evil 4 taught the industry so much, and in turn we expected RE5 to at least learn from what others have since added to those accomplishments. Instead, it jams the series full of gasoline-enriched testosterone, keeps outdated inventory and control ideas and refuses to admit the franchise is now more action-adventure than survival horror. Don’t let the negatives fool you though – it’s still one of the best balls-to-the-wall co-op excursions you can buy.

Play with a friend and it's a blast, but playing solo makes its faults harder to ignore. [Apr 2009, p.68]

All in all, the game is a total blast and thoroughly enjoyable, with a frenetic pacing that doesn’t let up for the entire run of the game.

The gorgeous graphics, the superb sound, the great (if sometimes twitchy) AI of your partner and the jaw-dropping gameplay take everything that was brilliant about Resident Evil 4 and ramp it up to the next level, making for one of the best gaming experiences ever!

For those new to the series, Resident Evil 5 may not be what you expect. It's neither scary nor survival horror, and though its story throws plenty of love to longtime fans, you don't need to be one to enjoy it. Ultimately, it's an action feast for two - with just a little gristle amid all the delicious blood, bone, and brains. [Mar 2009, p.58]

After almost all of the survival horror aspects have been removed, what's left is just another action game, which is a bit too similar to the fourth chapter. Cooperative play is what makes Resident Evil 5's day, but fans' expectations were really high and this new episode is "just" an excellent and fun game, especially for the ones who fell in love with the saga some years ago.

With a whole heap of content to unlock, including the brilliant Mercenaries mode (playable cooperatively off and online), a campaign that begs to be replayed and top of the line production values there's very little to be disappointed with.

The setting change works well, and the story will please series followers, with surprises and comebacks which will thrill Resident Evil fans. Resident Evil 5 offers a quality experience, despite some incongruities - all of them can be overlood -, which will engage us in front of the TV for hours, thanks to its gameplay and its high doses of action, tension and fun.

The co-op implementation is great and the extra unlockable provides more than enough incentive to play the game through multiple times. If the controls don't bother you, anybody can have a great time playing through this adventure.

Graphics and appeal of Resident Evil rock! The basic game construct didn’t change very much, but never change a winning team … too much.

Resident Evil 5 digs deep into the series' origins with its overall story and slightly enhances the overall addicting gameplay that left its mark with Resident Evil 4.

Resident Evil 5 is “only” an amazing game, a label that 90% of the third person shooters would want for themselves. The cooperative mode is just sensational and the story mode is filled with non-stop action. The huge amount of contents will make you forget the lack of any kind of innovation in its concept.

Resident Evil 5 doesn’t revolutionize Resident Evil 4’s gameplay, but it does provide a solid and entertaining entry in the series.

Resident Evil 5 carries on the same action path started with its predecessor. The main innovation is of course co-op mode, which delivers good fun if played online, but due to glitches in the friendly A.I., spoils the single player experience. Die hard fans will be happy to know that the story goes deep, and it's well connected with the last chapters of the series. Graphics and sound are simply stunning. If you miss the old survival horror genre you will surely be disappointed, but Resident Evil 5 is still a great action game, especially if enjoyed all the way through with a friend.

You'll get a lot more out of it than you do from typical games with no competitive multiplayer and while played cooperatively it really sings. It's lost a lot of what has made the franchise a pins-and-needles experience, but that sense of dread has been replaced with pure action that's hard to match.

Resident Evil 5 is a beautiful game with a super good co-op. The singleplayer is not as good as other games in the franchise and the real fans will miss the survival horror, which has been replaced by a lot of action.

Resident Evil 5 offers some great level designs as well.

It’s the crux of the gameplay that matters and Resident Evil 5 has chosen a path more brazen, more gung-ho than we imagined. The co-op campaign makes inviting a friend over for a double dose of zombie-extermination possible, and while this should get old, it doesn’t.

I personally found Resident Evil 5 to be a great addition to a beloved franchise that has been going on for nearly fifteen years, even if it doesn’t represent the series’ finest hour.

It's not refined enough as an action game to contend with the likes of Gears of War, it's been usurped in the survival horror category by the stellar Dead Space, and it's such a deviation from the franchise's foundation that it's almost certain to alienate a large contingent of diehard fans.

While lacking in any real puzzles at all compared to the confusing tests of the Playstation days, RE5 is not only a masterful piece of gaming experience but also technical art. Probably one of the best looking games on next-gen consoles to date. It has a story that is still gripping, if not outrageous, and gameplay that has me wanting to finish this review up to play some more!

Resident Evil 5 has some of the most impressive character models we've ever seen in a video game. Some of the indoor and outdoor environments are literarily stunning - our compliments to the designers in that respect.

Capcom have done wonders with keeping the elements that made RE what they are, but also moving it forwards just enough to remain fresh.

RE5 will no doubt please those who unknowingly unleashed hell when they pried open the doors of that mysterious mansion more than ten years ago. But it should also satisfy unseasoned zombie slayers as well with its rich mix of gory action, creepy storytelling, and blockbuster production values.

The fifth installment in this long running and popular series is likely to split its fan base in two camps: the ones that dislike the more action oriented gameplay and those who just wanted more of the same sweet stuff they experienced in part four. Resident Evil 5 is in every aspect a natural progression from the previous installment. Updated visuals and fabulous environments do a great job of framing the intense action. The entire game has been modeled to be played in co-op, and playing through the game with a friend is truly a great gaming experience. It might be quite the leap from the first Resident Evil game, but it's an amazing experience none the less.

I played it start to finish in three sittings, have played it extensively in other capacities while working on this review, and still can't wait to go back and play through it again cooperatively on higher difficulties to open up more of its goodies. If that's not the definition of a fine action game, I don't know what is.

After beating the game every way possible in each and every mode (in co-op and on the solo) we can honestly say that we want more, more zombie killing please?

With stellar production values, a storyline that ties many of the series lore together, a plethora of replayability in Mercenaries mode, unlock-able characters/costumes and the addition of online co-op; RE5 is one of the best in the series.

It’s presentation, mixed with the absurd amount of polish makes it a must own. Resident Evil 5 is a great conclusion to the series, and an experience that shouldn’t be missed.

While the series may be a different entity now than it was over a decade ago, it has evolved and changed, yet still does superb at delivering an interesting and deep story with exceptional production value.

Resident Evil 5 is like an expensive diamond. The outside is polished well and the inside is strong enough to go through iron. The graphics of the gameplay and the cinematics are beautiful and full of detail. We can understand the criticism of the controls, but you can easily get used to it. The co-op is an exciting feature and when you are without a friend it turns out that Sheva is a great companion. Resident Evil 5 doesn’t revolutionize the series, but it is still a fantastic game to play.

Lots of action and stunning visuals, but fans of the earlier RE episodes could be disappointed by the lack of goose-bump moments.

While not a groundbreaking game like its predecessor Resident Evil 5 offers up one of the most fun co-op experiences to date. Any fan of the RE franchise or action games in general will find a lot of enjoyment in RE 5.

Missing out on Capcom's extraordinary fifth part of the Biohazard series would be a crime. Brilliant presentation, adrenaline pumping action and zombies everywhere. RE5 is worth every last of your hard-earned pennies.

Stunning graphics and an adrenalinic gameplay make Resident Evil 5 one of the showcase titles for this generation: its mainly action foundation could disappoint who was expecting a more atmospheric and purely horror game, but it is undoubtedly an extremely entertaining, cinematic and satisfying experience, with many surprises and great variety. A must buy.

Filled with epic boss encounters and memorable battles, RE5 provides a thrilling ride, supported with enough extra content to keep the game interesting for a long time.

There is no doubt that whatever way you play through Resident Evil 5, it is packed with action and intense combat from start to end. Each of the chapters you will play through are packed with frightening and challenging enemies, however to combat this you are armed with well balanced weapons, a decent AI controlled team mate and plenty of healing aid.

In conclusion, Resident Evil 5 may have slightly moved away from the original premise of the game but it’s good to see the developers try a different path for this series.

While it's occasionally hampered by outdated controls and problematic AI, it's the near-mandatory co-op and bombastic assault of visceral silliness that earns Resident Evil 5 its stripes. Sure, it might just be a shinier, snazzier retread of Resi 4 - and certainly, it lacks its forerunner's impressive sense of invention - but this is still big, dumb Grade A entertainment.