EGM had a chance to get a lengthy hands-on preview with Resident Evil 5 for the Xbox 360. The story originally appeared in their November issue, but out of the kindness of their hearts, the team has put the article, in its entirety, up on the Internet.
So amid all of the clamor and chaos, how do you keep track of your teammate? That's where RE5's streamlined functionality comes into play. While the majority of the default control scheme remains unchanged from RE4's intuitive configuration, a few key adjustments help you keep your eye on your partner--the most important of which is the "locate partner" button. When pressed, a targeting reticule appears on your partner while the camera locks on and pivots toward him or her. If you find yourself in a spot of trouble, the "team-action/call partner" button causes the center circle of your teammate's HUD to flash red while the word "Help!" appears. Of course, it's up to them to actually come to your aid, but the signal's clear. Another useful addition is the overhead-map button, which is especially useful if you're disoriented or racing down an alley. In RE4, you'd have to pause the game in order to bring up navigational options, but RE5's map occupies a relatively minor spot in the upper-right corner of the screen as a transparent overlay, making it a quick-and-easy reference--even in the worst of times.
The article spans three wonderful pages of the crew's impressions of the latest in the survival-horror series.