Resident Evil 5#Marketing and release

In 2009, five years after the events of Resident Evil 4, Chris Redfield, now an agent of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), is dispatched to Kijuju in West Africa. He and his new partner Sheva Alomar are tasked with apprehending Ricardo Irving before he can sell a bio-organic weapon (BOW) on the black market. When they arrive, they discover that the locals have been infected by the Las Plagas parasite (those infected are called "Majini") and the BSAA Alpha Team have been killed. Chris and Sheva are rescued by BSAA's Delta Team, which includes Sheva's mentor Captain Josh Stone. In Stone's data Chris sees a photograph of Jill Valentine, his old partner, who has been presumed dead after a confrontation with Albert Wesker. Chris, Sheva and Delta Team close in on Irving, but he escapes with the aid of a hooded and masked figure. Irving leaves behind documents that lead Chris and Sheva to marshy oilfields, where Irving's deal is to occur, but they discover that the documents are a diversion. When Chris and Sheva try to regroup with Delta Team, they find the team slaughtered by a BOW: a mutating troll-like giant. Sheva cannot find Stone among the dead. Determined to learn if Jill is still alive, Chris does not report to headquarters and proceeds on their quest.{{cite news|last=Segers |first=Andre |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-5-walkthrough/1100-6205799/ |title=Resident Evil 5 Walkthrough |work=GameSpot |date=27 April 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103114321/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-5-walkthrough/1100-6205799/ |archive-date=3 January 2014 |access-date=9 February 2019}}

Continuing through the marsh, they reunite with Stone and track down Irving's boat with his help. Irving injects himself with a variant of the Las Plagas parasite and mutates into a huge octopus-like beast. Chris and Sheva defeat him, and his dying words lead them to a nearby cave. The cave is the source of a flower used to create viruses previously used by the Umbrella Corporation, as well as a new strain named Uroboros. Chris and Sheva find evidence that Tricell, the company funding the BSAA, took over a former Umbrella underground laboratory and continued Umbrella's research. In the facility, they discover thousands of capsules holding human test subjects. Chris finds Jill's capsule, but it is empty. When they leave, they discover that Tricell CEO Excella Gionne has been plotting with Wesker to launch missiles with the Uroboros virus across the globe; it is eventually revealed that Wesker hopes to take a chosen few from the chaos of infection and rule them, creating a new breed of humanity. Chris and Sheva pursue Gionne but are stopped by Wesker and the hooded figure, who is revealed to be a brainwashed Jill. Gionne and Wesker escape to a Tricell oil tanker; Chris and Sheva fight Jill, subduing her and removing the mind-control device before she urges Chris to follow Wesker.

Chris and Sheva board the tanker and encounter Gionne, who escapes after dropping a case of syringes; Sheva keeps several. When Chris and Sheva reach the main deck, Wesker announces over the ship's intercom that he has betrayed Gionne and infected her with Uroboros. She mutates into a giant monster, which Chris and Sheva defeat. Jill radios in, telling Chris and Sheva that Wesker must take precise, regular doses of a serum to maintain his strength and speed; a larger or smaller dose would poison him. Sheva realizes that Gionne's syringes are doses of the drug. Chris and Sheva follow Wesker to a bomber loaded with missiles containing the Uroboros virus, injecting him with the syringes Gionne dropped. Wesker tries to escape on the bomber; Chris and Sheva disable it, making him crash-land in a volcano. Furious‚ Wesker exposes himself to Uroboros and chases Chris and Sheva through the volcano. They fight him, and the weakened Wesker falls into the lava before Chris and Sheva are rescued by a helicopter, which is piloted by Jill and Stone. As a dying Wesker attempts to drag the helicopter into the volcano, Chris and Sheva fire rocket-propelled grenades at Wesker, killing him.{{cite web|title=S DCC 09: Resident Evil's Wesker gone for good |url=http://ign.com/articles/2009/07/23/sdcc-09-resident-evils-wesker-gone-for-good |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508150915/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/07/23/sdcc-09-resident-evils-wesker-gone-for-good |archive-date=8 May 2016 |url-status=live |date=23 July 2009 |access-date=6 January 2015 |first=Hilary |last=Goldstein |work=IGN}} In the game's final cutscene, Chris wonders if the world is worth fighting for. Looking at Sheva and Jill, he decides to live in a world without fear.

File:Resi5gameplay.jpg

Resident Evil 5 is a third-person shooter with an over-the-shoulder perspective. Players can use several weapons including handguns, shotguns, automatic rifles, sniper rifles, and grenade launchers, as well as melee attacks. Players can make quick 180-degree turns to evade enemies. The game involves boss battles, many of which contain quick time events.

As in its predecessor Resident Evil 4, players can upgrade weapons with money and treasure collected in-game and heal themselves with herbs, but cannot run and shoot at the same time. New features include infected enemies with guns and grenades, the ability to upgrade weapons at any time from the inventory screen without having to find a merchant, and the equipping of weapons and items in real-time during gameplay. Each player can store nine items. Unlike the previous games, the item size is irrelevant; a herb or a grenade launcher each occupy one space, and four items may be assigned to the D-pad. The game features puzzles, though fewer than previous titles.{{Cite journal |last1=Brock |first1=André |title=When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong: Resident Evil 5, Racial Representation, and Gamers |journal=Games and Culture|volume=6 |issue=5 |pages=429–452 |date=September 2011 |doi=10.1177/1555412011402676 |s2cid=146539948 |issn=1555-4120 |df=dmy-all }}{{cite web |last1=Geyser |first1=Hanli |last2=Tshabalala |first2=Pippa |date=2011 |title=Return to Darkness: Representations of Africa in Resident Evil 5 |url=http://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digital-library/11312.58174.pdf |work=Digital Games Research Association|access-date=16 October 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20171016002914/http://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digital-library/11312.58174.pdf |archive-date=16 October 2017 |url-status=live}}

Resident Evil 5 is the first game in the Resident Evil series designed for two-player cooperative gameplay. The player controls Chris, a former member of the fictional Special Tactics and Rescue Service (STARS) and member of the BSAA, and a second player can control Sheva, who is introduced in this game. If a person plays alone, Sheva is controlled by the game's artificial intelligence (AI). When the game has been completed once, there is an option to make Sheva the primary character. Two-player mode is available online or split screen with a second player using the same console. A second player joining a split screen game in progress will make the game reload the last checkpoint (the point at which the game was last saved); the second player joining an online game will have to wait until the first player reaches the next checkpoint, or restarts the previous one, to play. In split-screen mode, one player's viewpoint is presented in the top half of the screen, and the other in the bottom half, but each viewpoint is presented in widescreen format, rather than using the full width of the screen, resulting in unused space to the left and right of the two windows. If one player has critical health, only their partner can resuscitate them, and they will die if their partner cannot reach them. At certain points, players are deliberately separated. Players can trade items during gameplay, although weapons cannot be traded with online players. The game's storyline is linear, and interaction with other characters is mostly limited to cutscenes.

A version of the Mercenaries minigame, which debuted in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, is included in Resident Evil 5.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919192305/http://www.shacknews.com/article/52819/resident-evil-5-to-sport |archive-date=19 September 2015 |url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/52819/resident-evil-5-to-sport |title=Resident Evil 5 to Sport 2P Co-op, Cover System |last1=Faylor |first1=Chris |last2=Breckon |first2=Nick |date=22 May 2008 |work=Shacknews |access-date=6 January 2015}} This minigame places the player in an enclosed environment with a time limit. Customized weapons cannot be used and players must search for weapons, ammunition, and time bonuses while fighting a barrage of enemies, to score as many points as possible within the time limit.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222102803/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/04/resident-evil-5-the-mercenaries-revealed |archive-date=22 February 2015 |url=http://ign.com/articles/2009/03/04/resident-evil-5-the-mercenaries-revealed |title=Resident Evil 5: The Mercenaries Revealed |last=Goldstein |first=Hillary |date=4 March 2009 |work=IGN |access-date=22 February 2015}} The minigame multiplayer mode was initially offline only; a release-day patch needed to be downloaded to access the online multiplayer modes.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029061201/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2009/03/mercenaries-comes-to-resident-evil-5-brings-online-patch/ |archive-date=29 October 2015 |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2009/03/mercenaries-comes-to-resident-evil-5-brings-online-patch/ |title=Mercenaries Comes To Resident Evil 5 Brings Online Patch |last1=Kutcher |first1=Ben |date=10 March 2009 |work=Ars Technica |access-date=6 January 2015}} Mercenaries is unlocked when the game's story mode has been completed.

File:Jun Takeuchi 2010.jpg (pictured in 2010) supervised the game's development.|alt=A portrait shot of a middle-aged Asian man with short, messy black hair, glasses and a zip-up sweatshirt]]

Resident Evil 5 was developed by Capcom and produced by Jun Takeuchi, who directed Onimusha: Warlords and produced Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. Keiji Inafune, promotional producer for Resident Evil 2 and executive producer of the PlayStation 2 version of Resident Evil 4, supervised the project. Production began in 2005 and at its peak, over 100 people were working on the project.{{sfn|Nicholson|2009|page=4}} In February 2007, some members of Capcom's Clover Studio began working on Resident Evil 5 while others were working on Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, which debuted for the Wii.{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/clover-vets-helping-on-resi-5-and-inafune-wii-title |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074044/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/clover-vets-helping-on-resi-5-and-inafune-wii-title |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live |title=Clover vets helping on Resi 5 and Inafune Wii title |last1=Bramwell |first1=Tom |date=20 February 2007 |work=Eurogamer |access-date=6 January 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2007/02/7141/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061244/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2007/02/7141/ |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live |title=Capcom reincorporates ex-Clover developers; victory assured |last1=Caron |first1=Frank |date=20 February 2007 |work=Ars Technica |access-date=6 January 2015}} Yasuhiro Anpo, who worked as a programmer on the original Resident Evil, directed Resident Evil 5.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/resident-evil-5-director-interview-cooperative-horror/ |title='Resident Evil 5' director discusses how to mix scares with co-op |last=Gurwin |first=Gabe |date=1 June 2016 |work=Digital Trends |access-date=31 March 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170331231116/http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/resident-evil-5-director-interview-cooperative-horror/ |archive-date=31 March 2017 |url-status=live}} He was one of several staff members who worked on the original game to be involved in Resident Evil 5{{'s}} development.{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/takeuchi-talks-resident-evil-5/1100-6130166/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150116092909/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/takeuchi-talks-resident-evil-5/1100-6130166/ |archive-date=16 January 2015 |url-status=live |title=Takeuchi talks Resident Evil 5 |date=2 August 2005 |work=GameSpot |access-date=6 January 2015}} The game's scenario was written by Haruo Murata and Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, based on a story idea by concept director Kenichi Ueda.{{cite video game|title=Biohazard 5 |developer=Capcom Co., Ltd. |publisher=Capcom Co., Ltd. |date=5 March 2009 |platform=Xbox 360, PlayStation 3}} Takeuchi announced that the game would retain the gameplay model introduced in Resident Evil 4, with "thematic tastes" from both Resident Evil 4 and the original Resident Evil.{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3142140&did=1 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717014422/http://www.1up.com/previews/resident-evil-5_11 |archive-date=17 July 2012 |url-status=dead |title=Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360 Preview |last1=Lino |first1=Masa |date=20 July 2005 |work=1UP.com |access-date=6 January 2015}}

While previous Resident Evil games are mainly set at night, the events of Resident Evil 5 occur almost entirely during the day. The decision for this was a combination of the game being set in Africa and advances in hardware improvements which allowed increasingly detailed graphics.{{sfn|Nicholson|2009|page=193}} On the subject of changes to Jill and Chris's appearance, production director Yasuhiro Anpo explained that designers tried "to preserve their image and imagined how they would have changed over the passage of time". Their new designs retained the character's signature colors; green for Chris and blue for Jill. Sheva was redesigned several times during production, though all versions tried to emphasize a combination of "feminine attraction and the strength of a fighting woman".{{sfn|Nicholson|2009|page=195}} The Majini were designed to be more violent than the "Ganado" enemies in Resident Evil 4.{{sfn|Nicholson|2009|page=197}}

The decision for cooperative gameplay was made part-way through development, for a new experience in a Resident Evil game. Despite initial concern that a second player would dampen the game's tension and horror, it was later realized that this could actually increase such factors where one player had to be rescued.{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/previews/resident-evil-5_6 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150815053727/http://www.1up.com/previews/resident-evil-5_6 |archive-date=15 August 2015 |url-status=dead |title=Resident Evil 5 Developer Interview |last=Mielke |first=James |date=11 July 2008 |work=1UP.com |access-date=18 February 2015}} The decision to retain wide-screen proportions in two-player mode was made to avoid having the first player's screen directly on top of the second, which might be distracting, and the restriction on simultaneously moving and shooting was retained to increase player tension by not allowing them to maneuver freely. Takeuchi cited the film Black Hawk Down as an influence on the setting of Resident Evil 5 and his experience working on Lost Planet: Extreme Condition as an influence on its development.{{cite web |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/24/joystiq-interview-resident-evil-5-producer-jun-takeuchi/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161204080523/https://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/joystiq-interview-resident-evil-5-producer-jun-takeuchi/ |archive-date=4 December 2016 |url-status=dead |title=Joystiq interview: Resident Evil 5 producer Jun Takeuchi |last=Kelly |first=Kevin |date=24 February 2009 |work=Engadget |access-date=6 November 2015 }} When questioned as to why the game was not being released on the Wii, which was the most popular gaming console at that time, Takeuchi responded that although that may have been a good decision "from a business perspective", the Wii was not the best choice in terms of power and visual quality, concluding that he was happy with the console choices they had made.

Resident Evil 5 runs on version 1.4 of Capcom's MT Framework engine{{cite web|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100315051705/http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2009/06/14/mt_framework/| url=http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2009/06/14/mt_framework/|title=Capcom Talks MT Framework 2.0|date=June 14, 2009|archive-date=March 15, 2010|author=Gantayat, Anoop|access-date=April 18, 2016|publisher=Andriasang}} and scenes were recorded by motion capture. It was the first video game to use a virtual camera system,{{cite web|url=http://au.ign.com/articles/2009/02/28/the-tech-behind-re5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604045153/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/28/the-tech-behind-re5 |archive-date=4 June 2016 |url-status=live |title=The Tech Behind RE5 |last=Lowe |first=Scott |date=27 February 2009 |work=IGN |access-date=24 February 2015}} which allowed the developers to see character movements in real time as the motion-capture actors recorded.{{cite web|url=http://www.popsci.com/entertainment-amp-gaming/article/2009-02/virtual-camera-captures-actors’-movements-iresident-evil-5i |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302073338/http://www.popsci.com/entertainment-amp-gaming/article/2009-02/virtual-camera-captures-actors%E2%80%99-movements-iresident-evil-5i |title="Virtual Camera" Captures Actors' Movements for Resident Evil 5 |last=Hsu |first=Jeremy |date=27 February 2009 |work=Popular Science |archive-date=2 March 2009 |url-status=dead}} Actors Reuben Langdon, Karen Dyer and Ken Lally portrayed Chris Redfield, Sheva Alomar and Albert Wesker respectively.{{cite news|last=Gude |first=Roger |url=http://blastmagazine.com/2009/05/31/a-qa-with-reuben-langdon/ |title=A Q&A with Reuben Langdon |work=Blast Magazine |date=31 May 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221183806/http://blastmagazine.com/2009/05/31/a-qa-with-reuben-langdon/ |archive-date=21 February 2017 |access-date=21 February 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.backstage.com/interview/actress-karen-dyer-is-pretty-evil/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140622225628/http://www.backstage.com/interview/actress-karen-dyer-is-pretty-evil/ |archive-date=22 June 2014 |title=Actress Karen Dyer Is Pretty 'Evil' |last=Penketh |first=Tom |date=4 July 2009 |work=Backstage |access-date=27 February 2017 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2008/11/13/actor-ken-lally-mo-capped-as-resident-evil-5s-wesker/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170227131423/https://www.engadget.com/2008/11/13/actor-ken-lally-mo-capped-as-resident-evil-5s-wesker/ |archive-date=27 February 2017 |title=Actor Ken Lally mo-capped as Resident Evil 5's Wesker |last=Dobson |first=Jason |date=13 November 2008 |work=Engadget |access-date=27 February 2017 |url-status=dead}} Dyer also voiced Sheva,{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/07/04/interview-karen-dyer-sheva-from-resident-evil-5/ |title=Interview: Karen Dyer (Sheva from Resident Evil 5) |last=Deleon |first=Nicholas |date=4 July 2009 |work=TechCrunch |access-date=1 April 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140622225720/http://techcrunch.com/2009/07/04/interview-karen-dyer-sheva-from-resident-evil-5/ |archive-date=22 June 2014 |url-status=live}} while Chris's voice was performed by Roger Craig Smith.{{cite web|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/16942-An-Interview-With-Roger-Craig-Smith |title=Behind the Voice - An Interview With Roger Craig Smith |last=Finnegan |first=Liz |date=24 March 2016 |work=The Escapist |access-date=1 April 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170401000925/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/16942-An-Interview-With-Roger-Craig-Smith |archive-date=1 April 2017 |url-status=live}} Dyer's background training in circus skills helped her win the role of Sheva, as Capcom were searching for someone who could handle the physical skills her motion capture required. She performed her own stunts, and worked in production on the game for over a year, sometimes working 14 hours a day. All of the human character motions were based on motion capture, while the non-human characters in the game were animated by hand.{{sfn|Nicholson|2009|page=200}}

Kota Suzuki was the game's principal composer and additional music was contributed by Hideki Okugawa, Akihiko Narita and Seiko Kobuchi. The electronic score includes 15 minutes of orchestral music, recorded at the Newman Scoring Stage of 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles with the 103-piece Hollywood Studio Symphony. Other orchestral music and arrangements were by Wataru Hokoyama, who conducted the orchestra.{{cite web|author=Dan Goldwasser |url=http://www.scoringsessions.com/news/145 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020035857/http://scoringsessions.com/2008/07/07/kota-suzuki-scores-resident-evil-5-in-los-angeles/ |archive-date=20 October 2016 |url-status=live |title=Kota Suzuki scores Resident Evil 5 in Los Angeles |work=Scoring Sessions |date=7 July 2008 |access-date=6 January 2015}} Capcom recorded in Los Angeles because they wanted a Hollywood-style soundtrack to increase the game's cinematic value and global interest. Resident Evil 5{{'s}} soundtrack features an original theme song, titled "Pray", which was composed by Suzuki and sung by Oulimata Niang.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217215700/http://www.music4games.net/Features_Display.aspx?id=294 |url=http://www.music4games.net/Features_Display.aspx?id=294 |title=Interview with Resident Evil 5 Music Team |date=20 August 2008 |work=Music 4 Games |archive-date=17 February 2009 |access-date=6 January 2015}}

Capcom announced Resident Evil 5 on July 20, 2005,{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-5-coming-to-360-ps3/1100-6129479/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421133619/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-5-coming-to-360-ps3/1100-6129479/ |archive-date=21 April 2015 |url-status=live |title=Resident Evil 5 coming to 360, PS3 |last1=Thorsen |first1=Tor |date=20 July 2005 |work=GameSpot |access-date=6 January 2015}} and the company showed a brief trailer for the game at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in July 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-07-resident-evil-5-trailer-impressions/1100-6174059/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416085712/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-07-resident-evil-5-trailer-impressions/1100-6174059/ |archive-date=16 April 2014 |url-status=live |title=E3 07: Resident Evil 5 Trailer Impressions |last1=Navarro |first1=Alex |date=10 July 2007 |work=GameSpot |access-date=6 January 2015}} The full E3 trailer became available on the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Store that same month.{{cite web|url=http://ign.com/articles/2007/07/18/new-resident-evil-5-details |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081326/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/07/18/new-resident-evil-5-details |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live |title=New Resident Evil 5 Details |date=18 July 2007 |work=IGN |access-date=6 January 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://ign.com/articles/2007/07/11/e3-2007-microsoft-conference-live-updates |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106195123/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/07/11/e3-2007-microsoft-conference-live-updates |archive-date=6 January 2015 |url-status=live |title=E3 2007: Microsoft Conference Live Updates |last1=Onyett |first1=Charles |date=10 July 2007 |work=IGN |access-date=6 January 2015 }} A new trailer debuted on Spike TV's GameTrailers TV in May 2008, and on the GameTrailers website.{{cite web|url=http://www.capcom-unity.com/kramez/blog/2008/05/15/new_resident_evil_5_trailer_to_premier_on_gametrai |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130110855/http://www.capcom-unity.com/kramez/blog/2008/05/15/new_resident_evil_5_trailer_to_premier_on_gametrai |archive-date=30 January 2016 |url-status=live |title=New Resident Evil 5 trailer to premier on "Gametrailers TV with Geoff Keighley |last1=Kramer |first1=Chris |date=15 May 2008 |work=Capcom |access-date=6 January 2015}} A playable game demo was released in Japan on December 5, 2008, for the Xbox 360, in North America and Europe for the Xbox 360 on January 26, 2009, and on February 2 for the PlayStation 3.{{cite web|first=Chris |last=Faylor |title=Resident Evil 5 Demo Finally Gets a Release Date: Hitting Xbox 360 First, PS3 Later |url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/56755/resident-evil-5-demo-finally |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924171253/http://www.shacknews.com/article/56755/resident-evil-5-demo-finally |archive-date=24 September 2016 |url-status=live |work=Shacknews |date=14 January 2009 |access-date=6 January 2015}} Worldwide downloads of the demo exceeded four million for the two consoles; over 1.8 million were downloaded between January 26 and January 29.{{cite web|author=Caoili, Eric |date=24 February 2009 |title=Capcom: Resident Evil 5 Demo Saw 4 Million Downloads |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22440 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924141036/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22440 |archive-date=24 September 2016 |url-status=dead |work=Gamasutra |access-date=6 January 2015}}

In January 2009, D+PAD Magazine reported that Resident Evil 5 would be released with limited-edition Xbox 360 box art; pictures of the limited-edition box claimed that it would allow two to sixteen players to play offline via System Link.{{cite web|first=David |last=Scammell |title=Resident Evil 5 to include 16 player offline multiplayer? |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403093941/http://dpadmagazine.com/2009/01/21/resident-evil-5-to-include-16-player-offline-multiplayer/ |archive-date=3 April 2016 |url=http://www.dpadmagazine.com/2009/01/21/resident-evil-5-to-include-16-player-offline-multiplayer/ |work=D+PAD |date=21 January 2009 |access-date=6 January 2015 |url-status=dead}} Although Capcom said that their "box art isn't lying", the company did not provide details.{{cite web|first=Mike |last=Bowden |title=Capcom says Resident Evil 5 box art isn't lying |url=https://www.vg247.com/2009/01/21/capcom-says-resident-evil-5-box-art-isnt-lying/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906112622/http://www.vg247.com/2009/01/21/capcom-says-resident-evil-5-box-art-isnt-lying/ |archive-date=6 September 2015 |work=VG247 |date=21 January 2009 |access-date=18 September 2016 |url-status=dead}} Capcom soon issued another statement that the box-art information was incorrect, and System Link could support only two players. Microsoft released a limited-edition, red Xbox 360 Elite console which was sold with the game. The package included an exclusive Resident Evil theme for the Xbox 360 Dashboard{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/au/news/red-all-over-limited-edition-resident-evil-5-xbox-360-elite/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170310214244/https://www.cnet.com/au/news/red-all-over-limited-edition-resident-evil-5-xbox-360-elite/ |archive-date=10 March 2017 |title=Red all over: Limited-edition Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360 Elite |last=Bakalar |first=Jeff |date=26 February 2009 |work=CNET |access-date=10 March 2017 |url-status=dead}} and a download voucher for Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix from Xbox Live.{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5159153/official-picture-of-red-colored-xbox-360 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160824030032/http://kotaku.com/5159153/official-picture-of-red-colored-xbox-360 |archive-date=24 August 2016 |url-status=live |title=Official Picture of Red-Colored Xbox 360 |last=Ashcraft |first=Brian |date=24 February 2009 |work=Kotaku |access-date=23 February 2015}}

Resident Evil 5 was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in March 2009, alongside a dedicated Game Space on PlayStation Home. The space, Resident Evil 5 "Studio Lot" (Biohazard 5 "Film Studio" in Japan), had as its theme the in-game location of Kijuju. Its lounge offered Resident Evil 5-related items for sale, events and full game-launching support. Some areas of the space were available only to owners of Resident Evil 5.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090409032235/http://www.andriasang.com/e/articles/2009/02/03/sfiv_re5_home_collaborations/ |url=http://www.andriasang.com/e/articles/2009/02/03/sfiv_re5_home_collaborations/|title=Street Fighter IV and Resident Evil 5 collaborate with Home|work=andriasang.com|date=3 February 2009 |access-date=6 January 2015 |archive-date=9 April 2009}} A Windows version was released in September 2009. This version, using Nvidia's 3D Vision technology through DirectX 10, includes more costumes and a new mode in the Mercenaries minigame.{{cite web|url=http://ign.com/articles/2009/05/01/resident-evil-5-street-fighter-iv-coming-to-pcs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324054025/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/05/01/resident-evil-5-street-fighter-iv-coming-to-pcs |archive-date=24 March 2016 |url-status=live |title=Resident Evil 5, Bionic Commando & Street Fighter IV Coming To PC, Starting This July |date=1 May 2009 |work=IGN |access-date=6 January 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://au.ign.com/articles/2009/09/10/resident-evil-5-review?page=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403225719/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/09/10/resident-evil-5-review?page=2 |archive-date=3 April 2016 |url-status=live |title=Resident Evil 5 Review |last=Haynes |first=Jeff |date=15 September 2009 |work=IGN|access-date=19 February 2015}} Resident Evil 5 was re-released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in June 2016, with a physical disc copy following in America that July.{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-05-31-resident-evil-5-for-ps4-and-xbox-one-has-a-release-date |title=Resident Evil 5 for PS4 and Xbox One has a release date |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601131710/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-05-31-resident-evil-5-for-ps4-and-xbox-one-has-a-release-date |archive-date=1 June 2016 |last=Yin-Poole |first=Wesley |date=31 May 2016 |work=Eurogamer |access-date=29 January 2017 |url-status=dead}} It was also released for Nintendo Switch on October 29, 2019.{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/e3/2019/6/11/18661382/resident-evil-5-6-nintendo-direct-e3-2019-switch-port-release-date |title=Resident Evil 5 and 6 coming to Nintendo Switch |last=McWertor |first=Michael |date=June 11, 2019 |work=Polygon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611165514/https://www.polygon.com/e3/2019/6/11/18661382/resident-evil-5-6-nintendo-direct-e3-2019-switch-port-release-date |archive-date=June 11, 2019 |url-status=live}}

Shortly before the release of Resident Evil 5, Capcom announced that a competitive multiplayer mode called Versus would be available for download in several weeks.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtWUyca6BBY| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211114/XtWUyca6BBY| archive-date=2021-11-14 | url-status=live|title=Games Scoop! News Break: RE5 Launch Event|last=Hatfield|first=Daemon |date=13 March 2009|work=Official IGN YouTube channel|access-date=6 January 2015}}{{cbignore}} Versus became available for download in Europe and North America on April 7, 2009, through the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Store.{{cite web|url=http://www.dpadmagazine.com/2009/04/06/resident-evil-5-versus-mode-available-tomorrow/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403210941/http://dpadmagazine.com/2009/04/06/resident-evil-5-versus-mode-available-tomorrow/ |archive-date=3 April 2016 |url-status=dead |title=Resident Evil 5 Versus DLC available from tomorrow |date=6 April 2009 |access-date=6 January 2015 |work=D+PAD}} Versus has two online game types: "Slayers", a point-based game challenging players to kill Majini, and "Survivors", where players hunt each other while dodging and attacking Majini. Both modes can be played by two-player teams. The Windows version of Resident Evil 5 originally did not support downloadable content (DLC).{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5409985/no-pc-dlc-for-re5-says-capcom |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160824043339/http://kotaku.com/5409985/no-pc-dlc-for-re5-says-capcom |archive-date=24 August 2016 |url-status=live |title=No PC DLC for RE5, Says Capcom |last=Good |first=Owen |date=21 November 2009 |work=Kotaku |access-date=23 February 2015}}

During Sony's press conference at the 2009 Tokyo Game Show Capcom announced that a special edition of the game, Biohazard 5: Alternative Edition, would be released in Japan for the PlayStation 3 in the spring of 2010.{{cite web|title=TGS 09: Resident Evil 5 Alternative Edition Revealed |url=http://ign.com/articles/2009/09/24/tgs-09-resident-evil-5-alternative-edition-revealed |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085706/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/09/24/tgs-09-resident-evil-5-alternative-edition-revealed |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live |work=IGN |date=23 September 2009 |access-date=6 January 2015}} This edition supports the PlayStation Move accessory and includes a new scenario, "Lost in Nightmares", where Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine infiltrate one of Umbrella Corporation co-founder Oswell E. Spencer's estates in 2006.{{cite web|title=Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition Reveal Spencer's Mansion |url=http://www.siliconera.com/2009/10/05/resident-evil-5-alternative-edition-reveal-spencers-mansion |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530042803/http://www.siliconera.com/2009/10/05/resident-evil-5-alternative-edition-reveal-spencers-mansion/ |archive-date=30 May 2016 |url-status=live |work=Siliconera |date=5 October 2009 |access-date=6 January 2015}} Another special edition of the game, Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in North America and Europe. Gold Edition includes "Lost in Nightmares" and another campaign-expansion episode, "Desperate Escape", where players control Josh Stone and Jill Valentine as they assist Chris and Sheva.{{cite web|first=Dale |last=North |title='Desperate Escape' in Resident Evil 5: Alternate Edition |url=http://www.destructoid.com/-desperate-escape-in-resident-evil-5-alternate-edition-155994.phtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530042803/http://www.siliconera.com/2009/10/05/resident-evil-5-alternative-edition-reveal-spencers-mansion/ |archive-date=30 May 2016 |url-status=live |work=Destructoid |date=24 November 2009 |access-date=6 January 2015}} The edition also includes the previously released Versus mode, four new costumes and an alternate Mercenaries mode with eight new playable characters, new items and maps. Like Alternative Edition, Gold Edition supports the PlayStation Move accessory with a patch released on September 14, 2010. The Xbox 360 version of Gold Edition came in a DVD with a token allowing free download of all DLC, while the PlayStation 3 version had all of the new content on a single Blu-ray disc.{{cite web|title=Announcing Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition |url=http://www.capcom-unity.com/snow_infernus/blog/2009/11/18/announcing_resident_evil_5_gold_edition |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119081016/http://www.capcom-unity.com/snow_infernus/blog/2009/11/18/announcing_resident_evil_5_gold_edition |archive-date=19 January 2013 |url-status=live |work=Capcom |date=18 November 2009 |access-date=6 January 2015}} On November 5, 2012, Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition was placed on the PlayStation Network as a free download for PlayStation Plus users during that month.{{cite web|url=http://au.ign.com/articles/2012/11/05/playstation-plus-members-get-resident-evil-5-for-free |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421173035/http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/05/playstation-plus-members-get-resident-evil-5-for-free |archive-date=21 April 2016 |url-status=live |title=Playstation Plus Members Get Resident Evil 5 For Free |last=Moriarty |first=Colin |date=5 November 2012 |work=IGN |access-date=16 February 2015}}

As part of the game's conversion to Steamworks, Gold Edition was released for Microsoft Windows on March 26, 2015. Owners of the game from Steam or as a boxed retail Games for Windows – Live can acquire a free Steamworks copy of the base game and purchase the new Gold Edition content.{{cite web|url=http://steamcommunity.com/games/21690/announcements/detail/177104635479866959 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426003308/http://steamcommunity.com/games/21690/announcements/detail/177104635479866959 |archive-date=26 April 2016 |url-status=live |title="Gold Edition" Content Now Available on Steam! |date=26 March 2015 |work=Steam |access-date=1 April 2015}} The Steamworks version did not allow the use of Nvidia's 3D Vision technology or fan modifications, though Capcom later confirmed a way to work around these issues.{{cite web|url=http://steamcommunity.com/app/21690/discussions/0/618458030682937808 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160517024833/http://steamcommunity.com/app/21690/discussions/0/618458030682937808 |archive-date=17 May 2016 |url-status=live |title=Original GFWL version available in beta branch |date=10 April 2015 |work=Steam |author=Bacon, William |access-date=April 18, 2016}} In 2023, an update was released for the Windows version that removed Games for Windows – Live, thus restoring the split screen co-op feature to the game.{{cite web |last1=Stanton |first1=Rich |title=14 years later Resident Evil 5 finally removes Games for Windows Live and restores splitscreen |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/14-years-later-resident-evil-5-finally-removes-games-for-windows-live-and-restores-splitscreen/ |website=PC Gamer |publisher=Future plc |access-date=28 February 2023 |date=28 February 2023}}

{{Video game reviews

| MC = PS3: 84/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/resident-evil-5/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |title=Resident Evil 5 for PlayStation 3 Reviews |work=Metacritic |access-date=6 January 2015}}
X360: 83/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/resident-evil-5/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |title=Resident Evil 5 for Xbox 360 Reviews |work=Metacritic |access-date=6 January 2015}}
PC: 86/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/resident-evil-5/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Resident Evil 5 for PC Reviews |work=Metacritic |access-date=6 January 2015}}
PS4: 69/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/resident-evil-5/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-4 |title=Resident Evil 5 for PlayStation 4 Reviews |work=Metacritic |access-date=29 June 2020}}
XONE: 75/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/resident-evil-5/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-one |title=Resident Evil 5 for Xbox One Reviews |work=Metacritic |access-date=29 June 2020}}
NS: 72/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/resident-evil-5/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch |title=Resident Evil 5 for Switch Reviews |work=Metacritic |access-date=29 June 2020}}

| 1UP = B

| Edge = 7/10

| IGN = 9.0/10

|EuroG = 7/10

| GI = 9.5/10

| GameRev = B+{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/resident-evil-5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151012045937/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/resident-evil-5 |archive-date=12 October 2015 |url-status=live |title=Resident Evil 5 Review |last=Hudak |first=Chris |date=13 March 2009 |work=Game Revolution |access-date=17 February 2015}}

| GSpot = 8.5/10{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415232354/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/resident-evil-5-review/1900-6206138 |archive-date=15 April 2015 |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/resident-evil-5-review/1900-6206138/ |title=Resident Evil 5 Review |access-date=6 January 2015 |date=13 March 2009 |last=Anderson |first=Lark |work=GameSpot}}

| OXM = 9/10

}}

Resident Evil 5 received generally favourable reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Reviewers praised the game's visuals and content. Corey Cohen of Official Xbox Magazine complimented the game's fast pace, and called the graphics gorgeous.{{cite magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724230851/http://www.oxmonline.com/article/reviews/xbox-360/m-r/resident-evil-5 |url=http://www.oxmonline.com/article/reviews/xbox-360/m-r/resident-evil-5|title=Resident Evil 5 OXM|last=Cohen|first=Corey|magazine=Official Xbox Magazine|page=4|access-date=6 January 2015 |archive-date=24 July 2011|date=13 March 2009}} It was praised by Joe Juba and Matt Miller of Game Informer, who said that it had the best graphics of any game to date and that the music and voice acting helped bring the characters to life,{{cite magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090316171041/http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/09351DB2-7BD0-455D-A0A5-BDF0D27963EE.htm|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/09351DB2-7BD0-455D-A0A5-BDF0D27963EE.htm|title=Resident Evil 5: You Are Not Alone|access-date=6 January 2015 |archive-date=16 March 2009 | author=Joe Juba & Mark Miller |date=April 2009 |url-status=dead|magazine=Game Informer}} and Brian Crecente of Kotaku said it was one of the most visually stunning games he had ever played. Adam Sessler of X-Play said the game's graphics were exceptional,{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150130194012/http://www.g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/32525/resident-evil-5/review/ |archive-date=30 January 2015 |url=http://www.g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/32525/resident-evil-5/review/|title=Resident Evil 5 Review|last=Sessler|first=Adam |author-link=Adam Sessler| work=G4|page=1|access-date=6 January 2015}} and Edge praised the gameplay as exhilarating and frantic.{{cite magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527151857/http://www.edge-online.com/reviews/review-resident-evil-5 |url=http://www.edge-online.com/reviews/review-resident-evil-5 |title=Review: Resident Evil 5 |magazine=Edge|date=13 March 2009 |archive-date=27 May 2012 |access-date=6 January 2015}} For IGN, Ryan Geddes wrote that the game had a surprisingly high replay value,{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627045942/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/09/resident-evil-5-collectors-edition-review |archive-date= 27 June 2015 |url=http://ign.com/articles/2009/03/09/resident-evil-5-collectors-edition-review|title=Resident Evil 5 Review|last=Ryan|first=Geddes|date=6 March 2009|work=IGN|page=4|access-date=6 January 2015}} and GameZone{{'s}} Louis Bedigian said the game was "worth playing through twice in one weekend".{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100322220023/http://xbox360.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r27383.htm |url=http://xbox360.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r27383.htm |title=Resident Evil 5 Review |work=GameZone |date=13 March 2009 |access-date=6 January 2015 |archive-date=22 March 2010}}

While still giving favorable reviews of the game, several reviewers considered it to be a departure from the survival horror genre, a decision they lamented. Chris Hudak of GameRevolution considered the game to be a "full-on action blockbuster", and Brian Crecente said that about halfway through the game it "dropp[ed] all pretense of being a survival horror title and unmask[ed] itself as an action shooter title".{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5168661/resident-evil-5-review-a-mutation-of-fun |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150216121224/http://kotaku.com/5168661/resident-evil-5-review-a-mutation-of-fun |archive-date=16 February 2015 |url-status=live |title=Resident Evil 5 Review: A Mutation of Fun |last=Crecente |first=Brian |author-link=Brian Crecente |date=3 December 2009 |work=Kotaku |access-date=16 February 2015}} Kristan Reed of Eurogamer said the game "morphs what was a survival horror adventure into a survival horror shooter", and believed that this attempt to appeal to action gamers would upset some of the series' fans.

Aspects of the game's control scheme were viewed negatively by critics. James Mielke of 1UP.com criticized several inconsistencies in the game, such as only being able to take cover from enemy fire in very specific areas. Mielke also criticized its controls, saying that aiming was too slow and noting the inability to strafe away from (or quickly jump back from) enemies. Despite the problems he found it was "still a very fun game".{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3173233 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717151110/http://www.1up.com/reviews/resident-evil-5 |archive-date=17 July 2012 |url-status=dead |title=Resident Evil 5 Review |work=1UP.com|access-date=6 January 2015 |date=12 March 2008 |last=Mielke |first=James}} Kristan Reed also had criticism of some controls, such as the speed at which 180-degree turns were performed and difficulty accessing inventory.{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/resident-evil-5-review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175359/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/resident-evil-5-review |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=live |title=Eurogamer Resident Evil 5 review |last=Reed |first=Kristan |work=Eurogamer|date=9 March 2009 |access-date=6 January 2015}} Joe Juba said that the inability to move and shoot at the same time seemed more "like a cheap and artificial way to increase difficulty than a technique to enhance tension." While praising some aspects of the AI control of Sheva, Ryan Geddes thought that it also had its annoyances, such as its tendency to recklessly expend ammunition and health supplies.

Reception of the downloadable content was favorable. Steven Hopper of GameZone rated the "Lost in Nightmares" DLC eight out of ten, saying that despite the episode's brevity it had high replay value and the addition of new multiplayer elements made it a "worthy investment for fans of the original game."{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100227083406/http://xbox360.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r39892.htm |url=http://xbox360.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r39892.htm |title=Resident Evil 5: Lost in Nightmares Review |work=GameZone |date=17 February 2010 |access-date=6 January 2015 |archive-date=27 February 2010}} Samuel Claiborn of IGN rated the "Desperate Escape" DLC seven out of ten: "Despite Desperate Escape's well-crafted action sequences, I actually found myself missing the unique vibe of Lost in Nightmares. The dynamic between Jill and Josh isn't particularly thrilling, and the one-liners, banter and endearing kitsch are kept to a minimum."{{cite web|url=http://au.ign.com/articles/2010/03/09/resident-evil-5-desperate-escape-review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924093159/http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/03/09/resident-evil-5-desperate-escape-review |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=live |title=Resident Evil 5: Desperate Escape Review |last=Claiborn |first=Samuel |date=9 March 2010 |work=IGN|access-date=23 February 2015}}

Resident Evil 5{{'}}s 2007 E3 trailer was criticized for depicting a white protagonist killing black enemies in a small African village. According to Newsweek editor N'Gai Croal, "There was a lot of imagery in that trailer that dovetailed with classic racist imagery", although he acknowledged that only the preview had been released.{{cite web|last=Godinez |first=Victor |title=Zombies in 'Resident Evil 5' become issue of race |publisher=Dallas Morning News |date=12 April 2008 |url=http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2008/04/12/3383056.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224030013/http://www.nfvzone.com/news/2008/04/12/3383056.htm |archive-date=24 February 2016 |url-status=live |access-date=6 January 2015}}{{cite magazine | last = Snow | first = Blake | title = Capcom confirms Africa setting for Resident Evil 5 | magazine =GamePro | date = April 17, 2008 | url = http://www.gamepro.com/news.cfm?article_id=175988 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412231259/http://www.gamepro.com/news.cfm?article_id=175988|access-date=6 January 2015 |archive-date=12 April 2008}} Takeuchi said the game's producers were completely surprised by the complaints. The second trailer for the game, released on May 31, 2008, revealed a more racially diverse group of enemies and the African BSAA agent Sheva,{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/no-changes-made-after-resi-race-row |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303191241/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/no-changes-made-after-resi-race-row |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=live |title="No changes" made after Resi race row |author=Johnny Minkley |work=Eurogamer |date=13 February 2009 |access-date=6 January 2015}} who assists the protagonist.{{cite web|title=Resident Evil 5 Update |date=9 July 2008 |work=IGN|url=http://ign.com/articles/2008/07/09/resident-evil-5-update-2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306021803/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/07/09/resident-evil-5-update-2 |archive-date=6 March 2016 |url-status=live |access-date=6 January 2015}} Critics felt that Sheva's character was added to address the issue of racism, though Karen Dyer said the character had been in development before the first trailer was released. Takeuchi denied that complaints about racism had any effect in altering the design of Resident Evil 5.{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5012678/resident-evil-5-not-redesigned-after-race-criticism-says-producer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012195430/http://kotaku.com/5012678/resident-evil-5-not-redesigned-after-race-criticism-says-producer |archive-date=12 October 2016 |url-status=live |title=Resident Evil 5 Not Redesigned After Race Criticism, Says Producer |last1=McWhertor |first1=Michael |date=3 June 2008 |work=Kotaku |access-date=6 January 2015}} He acknowledged that different cultures may have had differing opinions about the trailer,{{cite web |first=Stephen |last=Totilo |title='Resident Evil 5′ Producer Comments On Horror, Chainsaw Ownership And Whether Black People Worked On His Game |date=21 July 2008 |work=MTV|url=http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/07/21/resident-evil-5-producer-comments/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160516141401/http://www.mtv.com/news/2457353/resident-evil-5-producer-comments/ |archive-date=16 May 2016 |url-status=dead |access-date=6 January 2015}}{{cite web |first=Ure |last=Paul |title=Resident Evil 5 Racism Talk Surprises Capcom |date=24 July 2008 |work=ActionTrip |url=http://www.actiontrip.com/news/resident-evil-5-racism-talk-surprises-capcom/072408_3 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717115014/http://www.actiontrip.com/news/resident-evil-5-racism-talk-surprises-capcom/072408_3 |archive-date=17 July 2012 |url-status=usurped |access-date=6 January 2015}} though said he did not expect there to be further complaints once the game was released and people were "able to play the game and see what it is for themselves".{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2458833/four-million-demo-downloads-later-resident-evil-5-producer-talks/ |title=Four Million Demo downloads Later, 'Resident Evil 5' Producer DiscussesFeedback |last=Totilo |first=Stephen |date=23 February 2009 |work=MTV |access-date=1 April 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170401000718/http://www.mtv.com/news/2458833/four-million-demo-downloads-later-resident-evil-5-producer-talks/ |archive-date=1 April 2017 |url-status=dead}} In a Computer and Video Games interview, producer Masachika Kawata also addressed the issue: "We can't please everyone. We're in the entertainment business—we're not here to state our political opinion or anything like that. It's unfortunate that some people felt that way."{{cite web | first=Michael | last=Gapper | title=Capcom's Masachika Kawata on co-op, controls, Shinji Mikami and BioShock | date=23 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207063427/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/200059/interviews/resident-evil-5/ |archive-date=7 February 2015 | url =http://www.computerandvideogames.com/200059/interviews/resident-evil-5/ | work =Computer and Video Games | access-date =6 January 2015 |url-status=dead}}

In Eurogamer{{'s}} February 2009 preview of Resident Evil 5, Dan Whitehead expressed concern it might become a video game controversy, stating: "It plays so blatantly into the old clichés of the dangerous 'dark continent' and the primitive lust of its inhabitants that you'd swear the game was written in the 1920s". Whitehead said that these issues became more "outrageous and outdated" as the game progressed and that the addition of the "light-skinned" Sheva just made the overall issue worse.{{cite web|first=Dan |last=Whitehead |title=Resident Evil 5 |date=5 February 2009 |work=Eurogamer |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/resident-evil-5-hands-on-chapter1to3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203100351/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/resident-evil-5-hands-on-chapter1to3 |archive-date=3 December 2016 |url-status=live |access-date=6 January 2015}} Hilary Goldstein from IGN believed that the game was not deliberately racist, and though he did not personally find it offensive, he felt that others would due to the subjective nature of offensiveness.{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/10/editorial-is-resident-evil-5-racist |title=Editorial: Is Resident evil 5 Racist? |last=Goldstein |first=Hilary |date=10 February 2009 |work=IGN|access-date=31 March 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170331001936/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/10/editorial-is-resident-evil-5-racist |archive-date=31 March 2017 |url-status=live}} Chris Hudak dismissed any allegations of racism as "stupid". Karen Dyer, who is of Jamaican descent, also dismissed the claims. She said that in over a year of working on the game's development she never encountered anything racially insensitive, and would not have continued working there if she had.

Wesley Yin-Poole of VideoGamer.com said that despite the controversy the game was attracting due to alleged racism, no expert opinion had been sought. He asked Glenn Bowman, senior lecturer in social anthropology at the University of Kent, whether he thought the game was racist. Bowman considered the racism accusations "silly", saying that the game had an anti-colonial theme and those complaining about the game's racism might be expressing an "inverted racism which says that you can't have scary people who are black".{{cite web|first=Wesley |last=Yin-Poole |title= Expert delivers verdict on Resi 5 racism row |date=6 March 2009 |work=VideoGamer.com |url=http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/resident_evil_5/news/exclusive_expert_delivers_verdict_on_resi_5_racism_row.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161207011531/https://www.videogamer.com/news/exclusive-expert-delivers-verdict-on-resi-5-racism-row |archive-date=7 December 2016 |url-status=live |access-date=6 January 2015}} It was reported that one cutscene in the game scene showed "black men" dragging off a screaming white woman; according to Yin-Poole, the allegation was incorrect and the single man dragging the woman was "not obviously black". The scene was submitted to the British Board of Film Classification for evaluation. BBFC head of communications Sue Clark said, "There is only one man pulling the blonde woman in from the balcony [and he] is not black either. As the whole game is set in Africa it is hardly surprising that some of the characters are black ... we do take racism very seriously, but in this case, there is no issue around racism."{{cite web | title= BBFC Rubbishes Resident Evil 5 Racism claims| date=24 September 2009| work=Kikizo

| url =http://archive.videogamesdaily.com/news/200902/bbfc-rubishes-resident-evil-5-racism-claims.asp | access-date =6 January 2015}}{{cite web |first=Tracey |last=John |title=British Rating Board Deems 'Resident Evil 5′ Scene Not Racist |date=24 February 2009 |work=MTV|url=http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2009/03/02/british-rating-board-deems-resident-evil-5-scene-not-racist/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130111406/http://www.mtv.com/news/2458894/british-rating-board-deems-resident-evil-5-scene-not-racist/ |archive-date=30 January 2016 |url-status=dead |access-date=6 January 2015}}

Writing for The Philosophy of Computer Games Conference in 2015, Harrer and Pichlmair considered Resident Evil 5 to be "yet another moment in the history of commodity racism, which from the late 19th century onwards allowed popular depictions of racial stereotypes to enter the most intimate spaces of European homes". The authors state that Africa is presented from a Western gaze; "what is presented as 'authentic' blackness conforms to the projected fantasy of predominantly white gaming audience".{{cite web |last1=Harrer |first1=Sibene |last2=Martine |first2=Pichlmair |year=2015 |title=Black Skin White Guns – Becoming Colonizer in Resident Evil 5 |url=https://pure.itu.dk/ws/files/80594879/HarrerPichlmair_PCG15.pdf |work=The Philosophy of Computer Games Conference |access-date=October 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20171021232510/https://pure.itu.dk/ws/files/80594879/HarrerPichlmair_PCG15.pdf |archive-date=October 21, 2017 |url-status=live}} In 2016, Paul Martin from Games and Culture said that the theme of the game could be described as "dark continent", stating it drew on imagery of European colonialism and depictions of "Blackness" reminiscent of 19th-century European theories on race.{{cite journal |last=Martin |first=Paul |year=2016 |title=Race, Colonial History and National Identity: Resident Evil 5 as a Japanese Game |journal=Games and Culture |volume=13 |issue=6 |issn=1555-4120 |doi=10.1177/1555412016631648 |page=7 |s2cid=147016727 |url=http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48877/1/3RaceColonialHistoryAndNationalIdentityResidentEvil5AsAJapaneseGame.pdf |access-date=2019-07-08 |archive-date=2018-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719172749/http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48877/1/3RaceColonialHistoryAndNationalIdentityResidentEvil5AsAJapaneseGame.pdf |url-status=dead }}

The PlayStation 3 version of Resident Evil 5 was the top-selling game in Japan in the two weeks following its release, with 319,590 units sold.{{cite web|author=Tanaka, John |date=13 March 2009 |title=Resident Evil 5 Tops Japan |url=http://ign.com/articles/2009/03/13/resident-evil-5-tops-japan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094757/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/13/resident-evil-5-tops-japan |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live |work=IGN|access-date=6 January 2015}} In March 2009, it became the fastest-selling game of the franchise in the United Kingdom, and the biggest Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game release in the country.{{cite web|author=Jenkins, David |date=17 March 2009 |title=UK Charts: Resident Evil 5 Breaks Records For Capcom |url=http://gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22757 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924140852/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22757 |archive-date=24 September 2016 |url-status=dead |work=Gamasutra |access-date=6 January 2015}} By December 2024, Resident Evil 5 had sold 9.5 million units worldwide on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 with its original release. The Gold Edition had sold an additional 2.4 million units on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions sold another 3.4 million units combined, bringing the total sales to 15.3 million units.{{Cite web |date=28 November 2023 |title=Platinum Titles |url=https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/business/million.html#tab6 |website=www.capcom.co.jp |language=en-US}}

The original release of Resident Evil 5 was Capcom's best-selling individual edition of a game until March 2018, when Monster Hunter: World{{'}}s sales reached 7.5 million units, compared to 7.3 million for Resident Evil 5 at the time.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/monster-hunter-world-becomes-capcoms-best-selling-/1100-6457160/ |title=Monster Hunter World Becomes Capcom's Best-Selling Game Ever (Sort Of) |last=Pereira |first=Chris |date=7 March 2018 |work=GameSpot |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181206113228/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/monster-hunter-world-becomes-capcoms-best-selling-/1100-6457160/ |archive-date=6 December 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=6 December 2018 }} It was still the best-selling title in the Resident Evil franchise as of 2018,{{cite web |url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/2018/04/06/resident-evil-7-biohazard-fourt-best-selling-game-in-series/ |title=Resident Evil 7 Is Now the 4th Best-Selling Game in the Series |last=Fischer |first=Tyler |date=April 6, 2018 |work=ComicBook |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206114255/https://comicbook.com/gaming/2018/04/06/resident-evil-7-biohazard-fourt-best-selling-game-in-series/ |archive-date=December 6, 2018 |url-status=live}} and remains so as of December 2024 when not including remakes; the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 has sold 15 million copies, and the original 1998 release sold 4.96 million.

Resident Evil 5 won the "Award of Excellence" at the 2009 Japan Game Awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/news/html/e090928.html |title="Resident Evil 5" Wins Award for Excellence ... at Japan Game Awards |date=28 September 2009 |work=Capcom |access-date=31 March 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170331071006/http://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/news/html/e090928.html |archive-date=31 March 2017 |url-status=dead}} It was nominated for both Best Action/Adventure Game and Best Console Game at the 2008 Game Critics Awards,{{cite web|url=http://gamecriticsawards.com/2008nominees.html |title=2008 Nominees |work=Game Critics Awards |access-date=31 March 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170331071534/http://gamecriticsawards.com/2008nominees.html |archive-date=31 March 2017 |url-status=live}} Best Action Game at the 2009 IGN Game of the Year Awards,{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215125507/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/12/12/ign-2009-game-of-the-year-award-nominees?page=3 |archive-date=15 February 2015 |url=http://ign.com/articles/2009/12/12/ign-2009-game-of-the-year-award-nominees?page=3 |title=IGN 2009 Game of the Year Award Nominees |date=11 December 2009 |work=IGN|access-date=15 February 2015}} and Best Sound Editing in Computer Entertainment at the 2010 Golden Reel Awards.{{cite web|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/awards/2010/01/golden-reel-award-nominees-announced.html%20 |title=Golden Reel Award nominees announced |date=22 January 2010 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=31 March 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170331122156/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/awards/2010/01/golden-reel-award-nominees-announced.html%20 |archive-date=31 March 2017 |url-status=live}} It received five nominations at the 2010 Game Audio Network Guild Awards: Audio of the Year, Best Cinematic/Cut-Scene Audio, Best Dialogue, Best Original Vocal Song – Pop (for the theme song "Pray") and Best Use of Multi-Channel Surround in a Game.{{cite web|url=http://www.audiogang.org/awards/2010-awards/ |title=2010 Awards |work=Game Audio Network Guild |access-date=31 March 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140907232402/http://www.audiogang.org/awards/2010-awards/ |archive-date=7 September 2014 |url-status=live}} Karen Dyer's portrayal of Sheva Alomar was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance at the 13th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, while the game itself garnered a nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction.{{cite web|url=http://www.interactive.org/games/game_publisher_details.asp?idAward=2010&idGamePublisher=32 |title=Capcom 2010 Award Results |work=Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences |access-date=31 March 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170331121751/http://www.interactive.org/games/game_publisher_details.asp?idAward=2010&idGamePublisher=32 |archive-date=31 March 2017 |url-status=live}}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |last=Nicholson |first=Zy |year=2009 |title=Resident Evil 5: The Complete Official Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2cirPQAACAAJ |publisher=Piggyback |location=London |isbn=978-1906064419 }}

{{Wikiquote}}

• {{official website|http://www.residentevil.com/5/}}

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