Summary
Resident Evil 5may just be next in line for one of the remakes Capcom has been putting out for the iconic horror franchise in recent years. The latest remake forResident Evil 4continued the impressive sales streakfor these games, and the game that followed up Leon Kennedy’s solo adventure in El Pueblo is likely what’s getting a modern upgrade next.
Resident Evil 5is where the series broke its hot streak a bit and began to polarize the fans. Some were appreciative of the more action-oriented direction that this installment took, and some felt thatRE5lost a lot of what made the series so renowned up to that point. The reception to this game and its follow-upResident Evil 6are large parts of what inspired the new approach that was taken to the series beginning withResident Evil 7. Regardless of any personal feelings on this game, there are certainly moments that can be reworked in a potential remake to ensure thatResident Evil 5pleases even more people this time around.
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Sheva’s Introduction to Resident Evil
Sheva’s inclusion inResident Evil 5feels very rooted in the trends of 2000s gaming, a time when the innovations that led to the first era of video games with fairly realistic character models were utilized to put a lot more focus on female characters' bodies rather than their personalities. Sheva still manages to hold her own as a secondary protagonist, though, especially as a new character to the franchise paired with its most frequented legacy character.
However, Sheva is still not as well-rounded as she could have been, with many arguing that she is made more two-dimensional than she deserved to be. A modern take on the game would likely benefit from giving the player more of a reason to invest in Sheva on an emotional level, and hopefully the character willfinally make anotherResident Evilappearanceoutside just this game.
The Notorious Redfield Boulder Punch
It may be impossible to mentionResident Evil 5without saying something about the boulder punch. It’s just too flagrantly strange and out of place for a franchise that, up untilResident Evil 4, had protagonists that seldom felt like anything other than vulnerable humans just barely capable enough to handle the legions of horrifying threats in front of them.
This game takes a character who was hard-pressed to take on a couple of mutant dogs outside the Spencer Mansion in the firstResident Eviland beefs him up with little explanation as to how he’s achieved this herculean level of strength. It is one of the mostmemorable moments from the entireResident Evilseries, but not for the right reasons, and thus the remake may benefit from changing it in some way—or leaning into it further, particularly with Heisenberg referring to it inResident Evil Village.
A Different Approach To Jill Valentine
Even the most staunchResident Evil 5defenders tend to agree that the way this game handles Jill Valentine is just not necessary. Jill is one of the most iconic video game heroines of all time and this game essentially throws everything about her character away in favor of a cheap plot twist.
Similar to the Chris Redfield moment, the major Jill Valentine reveal moment in this game is such a stark leap from the character in the first game, as well as Jill’s subsequent appearances betweenRE1andRE5, that to many it just feels like an entirely different character. It may be best ifaResident Evil 5remakesimply gets rid of this moment altogether or allows her to have more screen time after she is rehabilitated. Either option would also better open the door for future Jill Valentine appearances inResident Evil 9or beyond.
AResident Evil 5remake is rumored to be in development.
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