Resident Evil 5 - Day 2

Ok, so last night I endeavored to continue my Resident Evil 5 adventure and now feel pretty embarrassed by my remarks from yesterday. Dark Avenger, my partner from the previous night was not around to join me this time so I started the game with a computer controlled Sheva at my side. In the course of a few minutes I had a Join Game request and rather than start back at the beginning of the level, I continued knowing that this online partner could join at the next checkpoint, which is indeed what they did.

It was odd at first to be playing with a new partner. I felt the same rush of accountability - I needed to be a good shot, share spoils, etc. I did all this as we ventured through the marshland visiting various tribal villages by air-boat. My partner was also very good at managing inventory, making sure to call me over to be healed so that Sheva could replace a green herb in her inventory. Also using the limited commands - "go!", "c'mon", "wait", - my clearly more experienced partner guided me through some of the treacherous action that befell us. Then at the end of the level, my partner left the game. Had I been a crummy Chris Redfield or did the player just have to go? I'll never know...

I continued playing with computer-controlled Sheva and actually realized that I actually prefer the game this way. After all my blathering about the sense of duty I felt playing on a two-person team, I found out that I'd been missing the chance to explore the game at my own pace because I was rushing to keep up with my cohort. I guess I am rethinking the sense of chivalry I had experienced first playing RE5 with someone else and now realize that it's not as noble as I'd originally imagined. People drop in and out of games for whatever reason - the other player sucks, time for dinner, bored with this level, anything. Online co-op adds replay value to this game for me but I think I am going to go it alone until at least finishing the game once.