100Giant Bomb 
I played it start to finish in three sittings, have played it extensively in other capacities while working on this review, and still can't wait to go back and play through it again cooperatively on higher difficulties to open up more of its goodies. If that's not the definition of a fine action game, I don't know what is. 

95Console Monster 
While lacking in any real puzzles at all compared to the confusing tests of the Playstation days, RE5 is not only a masterful piece of gaming experience but also technical art. Probably one of the best looking games on next-gen consoles to date. It has a story that is still gripping, if not outrageous, and gameplay that has me wanting to finish this review up to play some more! 

95Game Informer 
Co-op changes your approach to survival horror, and the masterful pacing ensures you never take your eye off the action. Like its predecessor, Resident Evil 5 is destined to be remembered as one of the best games of its time. 

93InsideGamer.nl 
Resident Evil 5 is like an expensive diamond. The outside is polished well and the inside is strong enough to go through iron. The graphics of the gameplay and the cinematics are beautiful and full of detail. We can understand the criticism of the controls, but you can easily get used to it. The co-op is an exciting feature and when you are without a friend it turns out that Sheva is a great companion. Resident Evil 5 doesn't revolutionize the series, but it is still a fantastic game to play. 

92SpazioGames 
Resident Evil 5 carries on the same action path started with its predecessor. The main innovation is of course co-op mode, which delivers good fun if played online, but due to glitches in the friendly A.I., spoils the single player experience. Die hard fans will be happy to know that the story goes deep, and it's well connected with the last chapters of the series. Graphics and sound are simply stunning. If you miss the old survival horror genre you will surely be disappointed, but Resident Evil 5 is still a great action game, especially if enjoyed all the way through with a friend. 

91NZGamer 
Resident Evil 5 offers some great level designs as well. 

91WonderwallWeb 
There is no doubt that whatever way you play through Resident Evil 5, it is packed with action and intense combat from start to end. Each of the chapters you will play through are packed with frightening and challenging enemies, however to combat this you are armed with well balanced weapons, a decent AI controlled team mate and plenty of healing aid. 

90GameSpy 
It's hardly the dramatic revamp that RE4 was for the series, but it marks the first time that co-op play has been implemented. As a result, the overhaul makes it a good single-player game, but a great multiplayer one. Thanks to its persistent approach to weapon upgrades, it's well-suited to replay. It's a visually splendid game with gorgeous cinematics that evoke the same awe as previous games did in their time. 

90GameTrailers 
You'll get a lot more out of it than you do from typical games with no competitive multiplayer and while played cooperatively it really sings. It's lost a lot of what has made the franchise a pins-and-needles experience, but that sense of dread has been replaced with pure action that's hard to match. 

90Gamers.at 
Missing out on Capcom's extraordinary fifth part of the Biohazard series would be a crime. Brilliant presentation, adrenaline pumping action and zombies everywhere. RE5 is worth every last of your hard-earned pennies. 

90MS Xbox World 
Capcom have done wonders with keeping the elements that made RE what they are, but also moving it forwards just enough to remain fresh. 

90VideoGamer 
With a whole heap of content to unlock, including the brilliant Mercenaries mode (playable cooperatively off and online), a campaign that begs to be replayed and top of the line production values there's very little to be disappointed with. 

90Vandal Online 
The setting change works well, and the story will please series followers, with surprises and comebacks which will thrill Resident Evil fans. Resident Evil 5 offers a quality experience, despite some incongruities - all of them can be overlood -, which will engage us in front of the TV for hours, thanks to its gameplay and its high doses of action, tension and fun. 

90Cynamite 
Lots of action and stunning visuals, but fans of the earlier RE episodes could be disappointed by the lack of goose-bump moments. 

90Games Radar (in-house) 
Resident Evil 4 taught the industry so much, and in turn we expected RE5 to at least learn from what others have since added to those accomplishments. Instead, it jams the series full of gasoline-enriched testosterone, keeps outdated inventory and control ideas and refuses to admit the franchise is now more action-adventure than survival horror. Don't let the negatives fool you though – it's still one of the best balls-to-the-wall co-op excursions you can buy. 

90Official Xbox Magazine 
For those new to the series, Resident Evil 5 may not be what you expect. It's neither scary nor survival horror, and though its story throws plenty of love to longtime fans, you don't need to be one to enjoy it. Ultimately, it's an action feast for two - with just a little gristle amid all the delicious blood, bone, and brains. [Mar 2009, p.58] 

90GamePro 
Hardcore fans may be disappointed by the departure from the traditional survival-horror roots but trust me, the game delivers enough thrills that you probably won't care. [Apr 2009, p.68] 

90IGN 
The creepy suspense of the earlier games has been replaced with an action-packed intensity that will instantly appeal to some gamers and disappoint others. As an action game, RE5 is a success, and there's a wealth of replayability through item collection, weapon upgrades, score chasing and the unlockable Mercenaries mode. But this is no gentle nudge to the formula of the previous main RE games; it's an evolution. 

90IGN UK 
While it's occasionally hampered by outdated controls and problematic AI, it's the near-mandatory co-op and bombastic assault of visceral silliness that earns Resident Evil 5 its stripes. Sure, it might just be a shinier, snazzier retread of Resi 4 - and certainly, it lacks its forerunner's impressive sense of invention - but this is still big, dumb Grade A entertainment. 

88ActionTrip 
Resident Evil 5 has some of the most impressive character models we've ever seen in a video game. Some of the indoor and outdoor environments are literarily stunning - our compliments to the designers in that respect. 

873DJuegos 
Resident Evil 5 is "only" an amazing game, a label that 90% of the third person shooters would want for themselves. The cooperative mode is just sensational and the story mode is filled with non-stop action. The huge amount of contents will make you forget the lack of any kind of innovation in its concept. 

87IGN AU 
This review has been quite negative but that's unavoidable when you're discussing a good game that follows on from an incredible one. 

87Multiplayer.it 
After almost all of the survival horror aspects have been removed, what's left is just another action game, which is a bit too similar to the fourth chapter. Cooperative play is what makes Resident Evil 5's day, but fans' expectations were really high and this new episode is "just" an excellent and fun game, especially for the ones who fell in love with the saga some years ago. 

85Team Xbox 
If you can't deal with the combat gameplay in the RE series (there's a demo to save you potential naysayers a few bucks), then there's a good chance that you won't be buying what the boxed copy of Resident Evil 5 is selling. But if there's even the slightest amount of indifference in your brain about the aiming and gunplay of RE, then RE5 is worth your time. 

85Gameplanet 
It manages to stay feeling fresh and thrilling all the way through to the final battle, and it looks absolutely incredible. The story is mostly well paced and told with cinematics of extremely high production value. While the co-op is not exactly game changing, it is a very welcome addition to the series and the game is definitely a lot more fun when played this way. 

85GameSpot 
Though the slow, deliberate movement and shooting may not appeal to everyone, this new sequel's frequent large-scale battles and co-op play still offer a fun and exciting adventure. 

83Game Revolution 
If Resident Evil 5 is a new flavor of game for the long-running franchise, it's also a strong, spicy one—with occasional chucks of co-op wasabi to goad your inner action hero into fits of running and gunning... albeit, not at the same time. 

82Cheat Code Central 
A very fun game that pays fan service to the faithful through its engaging, answer-filled story, and it modernizes the series through an amazing, cinematic presentation. Where the game seems to get bogged down is in its attempt to appeal to everyone. The hybridization of survival horror mechanics with action-shooter gameplay doesn't work out very well - making it suffer from the jack-of-all-trades syndrome. 

81Xbox World 360 Magazine UK 
Co-op? Great. Single-player? Not so much. Not nearly as good as we hoped - but you'll still love it with two. [Apr 2009, p.62] 
80X360 Magazine UK 
The real problem lies with RE5's focus. Played with two people it's a delight, showing the world that co-op in campaign modes is becoming a necessity in any game that can incorporate it. Even played on the same console, with the most hideous splitting of the screen we've ever seen, it works. Unfortunately, a vast array of individuals will play this as a lone wolf and, to be honest, done this way it can be aggravating. Sheva is simply not competent enough, and her irregular bouts of hopelessness transform a sublime portion into a testing run. [Issue#43, p.76] 

80Meristation 
Resident Evil 5 is a great game without any doubt. With a new storyline, it offers fans of the series the epic end of the Umbrella arc that they were hoping for. Great visuals and many extras, but the use of RE4's control scheme feels old, and doesn't work too well to this new 100% action style the game embraced instead Survival Horror. You would expect something better from Capcom nowadays. 

80Total Video Games 
The sheer emphasis on action, coupled with the dated gameplay mechanics and inability to show any advance beyond the Resident Evil 4 blueprint is possible to overlook if you're happy with state-of-the-art visuals and zombie slaying. 

80D+PAD Magazine 
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. 

80GameDaily 
While the developers' decision to copy elements from Resident Evil 4 make it feel less original (despite better visuals and a new location), you'll have a blast (especially with a buddy) but after waiting four years for a sequel, we expected better. 

80Wired 
The game completely lacks scary moments; there is nothing going bump in the night. Actually, most all the levels take place in the daytime. They are very pretty levels, yes, although the RE5 team hasn't yet learned the tricks of the trade that other developers use to seamlessly blend them -- there are lots and lots of loading screens. 

80Worth Playing 
If you played RE4 to death like I did, play RE5 on Veteran with a like-minded friend and you'll probably have a blast, but keep in mind it's not as good as its predecessor. The real question about Resident Evil 5, though, is whether or not you'll reach a point with what's happening where you just have to walk away. 

80Official Xbox Magazine UK 
Resident Evil 5 has to unfortunately go down as one of the biggest gaming disappointments in recent memory, simply because it's merely great rather than unbelievable. It lags behind 2008's better games in each and every facet it seeks to excel in - Dead Space is scarier, Left 4 Dead is a superior co-op experience and Gears 2 is still the best third-person, cover-based shooter money can buy. 

75Everyeye.it 
Resident Evil 5 is not a masterpiece. It lacks originality, and reuses old gameplay mechanics that seem too scheming and stiff for the next gen standards. RE 5 stands in a sort of Limbo: it doesn't have the dynamism of an action game, and it lacks emotional transport typical of a survival horror. Despite this, it is still a good gaming experience, thanks to the excellence in graphics, the solid plot, the variety of the situations. It's a good ending for a series that needs a refreshing twist. 

751UP 
Ultimately, Resident Evil 5 shouldn't be looked at as a failure in the series, merely too ambitious, inconsistent and uneven. Earlier entries in the series benefited from their simplicity and focus, and while it's laudable for RE5 to try and include so much variety, perhaps a little more of the same ol' same ol' would have resulted in a slightly better game. 

70Edge Magazine 
It's not even surprising,‭ ‬despite all‭ ‬this,‭ ‬that Resident Evil‭ ‬5‭ ‬is a good game.‭ The surprising,‭ ‬and sad,‭ ‬thing about‭ ‬Resident Evil‭ ‬5‭ ‬is that it feels old. 

70Gamer.nl 
Resident Evil 5 starts with bang. An original setting and zombies that are just waiting to get shot are a perfect start. But a soon as your surroundings changes from a beautiful African landscape to dark and boring industrial complex, the gameplay turns a bit sour and transforms into a standard action game. An action game with the limitations of the horror genre. Resident Evil fans are probably dying to know how the story unfolds, but gamers with little knowledge of the previous games will find it nothing more than an average action game. 

70EuroGamer 
Thanks to the game's stubborn loyalty to stop-and-shoot, the result is distinctive, but with suspect partner AI to contend with, this is a game that only truly comes into its own with a friend who's up for a challenge. 

60G4 TV 
Resident Evil 5 is mired in poor design decisions that drag down the experience and render single-player campaign a tedious exercise in working around the game. It's frustrating to see a game that I so looked forward to playing and carried with it such potential, sabotage itself in so many ways. Compared against the ambition of games like Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Assassin's Creed; Resident Evil 5 seems timid, unwilling to move out of its comfort zone. It's a shame. 

OUR RATING FOR THIS GAME: 

(5 is best)

4.5 Great!	Gameplay	3.5
	Graphics	4.0
	Sound	4.5
	Value	4.5