RESIDENT EVIL 5: TWO PARTNERS, ONE SUN, NO MERCY

7.5 of 10 bananas. Capcom's sun-drenched co-op shooter that pushed Resident Evil from horror into action. Great with a friend, fun to replay, and packed with extras on PS4, but solo play suffers and you still cannot move while shooting.

By the Alpha. PS4 disc listing. Updated Oct 25 2026.

Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.

Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC, then PS4 and Xbox One in 2016 and later Switch (Capcom, first released March 2009). The Amazon button is the PS4 disc, 19.00 dollars at my Oct 25 check, sold by a third-party seller (BEST SOURCE 365) and shipped by Amazon. The listing photo shows a Latin American box. The PS4 version includes the Lost in Nightmares and Desperate Escape episodes. PC players should know Steam had it on sale at 4.99 dollars at the same check.

Sit with me a moment. In 2009 the troop split into two camps. One said Resident Evil had lost its fear. The other was too busy playing co-op with a friend on the couch to argue. Both camps were right.

What It Wants To Be

You play Chris Redfield, who travels to the fictional Kijuju region in Africa with a new partner, Sheva Alomar, to stop a bioweapon deal. The villagers have been turned into the Majini, and the trail leads to an old enemy, Albert Wesker. The whole game is built for two players, online or split-screen, with an AI partner if you play alone.

What Works

With a friend, it is a blast. Sharing ammo, covering each other, and solving two-person puzzles make every fight a team effort. The bosses are big and loud, the Mercenaries mode is addictive, and the PS4 version packs in the two story episodes, Lost in Nightmares and Desperate Escape. Critics loved it at launch; the Steam store page shows a Metacritic score of 86 for PC.

What Breaks

Listen well. You still cannot move while aiming, which feels stiff next to Resident Evil 4's remake. Solo, the AI partner wastes ammo and healing items. The horror is mostly gone, replaced by action. And its setting and imagery drew real criticism at launch for how it depicted African villagers, which is fair to know before you buy.

Who Should Play

Play it if you have a co-op partner and love action, or if you are working through the whole series. Skip it if you want fear, or if you only play alone.

Related: Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil Village.

Sources: Amazon US PS4 listing, checked Oct 25 2026, Steam store page with Metacritic score, Resident Evil 5 on Wikipedia.

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