The Most Racist Resident Evil Game Can't Be Remade in 2026

Resident Evil 5 has gained somewhat of a bad reputation thanks to its portrayal of West African tribes. On its 17th birthday, let's take a look back at the much-maligned entry in Capcom’s iconic survival horror series.

When it was originally released, I can distinctly remember it getting a mixed reception. It received good reviews, and my Resident Evil fans couldn't get enough of it, but at the same time, it was widely criticised for being too action-oriented and a heavy departure from its survival horror roots of the 90s. The trailer just brings back all those memories.

The majority of the Resident Evil 5 campaign is set outside and during the day, taking away much of the spooky vibes a moonlit night could bring. There were snippets of the old-school horror and what Resident Evil 5 could have been with its Lost in Nightmares DLC. But if you were going into the main campaign of Resident Evil 5 hoping to get horror vibes, suspense and over-the-top gore, the chances are that you would be disappointed. The campaign of Resident Evil 5 was also playable co-op from start to finish with the returning and boulder-punching Chris Redfield, no longer a S.T.A.R.S member but now a member of the BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance), alongside his new partner, Sheva Alomar.

Playing a horror game co-op in itself takes away a lot of horror, in comparison to being isolated. This aspect was one of the many criticisms of Dead Space 3 that focused on action over horror with its co-op campaign. That being said, despite lacking any real horror and tension, and featuring a boulder-punching Chris Redfield, Resident Evil 5 still provided some of the most fun I’ve had with this iconic Capcom series. Oh, and might I add, it also has the best The Mercenaries mode to date.

Resident Evil 5, Capcom

Resident Evil 5 Was a Fun Action Game, but Not so Much Horror

In fairness to Capcom, as much as old-school Resident Evil fans would love to have seen classic survival horror, following the massive success that was Resident Evil 4 in 2005, an incredibly action-packed and fun game itself, Capcom was always destined to follow its blueprint going into Resident Evil 5. In many ways, despite Resident Evil 4 being one of the best video games of all time, it would also be the catalyst of the series' downfall, which wavered from its survival horror roots into something more akin to a Michael Bay action movie. This identity crisis would take over a decade to recover until the arrival of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard in 2017.

How was Resident Evil 5 Unintentionally Racist?

Then there are the infinitely more problematic elements around Resident Evil 5 and its approach to race, something that I was blissfully ignorant of in 2009. Resident Evil 5 is set in West Africa, now plagued by a new form of zombie, infected by Uroboros rather than the classic T-Virus. The upshot is a game in which Capcom presents the majority of infected through the lens of the tribal, grass skirt and mask-wearing stereotype perceived by 19th and 20th-century Europeans and Americans. This, of course, is not an accurate or particularly enlightened portrayal. It wasn’t in 2009, and it certainly isn’t in 2024.

This is despite much of Western Africa, such as the cities Accra (Ghana), Abjua and Lagos (Nigeria) and Dakar (Senegal) being beautiful and developed places, long before the development of Resident Evil 5.

Frankly, it would have been far more interesting - and scary - to see the game’s infection ravage these once-thriving areas, instead of presenting us with a patronising and heavy-handed view of Africa. It's undeniable.

Resident Evil 5, Capcom

Can Resident Evil 5 Be Remade and Maintain Artistic Intent?

The question of whether Resident Evil 5 could, or even should, be remade today isn't just about the mechanics. Capcom walked into this cultural debate with its eyes largely shut. When we look at the racist depictions often centre on intent. There is a palpable sense that the development team, largely based in Japan, simply didn't foresee how their aesthetic choices would translate through a Western lens. To them, the tribal masks and grass skirts were likely just "goofy" horror tropes.

But does a lack of intentional offence negate the impact? Not necessarily. However, it does provide a roadmap for how a remake could actually succeed. If Capcom were to change a few graphical details—swapping out the culturally insensitive "tribal" aesthetics for something more grounded in the amazing lore and mythology of West Africa—would it ruin the artist's intent? The enemies would still function the same, the tension would still exist, and the mechanical "core" of the game would remain intact. In fact, by moving away from the "darkest Africa" tropes, the game might actually become scarier. There is something far more unsettling about a thriving, modern metropolis like Lagos or Dakar being silent and blood-soaked than there is in a stereotyped village that feels disconnected from reality.

Interestingly, the pre-release backlash in 2008 actually improved the original game. The inclusion of Sheva Alomar as a co-op partner and the diversification of the infected in the early stages were direct responses to early criticism. Many fans, myself included, found the co-op to be the game’s saving grace. Playing as Sheva offered a different perspective on the carnage, and it’s a testament to the idea that addressing "sensitivity" doesn't have to result in a watered-down product - it can result in a more balanced one.

If Capcom chooses this direction, not only will it likely please fans new and old who have a taste for horror, but it will also help keep things fresh for those who have already played the original Resident Evil 5 to death, which could mean the exclusion of any boulder punching. How will Capcom achieve this new balance of perspective? Well, that’s for the talented folk at Capcom to figure out. Double down on "historical accuracy" to their 2009 vision or evolve?

Resident Evil 5, Capcom

A Resident Evil 5 Remake Could Be a Very Different Game

I suspect we’ll see a shift similar to the Resident Evil 4 remake. In that title, certain campy elements were traded for a "prestige horror" vibe. For Resident Evil 5, this could mean transforming those giant, headdress-wearing enemies into more clearly defined, armoured bioweapons - creations of Umbrella or Tricell that look like science gone wrong rather than a culture gone "savage." Either way, a potential remake of Resident Evil 5 would be quite the undertaking, which could result in a very different game from 2008, for better or worse.

Ultimately, a responsible, reasonable adult can play the original Resident Evil 5 today and recognise where Capcom dropped the ball without needing a moral lecture. We can cringe at the "boulder-punching" absurdity and the cultural tone-deafness while still enjoying the tightest Mercenaries mode ever created. But if a remake is meant to bring this story to a new generation, the "nuance" lies in realisation: you don't lose the essence of Resident Evil by treating your setting with a bit more respect. You just make a better game.

By the time we see Chris and Sheva again, I hope the conversation is centred on how Capcom managed to turn a controversial action flick into a haunting, modern survival horror masterpiece. The "tribal" skirts aren't vital to the soul of the game; the dread of the Uroboros virus is.

Of course, the arrival of the potential Resident Evil 5 remake would likely be years away at this point, at least after the rumoured Resident Evil Code: Veronica remake, so it gives Capcom plenty of time to decide how it might be approached.

That being said, when that time does arrive, I hope we’re talking about how much of a great horror game it is and less about its controversy.