Is Resident Evil 5 or 6 The Superior Game? A Hardcore Fan‘s In-Depth Analysis

As a passionate gamer and Resident Evil superfan since the early days, I get asked this question a lot – which is better between Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6? As someone who has played through both games multiple times across different platforms, I‘m going to dig into the nitty gritty details across various factors to give you the hardcore fan perspective. Buckle up survival horror fans, this is going to get intense!

The Superior Gameplay and Controls

First up, let‘s talk about gameplay and controls – a huge point of differentiation between these two titles.

RE6 made big strides improving the mechanics of movement, shooting, melee, and controls from previous installments. The transitions between actions are faster and smoother, weapons handle better, and you have more offensive and defensive options during combat. It modernized the Resident Evil formula substantially in the gameplay department.

However, despite these improvements, RE5 still delivers the superior overall gameplay experience. Why? Because RE6 drifted too far into becoming a full-blown third-person action shooter, sacrificing the methodical horror vibe.

In RE5, you still have to conserve ammo, pick your shots carefully, and often resort to melee attacks against the zombie hordes. It retains the survival tension from classic RE games. RE6 goes totally gung-ho with machine gun wielding Ganados and over-the-top set pieces like helicopter chases. The action goes into overdrive and it loses the inherent RE flavor.

So for purists like myself, RE5 strikes the right balance – it has modernized controls and combat from the early RE titles but keeps the survival horror feel. RE6 goes full throttle on action even with its improved mechanics.

Co-Op Implementation

Another key differentiator is the co-op implementation. Both RE5 and RE6 allow you to play their campaigns in split-screen or online co-op. However, RE5 does the co-op experience much better in my opinion.

Having Sheva as your partner throughout RE5‘s story campaign works great. The story centers on Chris and Sheva‘s partnership so the co-op aligns narratively. And the game forces you to work together, manage shared inventory, and coordinate attacks on bosses like the terrifying Uroboros.

In RE6, the co-op feels tacked on since the campaigns were designed as single-player experiences. You end up ignoring your co-op partner most of the time or just spamming melee attacks. It takes away tension rather than adding it. And you don‘t get memorable co-op boss battles like RE5.

So co-op execution goes to RE5 for integrating it tightly into the experience rather than just bolting it on like RE6.

Narrative Focus

Another clear advantage RE5 has over RE6 is its narrative focus and scope. RE5 centers clearly on Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine chasing down Albert Wesker and confronting the Uroboros virus threat. The story capably mixes action set-pieces with ominous corporate conspiracies that longtime fans love.

By contrast, RE6‘s story is an utter mess. It‘s overblown with convoluted bioterrorism plots spanning 4 separate campaigns and over 20Hours+ for a full playthrough. Leon‘s campaign starts off strong with gothic monsters and intrigue but then Chris‘s part devolves into excessive military action. And Jake‘s campaign leans into full-on schlock sci-fi territory. It‘s simply not cohesive.

For me, RE5‘s narrative scope keeps things tighter and engaging. RE6 goes way overboard across its 4 campaigns leading to tonal whiplash and confusion.

Critical Reception and Reviews

We can also compare how both games were received critically to gauge which delivered the superior experience.

According to review aggregate site Metacritic, RE5 received a metascore of 84 on Xbox 360 and 83 on PS3. Critics praised its tense action, improved controls, and strong visuals while complaining about its dated mechanics and boss battles.

By comparison, RE6 got lackluster scores of 67 on Xbox 360 and 68 on PS3. Reviewers heavily criticized its muddled story, overly long campaigns, andmoving too far away from survival horror.

So by both critic and fan review standards, RE5 clearly reviewed much stronger than RE6. While not perfect, RE5 offered a solid modernization while still retaining the RE spirit. RE6 failed to find the right balance according to most.

Sales and Revenue

Lastly, we can look at the hard sales numbers and revenue for additional perspective.

RE5 has shipped over 7.2 million copies worldwide as per Capcom‘s data. At its peak price of $60, that translates to $432 million in revenue at minimum.

RE6 has shipped 6.5 million copies, which equates to $390 million in baseline revenue. So RE5 edges out RE6 slightly in total units moved.

Additionally, RE5 had a higher attach rate on Xbox 360 at 4.52 per console compared to RE6‘s 2.76 attach rate. So among hardcore fans, RE5 sold through at a much higher per capita level.

In summary, RE5 performed better commercially especially relative to its install base, hinting that fans saw it as the superior experience.

The Verdict?

So what‘s the final verdict based on my deep analysis of gameplay, narrative, reception, and sales data?

Resident Evil 5 is clearly the superior game in my book. It modernized the RE formula without losing its identity. RE6 went too far into becoming a generic action game despite some technical improvements.

I‘ve loved replaying both over the years. But RE5 is the one I come back to most often. It retains the perfect balance of tense action, methodical pacing, and addictive co-op. RE6 feels like sensory overload – convoluted and losing the series‘ essence.

For hardcore RE fans, RE5 is the winner in this showdown. It‘s the apex of old-school RE modernized for newer consoles. And the perfection capstone to the Chris and Wesker storyline. RE6 is a bloated, over-scoped disappointment in comparison.

So there you have it – my magnum opus analysis on this heated debate. Let me know if you agree or disagree with my verdict! I‘d love to keep debating the finer points of these pivotal RE installments with fellow survival horror devotees.