Resident Evil 5

Resident Evil 5

Resident Evil 4 was one of the most popular and impressive GameCube, PlayStation and, most recently, Nintendo Wii titles. As a result this follow-up, the fifth game in the zombie-killing schlock horror series, has big boots to fill. But after some hands on time at the recent Eurogamer Expo event and with the news of a drop in-co-operative play, a 20-hour single player campaign and a deep and strategic cover system, we’re pleased to report that the game is shaping up well.

The game is set in Africa were you again play as Chris Redfield battling, infamously, against native zombies while searching for clues about the origins of the deadly T-virus, the malicious strain that fuels Resident Evil’s evil undead. Our hands-on session began trapped in a disused kitchen defending multiple entrances while under attack by swathes of enemies. Soon enough the ceiling’s breached by the undead and Redfield makes a break for it, dashing through the shantytown in search of an escape route.

The town area, encountered early in the game is, according to the developer, around four times the size of that of the town seen in the previous game and its detail and authenticity is staggering. Burned out buses and the black husks of cars line the burning-sand streets. There are discarded oil drums (which can be shot to cause massive explosions, setting fire to everything flammable in the immediate vicinity) while overhead power cables punctuate an otherwise white hot sky. Despite the blinding sunlight the draw distance in the game is huge, the scene stretching off for miles in all directions.

While the main grunts you’re up against are zombies decked out in tatty clothes and sun-shielding head towels, they’re not the only threat on these dusty streets. There are stray dogs, zombies with tentacle appendages and, of course, chainsaw-wielding monsters. We also encountered a hooded executioner, who chased us with terrifying drive and purpose. Much of the strategy in the game comes from luring zombies into tight corridors and picking them off one by one but, as the executioner can smash through walls, this technique will only work in certain situations.

Chris has access to a wide range of weaponry to deal with the onslaught. He’s able to switch weapons in real time for the first time in the series, with a pistol, shotgun. Machine gun and grenades all helping the cause of holding back the zombie onslaught. The game’s visuals are beautiful, even if its inhabitants are relentlessly grotesque. Of course, with high profile rivals such as Left4Dead (in terms of zombies) and Far Cry 2 (in terms of Africa) the game has a lot still to prove but if the rest of the experience can match what we’ve experienced, we’re in for an undead treat come March.