Capcom has been on a streak of great Resident Evil remakes for the past few years, and after Resident Evil 4: Remake’s success, Resident Evil 5 should be next in line for a redo. Despite being one of the weaker games in the series due to its focus on combat, the bones of the game are great, and I think it's a prime candidate for a second chance. Resident Evil 5: Remake could be a revamped co-op experience with a focus on survival horror rather than action.

In RE5, series regular Chris Redfield and his new partner Sheva Alomar mow through hordes of people infected with the Las Plagas parasite. RE5 was the first game in the series to move away from survival horror, likely due to the positive reception to Resident Evil 4’s action elements, and the first to add co-op elements. Alongside modified modern gameplay, a remake of Resident Evil 5 would give the series an opportunity to course-correct some plotline decisions, flesh out characters like Sheva that have been left behind, and give iconic villains like Albert Wesker better finales.

Resident Evil 5 Should Be Re-Evaluated

A Solid Game Is Hidden Beneath Too Much Action

After the groundbreaking success of Resident Evil 4, which popularized an over-the-shoulder (OTS) approach to third-person action and provided one of the most atmospheric horror experiences ever, Resident Evil 5 was something of a letdown. The co-op adventure leaned heavily into action rather than survival horror. This change in focus matched the video game landscape of the day, but it now sticks out as a left-field change in the long-running horror series.

Despite its issues, I've had a ton of fun with Resident Evil 5. Fighting Las Plagas with more firepower is a treat after the more limited arsenal in Resident Evil 4, and being able to play with a friend creates a unique experience for the franchise. While the action can be egregious at times (i.e., Sheva and Chris using turrets to shoot a giant point-blank as he doesn’t even try to move for ten minutes and Chris punching a boulder into a volcano), the core of the game and its story is classic Resident Evil.

The locations in the game, first an African town center that leads into an underground temple and the obligatory Umbrella Corporation laboratory, aren’t out of place in the series and could be updated to be more claustrophobic. Even the major issues of the game, namely its location and treatment of black characters, could be addressed in a remake. One boon to the series would be giving more time and development to Sheva Alomar, a one-off character who deserves more attention.

Co-op Action Could Easily Translate To Atmospheric Horror

Bringing Back More Survival Horror Elements Could Be Key

Unfortunately, the game steered too far into action and lost the atmospheric horror that made earlier RE games so iconic. This could partially be due to the co-op action, which favors dumping copious amounts of ammo into enemies rather than forcing players to ration their supplies in order to survive, but that could be easily fixed in a remake. Giving RE5 the modern camera and combat systems of the other RE remakes, alongside a redesign of the African locations, would go a long way in improving the gameplay.

Like other Resident Evil games, the main characters are isolated and alone in an area stocked with hostiles. With small tweaks to buff enemies and weaken the weapons players have access to, RE5 could become an experience very similar to RE4: Remake, especially since they both feature Las Plagas enemy types rather than the traditional zombies. Playing as Sheva and Chris while navigating an abandoned city could be horrifying with relatively simple changes and a refresh of the level designs throughout the game.

Small Changes For A Remake Can Course Correct The RE Series

Jill, Sheva, And Wesker Could Have More Interesting Plot Lines

Since Capcom has begun remaking the Resident Evil series, it has added small changes throughout to slightly modify the overarching story of the games. For example, Leon and Ada’s relationship was given a more negative tone in Resident Evil 4: Remake due to Leon feeling much more betrayed by her actions in Resident Evil 2: Remake. Small plot changes like these can add up, and any remake of Resident Evil 5 should take full advantage of this opportunity, especially in regards to Jill’s story.

The main motive for Chris in RE5 is to find his lost partner Jill, who he is convinced is alive and being held by Wesker. While it turns out he was right, Jill was actually working for Wesker while being mind-controlled, Jill is quickly shoved to the side after being freed as Chris and Sheva continue onwards to stop Wesker.

This plotline has largely been panned in the years since RE5 came out, and for good reason, as it sidelines Jill after players spend the entire game looking for her. A remake could update this plotline to give Jill a more active role in the final act, or even strike out the mind-control plot altogether.

Resident Evil 5 offers too many resources for players to ever feel genuinely worried they’ll make it.

More changes could be implemented around the third act, especially as Sheva and Chris defeat Wesker, a villain who should logically not be that easy to beat. As shown in the game, Wesker is powerful enough to throw missiles and fast enough to dodge bullets. His downfall is being injected with the very serum that keeps him sane, but his finale is still lackluster. A RE5 remake could provide a better ending to Wesker’s character than simply shooting him in a volcano, especially since he’s the most iconic villain in the entire series.

Gameplay-wise, the biggest change to improve a remake of RE5 for the current direction of the RE remakes would be to tone down the action elements and force players to manage their supplies together as they fight Las Plagas. Resident Evil 5 offers too many resources for players to ever feel genuinely worried they’ll make it, at least on standard difficulty. Scaling back the action and turning the remake into a more survival horror co-op experience could let it remain faithful to the original while being more in line with what modern Resident Evil fans look for in their games.