Torn limb from limb - Resident Evil 5

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What can RE's past tell us about its future?

Resident Evil 4 was a game where you basically walked forwards the entire time, shooting everything you came across. And that’s why it was so bloody brilliant. See, while the fundamentals of what made the early RE’s good were still present and correct, but in RE 4 Capcom cranked it up a notch.

While it was still primarily concerned with conserving ammo, Capcom realized that shooting is, and always will be, more fun than fleeing. Hence, another element of the series was tweaked until its nipples bled: the new aiming system was switched to an over-the-shoulder view upon pressing the right trigger, with a laser-pointer allowing an unprecedented degree of control over your shot - and in RE 4, the trick was to make each shot count. Combined with some stunning set-pieces, it equated to a game so blinding it stretched the GameCube into a GameOblong. It was officially the Best Game Never To Appear On Xbox - and the Xbox 360’s Resident Evil 5 is the direct sequel to it.

Actually, it’s incredible to think that it’ll be the first RE on Xbox - but with director Jun Takeuchi promising this will be a major turning point in the history of the series, we’re sure that RE5 will make the 360 proud. So when dealing with a series so steeped in history as Resident Evil, it makes sense to see if the clues to its future lie in its past.