It’s surprising, then, that the controls remain as unwieldy as they always were. Though they’re a part of Resident Evil’s heritage, you can’t help but think that Capcom’s stubbornness to change contends with their newfound intentions; the aging control scheme simply can’t keep up with the fast-paced action placed at the game’s forefront. The implementation of a fast-select option on the d-pad allows you to switch between weapons on-the-fly without the hassle of navigating through menu screens, but controls still feel unnecessarily clunky, with the lack of a run-and-gun option proving to be one of Resi 5’s biggest oversights. In situations where the gunplay flirts with being tough simply for the sake of it (one particularly trying scene is filled with one-hit kill enemies and endlessly respawning drones), any frustration experienced is exaggerated tenfold through the sheer inadequacy of the controls. Though they’re acceptable when shooting enemies from a distance, when engaging them at close-quarters (of which much of RE5’s combat is based), they feel cumbersome at best, downright backward at worst.

Something else you’ll often have to consider is Chris and Sheva’s restricted inventories. This is nothing new to Resident Evil, of course, but unlike Resi 4, every item in RE5 simply consumes one inventory slot, rather than multiple slots based upon their size and weight. In a game focussed on delivering hard-hitting quick thrills it makes perfect sense, but the decision to implement such a system loses the associated sense of uncertainty seen in Resi 4. Any hesitation you may have felt previously over deciding which weapons to take into battle is merely done away with a brisk “I’ll take them all”.

Playing alone you will, of course, have to manage both your own and Sheva’s basic amenities, with a straightforward organisation menu popping up whenever you enter a new sub-chapter or die. Sheva’s bright enough to look after herself and is mostly incredibly useful, rather than a nuisance. Though she struggles in areas where her intended use is to act only as bait (rather than following her own advice to act as a decoy, she instead insists on following Chris’s every move), she frequently comes to your aid, supplying you with the relevant ammunition or herbs whenever necessary. Playing through RE5 is obviously best experienced with a friend, either online or off, but the game’s competent AI means that solo players needn’t be unnecessarily put off.

When all’s said and done, Resident Evil 5 isn’t a bad game – it is, in fact, a very good one. It’s technically accomplished (some of the cutscene direction rivals even that of Hideo Kojima) and it can be host to fleeting moments of unparalleled brilliance, even if it does come at a price. There’s something oddly endearing about the whole thing as well. You’ll want to persevere through even the most irksome moments to see the game’s end and, more likely than not, replay it through using the wealth of unlockables. The bonus Mercenaries mode which unlocks upon completion of the game also adds an incredibly addictive alternative, whereby players must fend off wave after wave of enemies in an arcade-esque score-attack. And, in spite of what you may have read elsewhere, it is playable online, in the Xbox 360 version at least.

It may be hackneyed, past its sell-by date and a tad too over-reliant on its predecessor’s successes, but when RE5 remembers that it’s Resident Evil and not, say, Gears of War, it’s nothing less than sublime. But unfortunately for the most part, Resident Evil 5 seems to be suffering from a rather harrowing case of identity crisis.

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