This is a review of the new resident evil game for XBOX 360. It doesnt contain any plotline or ending spoilers so dont fear! The game was released March 13th 2009 but i just got my copy this afternoon and have been playing it non-stop! Its addictive gameplay at its very best! The game focuses on the role of two characters in an effort to get rid of a virus that is spreading across the world. It has a very "28 days later" feel to it i think.
The main character, who you play in the solo campaign, is Chris followed closely by his british-american-italian (who knows) sidekick Sheva.

This game is hard to control at first like alot of third person shooters out there but you will get used to it eventually. The most annoying gameplay aspect of RE5 is the movement of your character and trying to shoot stuff. Firstly, you cant move and shoot which gets annoying but the developers thought this would rise the tension - so stay aay all you run-and-gunners, This is not for you! There are some great guns and grenades in the game to get to grips with especially the machine gun, a real zombie muncher! Overall, gamplay is tricky but managable.
One of the great features of RE5's gameplay is the inventory function, which you use constantly to stay alive. The idea is that you and Sheva have 9 different items that you can 'hold' at any one time and these can be switched between the two players all the time to conserve ammo or weapons. This is great and is key in making your strategy. Another strategic feature is the ability to make Sheva be in'Cover' or 'Attack' mode during gameplay. This means she will either run on ahead and gun down anything she sees, or stay close behind you watching her back. This does have it's problems but will discussed later.

The best way to play Resident Evil 5 is with a friend over XBOX Live because the AI in solo mode just plain SUCKS. Your so-called partner Sheva is always running off to do nothing or just stands right in the way of fire. She keeps ammo and first-aid packs to herself and is generally a pain! ( i here an update is due soon to fix these bugs) Sheva's ability to attack or cover is somewhat muddled. The quality of the AI is so bad that it's sometimes difficult to notice whether you've changed her tactics or not because she just runs around wherever she wants to!
Beating zombies is way more fun with a friend on XBOX Live and the game holds up to such demands very well losing what seems like no graphics quality or slow down. Its a joy to play for hours online.

So the question im sure is on your mind, should i buy this game? The answer is definitely YES! This game looks beautiful and despite some AI issues it really make you afraid and wish you were holding on to momma! RE5 is a great achievment on behalf of CAPCOM and you need to experience this online with a friend to fully experience the might of this title. Happy gaming :)