Capcom has seen plenty of success with the Resident Evil series in recent years, especially with Resident Evil Requiem gaining praise as the next entry in the survival horror franchise. Requiem‘s positive reviews come after a string of great games, including remakes of older Resident Evil titles that also garnered many fans. Resident Evil 2 Remake and Resident Evil 4 Remake stand out as stellar games, but it’s hard to tell if their achievements will spark another Resident Evil title to come back.
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Resident Evil 2 Remake was an incredible return to form for developer Capcom, changing the older titles in the series to over-the-shoulder third-person action rather than the fixed cameras of the past. Alongside the continuation of the main series, this inspired more remakes, including ones for Resident Evil 3 and 4. DLC for Resident Evil Requiem proves Capcom has continuing plans for the series, but there hasn’t been any announced projects for another remake yet.
Resident Evil 5 Released In March 2009 To Many Mixed Reviews
Resident Evil 5 was released to players for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on March 5, 2026, nearly 17 years ago. This game drew a lot of controversy for a variety of reasons, including expressions of its gameplay and story. Many people slammed Resident Evil 5‘s narrative for how it portrayed Africa and African residents, mainly through stereotypes that have gotten the game labeled as racist by many. Even if unintentional, the backlash against Resident Evil 5‘s portrayal of other cultures eventually led to Capcom hiring western PR teams to help with authentic representation more.
The harmful colonial tropes of protagonist Chris Redfield were not helped by the antagonistic role local African groups were given in Resident Evil 5 at many steps. The depictions and interpretations in this game are offensive to many players, despite Capcom’s attempts to correct these issues through mixed-race characters like Sheva Alomar in RE 5‘s story. Interviews with MTV’s N’Gai Croal from back in 2008 for initial footage spoke of Capcom’s poor implementation of black people in the game, perpetuating tropes that quickly drove to many complaints surrounding the game at every point.
Post-release changes and other reflections don’t detract from Resident Evil 5‘s reputation, which is incredibly different from other games in the series. Even Resident Evil 4 had depictions of other cultures, but not to the haphazard degree of RE 5. However, story issues were not the only thing that plagued this game, as many were not pleased with it dipping into more action rather than the series’ signature survival horror.
Co-op Multiplayer & Heavy Action Defined Resident Evil 5’s Bombastic Gameplay
Long before Resident Evil 6 truly turned the series into a pure action game, RE 5 doubled down on the third-person elements the remakes would later be revered for. In many ways, Resident Evil 5 was an evolution of the action systems from Resident Evil 4, doubling down on them to give players more bombastic combat options for fighting infected. This is another system that fans have been mixed on for years, with some players enjoying the heavier action while others prefer the methodical bursts of combat from earlier games.
However, the biggest change in Resident Evil 5 came from the introduction of co-op multiplayer, which let two players tackle undead hordes together. Sheva Alomar and Chris Redfield are both tactical experts, using firearms and military training to take down monsters and supernatural foes like Albert Wesker. The coordination involved in set pieces and missions from RE 5 is arguably the most celebrated part of the game, with some sections being far more enjoyable as a result.
Players can heal each other, perform gestures to communicate, and otherwise do a variety of actions that make co-op play fun. Some of the best Resident Evil experiences is the goofy fun you and your friend can have running through the campaign of RE 5, with friendly fire and environmental errors leading to some ridiculous moments. The chaotic nature of multiplayer in this game has never been brought back in modern Resident Evil titles, leading many fans to want it back in some way.
The Success Of Other Resident Evil Remakes & Resident Evil Requiem Might Bring This Divisive Game Back
The multiplayer may heavily carry Resident Evil 5, but its criticisms might prevent it from getting remade in the same way RE 2, 3, or 4 did. Capcom’s next logical step would be to make a theoretical Resident Evil 5 Remake, but it would have to change many aspects of the original game to introduce it to new audiences. Backlash for RE 5 would be even stronger today if it was released without any modifications to its already divisive material.
The high sales of Resident Evil Requiem and Resident Evil 4 Remake may inspire Capcom enough to bring back RE 5, putting in the effort to “fix” that game and adapt it to modern standards. Ironically, this process wouldn’t be too hard, as the over-the-shoulder combat of the recent remakes is something RE 5‘s combat already does naturally. Multiplayer systems could be harder to adapt, but it could be a unique selling point compared to recent titles.
Unfortunately, there just may not be enough support for a new remake, whether it makes sense or not for Capcom. Resident Evil 5 might remain just a piece of history, as Resident Evil 10 becomes the next focus of Capcom to continue the thriving survival horror series.
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