Resident Evil 5 Isn’t The Problem Some “Journalists” Paint It As

Resident Evil 5 is the black sheep of Capcom’s flagship survival horror franchise. Now here’s the deal, if you’re from the camp that thinks of this game as a problem, you’ve probably labeled me a racist by this point. 

And if you haven’t, that’s great. 

In case you’re not aware of the buzz surrounding RE5, Capcom is remaking the Resident Evil games and there’s a high chance we’re going to Africa next. 

The Resident Evil 5 Remake Situation

Back in the late 2010s, Capcom rose from the ashes of disappointment, launching phenomenal titles back to back. One of these victories was the remake of Resident Evil 2—the game that I believe is the definitive standard for video game remakes.

Following the launch of RE2, RE3, and the award-winning recreation of Resident Evil 4, we logically arrive at the next point in this sequence. Pop quiz. What comes after four? 

The answer is Resident Evil 5 (sorry, Code Veronica fans).

Given how RE4’s ending implies that Capcom is open to working on a remake of RE5, the pointless controversy pot has begun to stir once again. When the game launched back in 2009, people began to question certain themes in it.

Now that the time has come for Resident Evil 5, certain publications have come forward to once again express how the title can’t be remade & thus it should be rewritten.

It May Have Issues But The Game Is Far From Racist

Before I continue, there’s always an effective way to do things & we must endeavor to separate fiction from reality. The second we project our worldly issues onto a video game, especially without having any evidence, we risk ruining the medium itself. Look at the talk surrounding Sweet Baby Inc.

If you think resident evil 5 is racist, you are the racist https://t.co/XZ7r0cY4ha

— Ricky Berwick (@rickyberwick) March 13, 2024

Resident Evil 5 has its issues, a lot of them. However, in my humble opinion, racism isn’t a part of that list.

Yes, a white man going around gunning down people of color along with the representation of tribal communities in Africa raised too many eyebrows due to the setup’s nature; that doesn’t give you a reason to purposely avoid the facts.

First off, everything that happens in Resident Evil 5 is in the context of that universe. It never injected any propaganda nor did it intend on throwing shade in the first place.

The game takes you to West Africa; a region that predominantly has black people according to books. Look at it from a different lens and you’ll see it as representation. And if you’re not sold on that part, here’s one for you.

Resident Evil 5 has a protagonist from the region—Sheva Alomar. 

Secondly, the argument claims that presenting conflict and deranged locals in the region makes the whole “nation” seem primitive. Well, there’s a lot of discord in our world’s version of that area too in addition to real facts and history. Not some fictional history.

That said, the entire setting is in the context of the universe and Las Plagas 2.0. Plus, I’m sure a superhuman geared on virus juice, with a wide network, can do something to aggravate the populace. You can find a note that mentions something similar in the swamp region.

If it’s still racist, well, I hope we can all at least remember that generous butcher and the gorgeous blonde lady who were ruthlessly “unalived” by the enemies. The game must have something against people of that color.

Oh but wait, Chris is the protagonist so all’s good, right? Then Sheva’s there too so that means … yes, exactly.

Resident Evil 5 Exposes Double Standards

As humans, it’s in our nature to have double standards. In a way, Resident Evil 5 exposes that part.

While publications believe the game should be rewritten due to obvious reasons, they didn’t bat an eye when Leon murdered an entire village, cleansed a castle that was likely a regional icon, and let Ada blow up an island along with its inhabitants. Resident Evil 6 had us killing people on a global scale. And don’t forget 7 and 8.

“But it’s all fictional,” what’s RE5 then? It couldn’t possibly be reality, could it?

Their new Resident Evil 5 is racist video
byu/DeeManJohnsonIII inIGN

Without diving into it, the controversy stems from the frame of Western politics which is why it’s even an issue to begin with. That said, various other ethnicities have been mistreated but it seems that doesn’t mean much here due to the origin of it all.

My Problems With RE5

I don’t have a lot of issues with Resident Evil 5. It’s a great game overall but certain elements could use some work.

The game I compare RE5 to the most is the original Resident Evil 4. Why? It’s the only game in the franchise I spent 500 hours on.

I have no idea how it’s possible but RE5 manages to feel clunky in comparison to its predecessor. Movement is janky, aiming doesn’t feel as responsive as RE4, and the inventory system along with the merchant setup just puts me off.

That last part is kind of lore-accurate since Chris is a fully equipped BSAA agent. But if he’s procuring the gear on-site, from a “butcher,” the game could’ve probably added a merchant too.

Kudos to the co-op though. I still play the game with a friend of mine and admittedly, it’s one of the best multiplayer experiences we’ve had to date.

Conclusion

In the end, what I see are just bored journalists looking at things from highly biased lenses instead of talking about the real issues with Resident Evil 5. But then again, what can you expect?

I just hope we get a great remake that runs well and doesn’t have MTX implemented in it. After all, if it gets normalized now, we may see some serious devolution over the next decade.