At first glance, arguing against a remake of Resident Evil 5 but welcoming one for Resident Evil 6 seems backward: the fifth game is older, while the sixth is more sprawling. The distinction is what each game asks players to do. RE5’s Chris-and-Sheva partnership is central to its identity; RE6’s larger mix of campaigns and multiplayer modes leaves more room to rethink how its pieces fit together. That is an argument about design, not a report of Capcom’s plans.
Why a remake would change more than RE5’s visuals
Resident Evil 5 is built around two characters working together. Capcom’s Xbox 360 manual describes Chris and Sheva playing cooperatively in local split-screen or online. Capcom’s series retrospective likewise says online co-op was first added to RE5, before appearing in RE6 and other entries. Capcom’s RE5 manual Capcom’s co-op retrospective
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Resident Evil Requiem Amazon Exclusive Edition - PlayStation 5 | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Resident Evil 5 - PlayStation 4 Standard Edition | $18.94 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Resident Evil 7 biohazard Gold Edition - PlayStation 5 | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Resident Evil 2 - PlayStation 5 | $15.19 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Resident Evil 4 - PS5 | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
That partnership shapes how I read the game: its action is not simply a solo horror campaign with a companion attached, but an experience organized around two people sharing the danger and the resources. A remake that radically altered the partner system could improve individual encounters while weakening what makes RE5 distinct. My preference would be to preserve the cooperative foundation and play rhythm, even if a remake updated presentation or adjusted specific rough edges.
This is not a claim that every part of RE5 is untouchable, or that co-op automatically makes it scarier. It is a judgment about what should remain recognizable. The game’s age alone is not a sufficient reason to rebuild it.
#1 Best Overall
- Amazon Exclusive - 2 sided poster included in every game!
- Grace Ashcroft, an FBI intelligence analyst who is introverted and easily scared, representing a new type of character for the Resident Evil series. Grace will experience horror from the same perspective as the player as she learns to overcome her fears throughout the course of the story.
- For the first time ever in Resident Evil history, players will be able to freely switch between both first- and third-person perspectives throughout the game.
- An Anniversary to Remember: With March 2026 marking the Resident Evil series’ 30-year anniversary, Resident Evil Requiem marks its own milestone in the franchise.
- Pre-orders for Resident Evil Requiem are now open, with the bonus of Grace’s costume: Apocalypse. Please note that the picture weapon does not come with the costume, but it can be obtained in-game.
Why RE6 has more room for a redesign
Resident Evil 6 offers a broader set of multiplayer structures. Capcom’s manual documents co-op in the campaigns, story intersections that can bring up to four players together, and Agent Hunt, where a player can enter another campaign as an enemy. Capcom’s RE6 multiplayer manual Capcom’s RE6 crossover manual
That variety is an intriguing idea, but it also makes the game feel less like one tightly defined experience to me. A remake could reorganize the campaigns, make their connections easier to follow, or decide which multiplayer ideas best serve the main story. Those are possibilities I would welcome, not features Capcom has announced. The point is that RE6’s wider scope offers more room to reconsider structure without removing a single cooperative identity as foundational as Chris and Sheva’s partnership is in RE5.
Rank #2
- Mercenaries mode features 8 playable characters each with different costumes and loadouts to choose from
- Chris Redfield and new playable character Sheva Alomar are tasked with investigating the epidemic
- Two player local and online coop
- All previously released DLC including costumes, game modes, figures and bonus story scenarios
The difference is identity versus scope
| Design axis | Resident Evil 5 | Resident Evil 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Documented co-op structure | Chris and Sheva; local split-screen or online, according to Capcom’s Xbox 360 manual. | Campaign co-op; story intersections can support up to four players, according to Capcom’s manuals. |
| Additional multiplayer structure | Online co-op is a defining documented feature. | Agent Hunt lets a player enter another campaign as an enemy; other campaign multiplayer settings are also documented. |
| What I would protect or rethink | Protect the two-character partnership and its place in the game’s rhythm. | Consider simplifying or reorganizing the broader structure and deciding how its multiplayer modes serve the experience. |
The table’s descriptions of documented features come from Capcom’s manuals; the final row is my opinion. For me, that distinction explains the title’s deliberately uneven verdict: preserve the feature that gives RE5 its particular shape, while treating RE6’s wider design as more open to reinterpretation.
HD releases are not remakes
Capcom’s later console releases should not be confused with remakes. In 2016, Capcom announced an HD release of RE5 for PS4 and Xbox One, naming the combined Mercenaries United mode. Capcom also announced RE6 for those consoles with previously released console multiplayer and Mercenaries content. Those announcements document reissues, not a rebuilt version of either game. Capcom’s RE5 HD release announcement Capcom’s RE6 console release announcement
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteRank #3
- FEAR COMES HOME -- Fear, combat, exploration, and item management: these are the four pillars of survival horror, a genre that has never been more masterfully executed than in the gameplay of Resident Evil. The horror continues in the ground-breaking Resident Evil 7. Step into the new Isolated View and experience true survival horror in a world created by the all-new RE Engine.
- DEEP IN THE BAYOU - When Ethan Winters opened his inbox, the last thing he expected was to find an email from his wife; she had been missing for three years. The message was simple: "Come get me," and an address in Louisiana. This leads Ethan to a decrepit mansion in the heart of the bayou. The place has a seriously creepy vibe, but Ethan continues his search – until a stranger attacks him and knocks him unconscious. Ethan has no idea what awaits him when he wakes up...for he is now in the clutches of the Baker family.
- A NEW PERSPECTIVE -- In RESIDENT EVIL 7, we're changing the way you interact with the world. For this next major entry in the series, play from a first-person point of view, dramatically increasing your ability to become fully absorbed in the world we have created.
- NEW FOR PLAYSTATION5 – Upgraded features new to the PlayStation5 version of the game include a higher frame rate, 3D audio, added ray tracing, and engaging DualSense support for Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers.
Capcom’s January 2012 corporate announcement reported 5.8 million global shipments for RE5 at that time and said the game had gone on sale in March 2009. That is a dated shipment figure, not a current lifetime total, and it says nothing by itself about whether a remake is warranted. Capcom’s January 2012 announcement
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this argument does—and does not—claim
This is a design preference, not a prediction or a claim about what fans broadly want. The manuals establish the games’ documented multiplayer formats; they cannot settle whether a remake would improve either game, or whether a particular online feature remains available on every platform today. Nor do the cited Capcom releases establish a remake plan. The case rests on how I weigh the original games’ identities: RE5’s partnership feels worth preserving, while RE6’s breadth gives a reimagining more opportunity to find a clearer shape.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Reawaken a Classic – Resident Evil 4 preserves the essence of the original game, now reconstructed using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine to deliver realistic visuals and additional narrative depth to the iconic story that was not possible at the time of the original release.
- Modernized Gameplay – The team from 2019’s Resident Evil 2 returns to build upon the series’ modern approach to survival horror. Engage in frenzied combat with the Ganados villagers, explore a European village gripped by madness, and solve puzzles to access new areas and collect useful items for Leon and Ashley’s constant struggle to survive.
- Overwhelming Hordes – Face hordes of rabid enemies that threaten to overwhelm Leon with even more diverse methods of attack than in the original release.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
Rank #4
- TERRIFYING ZOMBIES WAITING AROUND EVERY CORNER -- Driven by insatiable hunger, these creatures act on instinct, gnashing their teeth, ripping at flesh, and devouring their victims. The new immersive camera lets you feel their fangs as they sink into your flesh.
- RACCOON CITY, REBUILT IN INTRICATE DETAIL -- The characters, environments, and story have all been rebuilt from the ground up to create a terrifying world that feels both nostalgic and new.
- NEW FOR PLAYSTATION5 – Upgraded features new to the PlayStation5 version of the game include a higher frame rate, 3D audio, added ray tracing, and engaging DualSense support for Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
