You might not have given much thought to Resident Evil 5 in a while, but evidently Capcom has – and the result is a small patch to the Steam version of the campy series entry, which eliminates support for the defunct Games for Windows Live and, as a bonus, restores the default split-screen feature to the PC version.
If you’re not in the know, Games for Windows Live was integral to Microsoft’s venture to join PC games to its servers. The service was unveiled in 2007, but was unfortunately not as popular as expected, and was shuttered in 2014. These days, it’s notorious for causing compatibility and performance issues in games from that era–like the original Dark Souls for example–which has compelled developers to launch patches for older games to rectify the problem. It appears that Capcom took 14 years to finally address this, but for any game with GFWL issues, it’s recommended to look up the PCGamingWiki for any enthusiast-generated solutions.
The landmark Resident Evil 4 may soon receive a full remake, but Resident Evil 5 is arguably remembered for marking the beginning of the series’ dark era, one which culminated in the near-universally reviled RE6. Criticized at its release for its potentially racist portrayal of African people, the game is also notable for its wildly campy final sequence, in which Chris Redfield punches a boulder, a moment that remains memorable among fans.
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