Resident Evil 5 hits stores today Much-awaited action horror game Resident Evil 5 has hit the shops with an aptly-chosen release date - Friday 13.

One of the highest-profile games of the year, Resident Evil 5 combines over the shoulder shoot-em-up action with survival horror, and is available on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It follows in the footsteps of previous installation Resident Evil 4 - which won critical acclaim, including several Game of the Year accolades, following its release.

The latest addition to the series sees the return of Chris Redfield, who first appeared in the franchise's initial offering, and a new character - Sheva Alomar. Sheva has been a part of the buzz surrounding Resident Evil 5 as she brings a fresh direction of gameplay to the series - two player co-op.

Unlike previous Resident Evil games, which focused more on solitude and isolation, two players can team up over Xbox LiveStreet Fighter IV demonstrated, with many copies of the game flying from the shelves on release day.