Hands down one of my Favorite XBOX360 games to date! Here's why!
This series as a serious following, and now I can include myself among them! I briefly played both Resident Evil Code Veronica X and Resident Evil 4, that, I am ashamed to say was my only experience with this fantastic survival horror series.
Until Resident Evil 5.
My best friend is an avid game player with the Resident Evil series ranking high on his list of favorites, so it's no surprise we took to the task of this multiplayer action adventure like fish to water.
The game pits you against tough tactical foes very reminiscent of the enemies from Resident Evil 4. The terror in this game comes from being pinned in by too many enemies and not having nearly enough ammo to fend them off. And as the game progresses the enemies only get smarter and come better equipped to deal with you and your buddy. The story in this game is B- as best and incorporates many aspects of past games (so I'm told).
The controls in the games are an improvement over RE4 but by no means as fluid as Gears of War. This does add some frustration to gameplay but while this may not be the best way to do it, it does add more anxiety and terror to the game at certain points. That said, once you do get a hang of the controls fighting is a breeze, and becomes even more fun when you and your friend start linking together kills. There are some quicktime button events that can make for some spectacular moments, you AND your partner are tasked with pulling off the button sequences though, so make sure you're both staying sharp! In one sequence I remember pretty well, my friend and I were ambushed by a blonde assailant, we immedietly slapped her around and blew her head off with a shotgun.
Replay value is high especially once you unlock the Mercenaries mode. After playing through the entire game playing the mercernary mode is nothing but FUN. This mode is a blast fest with that friend you spent all those hours playing with, you'll be amazed at the timing and chemistry you're able to develop playing through these levels. At first what seems like a daunting task becomes a mission in who can rack up the highest combo bonus.
This game is all about multiplayer and I only really recommend it if you have a buddy to play with. If you do prepare for one of the most epic adventures you'll ever embark on!
Cheers!
Jedi_V