It’s never easy to live up to expectations. Although some are keen to criticise franchise titles because they essentially attempt to move a game on slightly for a high price, there’s a lot of pressure on a developer when it knows it has to deliver. Capcom must be feeling this strain more than most. Resident Evil 4 is still considered by some to be the greatest videogame ever made; how does anyone go about topping that? Although no one should be surprised, the Japanese giant is on course to not only succeed, but go one step further.

Sitting down to play the first hands-on version of the game, it’s near impossible not to gawp at how pretty Resident Evil 5 is. Both Chris Redfield and his co-op partner Sheva Alomar are stunning and at the right angle look almost lifelike. The same can be said for the environments. On a scale not seen before in a Resident Evil game, the shanty towns of Africa are ludicrously detailed. Without wanting to push the point too much, this could easily be the best looking game on the Xbox 360.

After pushing our jaws back to their normal resting place it was go time. Stuck in a small shack with our lovely partner, a group of zombies started to infiltrate our position. Smashing in windows, breaking down doors, it’s instantly intense and doesn’t allow even a second for you to get your bearings. Some sharpshooting (which is exceedingly similar to Resident Evil 4) frees up enough time to shut off some of the entranceways by pushing a huge bookshelf against the door. Again, 5 takes numerous ideas from the past and simply introduces them again; all work near perfectly. It only takes a short while before our foes have broken down the barricade and continue to come in huge waves. Unfortunately, this soon becomes the last of our problems. Already feeling on a knife edge, a hooded gentleman comes crashing through the wall wielding a huge axe! There’s no doubt about it: one hit with that and we’re dead! Thinking quickly, we sprinted out the man-made exit into another swarm of zombies. A few satisfying headshots later and it’s clear this is going to be somewhat of a test, especially with the axe-brandishing madman constantly trying to behead us. Thankfully, a communications message from the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance, the group Chris works for, says help is on the way... we just have to wait it out! Eventually our saviour does fly in to save us and we leg it from the violent mess knowing that more awaits us around the corner.

With only a few minutes on the clock it’s already obvious this is an evolution of the series rather than a complete overhaul, but what’s here is so good (as it was previously) that you can’t help but be wowed. It’s also a reminder about how refreshing Capcom’s take on the third-person shooter is. The slow, methodical method asks you to be intelligent and reserved with weapons and ammo, making every shot that touch more rewarding. Fire away with little regard and you’ll find yourself out of bullets and probably on the floor within seconds!

The next section we’re allowed to play is still situated in the town made famous by the numerous trailers doing the rounds.

The difference now, though, is the focus on co-op. At any time you can push the Bbutton to call on Sheva to help you out but there are also context-sensitive situations where working as a team is essential. At one point we hoisted her onto a ledge before fending off potential assailants with a sniper rifle to ensure she remained safe. With a clear path to now walk, Sheva opened the previously locked door from the other side of the building... nice! Your beautiful colleague will also help you out when possible by replenishing health and exchanging weapons with you. She was kind enough to lend us her machine gun, even though it left her with nothing more than a pistol. Now that’s trust! Obviously this will be incomparable to having two human players controlling the duo, but even at this relatively early stage the computer AI is up to the task.

Of course, it’s only a matter of time before yet more loons begin their attack. Upon reaching a locked gate, the new and, we guess, improved, Resident Evil chainsaw fanatic comes swinging towards us. Although we’re told multiple projectiles will take the extremist down, there’s also far easier ways to bring him to his knees, namely blowing up red barrels, grounding him before hitting the psycho in the face. True, the idea of having to shoot a glowing container may seem slightly clichéd, but other off-the-cuff events guarantee it doesn’t feel contrived. For example, as we fled the insane beast we, cleverly, got trapped in an alleyway with nowhere to go. As our friend approached us, we braced ourselves for the end and some sniggers from the audience who had been watching our every step. Instead, a well-time step to the right meant we didn’t lose our intestines; it did, however, provide a nice gap through the wall as the lunatic thrust his weapon into it. Following a frantic five-minute period we had bested our foe... which unfortunately meant our playtime had come to an end.

Along with the previously mentioned highlights, it was a delight to see how varied Resident Evil 5 can be played. While we decided to stay grounded and meticulously take out foes, others scaled the rooftops to gain a height advantage. Better still, this was the perfect opportunity for Capcom to show off its extremely smart AI. Adversaries will chase you constantly, including on top of buildings, and even try and jump out the way when they realise you’re aiming a gun at them. As is necessary, it keeps the atmosphere tense, refusing to allow any time to settle. Making this worse (or better, depending on how you view it) is the new inventory system. Rather than enabling you to slowly pick a new weapon or replenish your health by pausing the game, your menu pops up in real-time (thanks to a quick press of the Y-button) and forces you to make your decision at a ridiculously fast pace. While it does add to the tension we fear it may become frustrating when you keep getting your ass handed to you for taking too long. To try and compensate for this you can now change weapons without accessing any menu whatsoever so, fingers crossed, the two will work beautifully with one another.

While some may argue that Resident Evil 5 needs to scrap its ‘dated’ control system and evolve, we feel slightly differently. It’s true the third-person shooter genre has made significant steps since number four in Capcom’s franchise was released. However, the developer’s reluctant stance allows 5 to feel unique, disciplined and makes certain you’ll be terrified while playing through. Although a Resident Evil where you could move and shoot at the same time would make more sense, we’d bet the series would lose its edge and some of its charms too.

Fans of the series should already be well aware of what the next step in the saga will deliver, but considering how well received Resi 4 was, we have a feeling not too many people will care, and you can include us in that bracket too!

Simon Miller