Resident Evil 5 features similar gameplay to Resident Evil 4, with context-sensitive controls and dynamic cutscenes also making a return.
The player can control Chris Redfield or Sheva Alomar in a similar fashion to Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil 4,[4] with the same over-the-shoulder perspective.[5] The game's environment plays a significant role.[4] The Mercenaries minigame, featured in previous Resident Evil games, is present in Resident Evil 5.[6] At launch, the multiplayer mode in the minigame was offline only, but a launch day patch gave the game online multiplayer modes as well.[7]
The game features new types of enemies called "Majini", meaning evil spirit in Swahili.[8] Furthermore, they are different from the previous Ganados.[4] The number of weapon variations has been greatly increased compared to the previous games in the series; there are now several varieties of the handgun, shotgun, submachine gun, assault rifle and rifle to choose from.[9] Like inventory systems in previous Resident Evil titles Resident Evil Outbreak and Resident Evil Outbreak File 2, the player can only equip weapons and items in the midst of gameplay, as opposed to accessing an inventory menu by pausing the game.
The game features some online elements.[10] Resident Evil 5's main story mode can be played with two players, in a co-operative online mode. The feature will allow players to enter or leave anytime during the game. Players will not always stick together, and can be separated at points during the gameplay.[6] However, if one player were to have critical health, only their partner can resuscitate them. An offline co-op mode is also in the game with the same co-op experience offered by the online co-op mode, only with two local players controlling the action in split screen or by a system link.[11]
