Why Resident Evil 5 Needs a Remake

by

Capcom has a strong track record of successfully remaking its Resident Evil games, starting with the highly praised remake of the original, released on the GameCube in 2002. After a long pause, they returned to remakes with the incredibly popular Resident Evil 2 in 2019, followed by Resident Evil 3 in 2020, and Resident Evil 4 in 2023. While fans have often requested a remake of Resident Evil 5, I never understood why. It’s one of the less-loved games in the series, and already feels relatively modern. However, after recently revisiting Resident Evil 5, I’ve changed my mind – a remake is now clearly needed.

The main draw of Resident Evil 5 is its cooperative gameplay. Building on the action of Resident Evil 4, it lets two players team up – one as the series veteran Chris Redfield and the other as the new character Sheva Alomar. I really enjoyed playing it with my brother when it first came out on Xbox 360, completing everything the game had to offer. Now, as I revisit the Resident Evil series ahead of its 30th anniversary, I wanted to share that experience with my wife. Unfortunately, Capcom has significantly worsened the split-screen co-op mode in the newer versions of the game for modern consoles.

Resident Evil 5 on Modern Consoles Botches Local Co-Op

When I first played Resident Evil 5 back in 2009, I used a standard TV, which surprisingly made the split-screen mode better. On newer HDTVs, the game shrinks the action into small boxes to maintain the correct image shape, and there’s no way to disable this or use the full screen. With a standard TV, the game filled the whole screen. I expected the HDTV version to be annoying, but I found other ways the split-screen co-op experience is significantly worse on today’s consoles.

When playing the updated version of Resident Evil 5 on PS4 and Xbox One in split-screen, the second player can’t access the shop or manage their own inventory. While the original Xbox 360 version allowed this, I’ve found that this limitation actually existed on the PS3 as well. This significantly hinders the second player’s experience, preventing them from progressing in the same way as the first player and making co-op split-screen play less enjoyable for everyone.

A remake of Resident Evil 5 has the potential to improve the frustrating split-screen co-op experience. The original game on Xbox 360 allowed for a better way to play with a friend, and a remake could offer options like using the full screen or a boxed view in split-screen mode. It could also give each player their own separate inventory, allowing for independent item management instead of sharing. Currently, playing Resident Evil 5 in split-screen on modern consoles isn’t very enjoyable, but a remake could address these issues and create a much better experience.

What Are the Next Resident Evil Remakes?

The next installment in the Resident Evil series, currently known as Resident Evil Requiem or Resident Evil 9, is scheduled to launch on February 27th. Beyond that, credible sources have also shared information about Capcom’s plans for future remakes. According to these leaks, a remake of Resident Evil: Code Veronica is expected in early 2027, and a remake of Resident Evil Zero will follow at a later date.

It’s hard to say what Capcom will remake after this. Many fans expect a remake of Resident Evil 5 because the recent Resident Evil 4 remake set the stage for it. However, some believe a second remake of the original Resident Evil would be good, creating consistency in gameplay across all the remakes. Ultimately, fans are hoping Capcom eventually remakes Resident Evil 5 and improves its local co-op features.

Read More

2026-02-07 04:08