Resident Evil 5 (2009) 🧟‍♂️🔥

Lets start by showing y’all the trailers shall we?

🎥 Trailers First

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📖 Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Following the events of Resident Evil 4, Chris Redfield (Roger Craig Smith) has joined the BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance). Sent to Kijuju, Africa, to investigate a new bio-organic weapons outbreak, Chris teams up with Sheva Alomar (Karen Dyer). Together, they uncover a conspiracy tied to the pharmaceutical giant Tricell, and ultimately, the return of an old enemy Chris thought he left behind.

The story pushes the series even further into action territory, ditching much of the survival horror tone in favor of big set-pieces, explosions, and constant co-op gunfights.


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🎭 Character Rundown

Chris Redfield (Roger Craig Smith) – Buffed up to action-hero levels, Chris is all grit, determination, and biceps so big they can punch boulders (literally). His motivations are personal: finding his missing partner Jill Valentine.

Sheva Alomar (Karen Dyer) – A strong, capable partner who provides the perfect counterbalance to Chris. Sheva’s role is especially important since RE5 is built with co-op gameplay at its core.

Albert Wesker (D.C. Douglas) – The sunglasses-wearing, superpowered nemesis returns in full campy glory. By this point, Wesker feels more like a Marvel villain than the shadowy menace of RE1.

Excella Gionne (Nina Fehren) – A Tricell executive who acts as Wesker’s partner, though she’s more a plot device than a fully fleshed-out villain.



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⏳ Pacing / Episode Flow

The campaign is broken into chapters with checkpoint-based progression, clearly built for co-op replayability.

Unlike RE4, which balanced horror and action, RE5 leans almost entirely into shootouts, arenas, and waves of enemies.

Pacing issues crop up with repetitive enemy encounters, but big spectacle moments (motorcycle chases, boss fights, volcano finale) keep things moving.



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✅ Pros

Co-op gameplay: At its best, playing with a friend is a blast. Coordinating inventory, sniping, and backing each other up feels great.

Sheva Alomar: A surprisingly strong addition to the series, giving Chris a reliable partner instead of a burden (looking at you, Ashley from RE4).

Production values: Gorgeous visuals for 2009, with cinematic cutscenes and huge set pieces.

Replay value: Tons of unlockables, upgrades, and mercenaries mode keep the game alive long after the credits.



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❌ Cons

Shift to action: Horror fans were disappointed. Gone are the tense corridors and creeping dread — in their place are explosions and endless waves of enemies.

AI partner issues: If you’re not playing co-op, Sheva’s AI can be frustrating, wasting ammo or healing at bad times.

Tone problems: Chris feels more like a superhero than a survivor. The infamous “boulder punching” scene sums up the camp.

Villains: Excella is underwritten, and Wesker has tipped fully into cartoon territory, robbing the game of menace.

Controversy: The early marketing drew backlash for its depiction of Africa, with critics pointing out uncomfortable racial optics.



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💭 Final Thoughts

Resident Evil 5 is a divisive entry. As an action co-op shooter, it’s fun, replayable, and full of blockbuster spectacle. As a Resident Evil game, it’s a far cry from its survival horror roots, feeling more like Gears of War with zombies.

Is it bad? No. It’s well-made, fun with a buddy, and still memorable. But it also marked the point where the series truly lost its horror identity — something Capcom wouldn’t start fixing until RE7.

Rating: 6.5/10
A fun but flawed action spinoff in disguise as a mainline entry.


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⚠️ Spoiler Warning ⚠️

🧟 Spoilers

Jill Valentine is revealed to be alive, brainwashed by Wesker with a chest device. Chris and Sheva save her, removing the device in a dramatic boss battle.

Excella becomes a grotesque B.O.W. boss fight after Wesker betrays her.

Wesker’s plan is revealed: use the Uroboros virus to “evolve” humanity.

The final showdown happens in a volcano, where Chris and Sheva battle Wesker amidst lava flows. The climax is infamous for Chris punching a giant boulder to clear a path.

Wesker is finally killed by being blasted into the lava by rocket launchers, seemingly ending his reign once and for all.



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Who here remembers RE5 being hyped as “the true next step after Resident Evil 4”? It’s remembered now more for memes (boulder-punching Chris, over-the-top Wesker) than its actual story. Unless you love co-op shooters, this one’s for nostalgia or masochists only.