Following the success of 2023's Resident Evil 4 remake and the ongoing popularity of the series as a whole, speculation surrounding its sequel possibly receiving the same treatment has gradually built. As the series' nostalgia slowly runs dry, however, a Resident Evil 5 remake would be the first of the later, more action-oriented titles to be reimagined for newer generations. While its age alone is already enough justification for revisiting the title, there is also at least one section of Resident Evil 5 that might specifically benefit from a major design change.
The character arc of Jill Valentine in Resident Evil 5 has often been regarded as one of the most poorly received in the entire IP's history, as it saw her embodying many tired tropes as a mind-controlled puppet of Albert Wesker who needed to be saved. Despite her recovering from this dark period years ago, it casts a dark shadow over her legacy from a story and gameplay perspective alike. If a remake brings this part of her story to the forefront once again, it should at least do justice to what is widely seen as a lackluster battle against her in the original.
Resident Evil Franchise Boss Tier List
With over eight mainline entries behind it, the Resident Evil series has amassed a catalog of boss battles which vary wildly in their quality.
The Brainwashed Jill Valentine Boss Fight in Resident Evil 5 Can Feel Like a Franchise Low Point
Experimental Design Can Make the End of Chapter 5-3 Frustrating or Trivially Easy
The culmination of the twist that Jill has become an antagonist is an odd duo battle that sees Resident Evil villain Albert Wesker as the primary target over her is a unique combat scenario that remains one of Capcom's most creative, but it works better on a conceptual level than in terms of execution. The first section involves either dodging the pair for seven minutes or somehow inflicting enough damage to Wesker to prematurely trigger the second phase, which is entirely centered around non-lethally apprehending Jill.
The player has to carefully shoot at the P50 device on her chest and execute a QTE to free her from mind control, running the risk of accidentally killing her and failing.
Understanding the specific conditions of this boss battle can already take several attempts, but actually managing to land enough shots on Jill's device is a tricky instance of the game essentially abandoning the tension of its survival horror side. The only other alternative is to repeatedly attempt to tear the P50 off Jill Valentine in Resident Evil 5, with the coordination required for that strategy highlighting what is likely to be one of the biggest challenges in developing a worthy remake.
The Encounter With Wesker and Jill Would Practically Require an Overhaul in a Resident Evil 5 Remake
Testing the Limits of RE5's Co-Op Focus
It's billed upfront as a mainline Resident Evil game built around cooperative play featuring dual protagonists Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar, but RE5 is also intended to be played entirely solo with an AI partner. This notion holds up for the majority of the game, and yet the part during Jill's boss battle that sees the pair working together to restrain her benefits from two players working together in particular.
The RE4 Remake Set a Precedent for Moving Past QTEs
For a moment as climactic as saving an original cast member from a fate worse than death, the sequence of removing the device from Jill can feel like a ridiculous instance of 2000s video game tropes coming together. Now that the fight against Jack Krauser in the Resident Evil 4 remake has shown what a QTE-heavy segment can be elevated into if it's more tied to the core mechanics of the title's combat over flashy gimmicks, a future reimagining of RE5 may make this boss fight more cinematic and engaging than ever.
Resident Evil 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
- Released
- March 24, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Engine
- RE Engine
- Franchise
- Resident Evil
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- How Long To Beat
- 16 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
