“Resident Evil 5″
Genre: Survival horror
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
ESRB rating: “M” for mature
Price: $59.99
Grade: C

What is it with shooter games these days?

You shoot, shoot and shoot, blow up a few things, shoot some more until the gun ought to melt, somehow survive through to the denouement, then learn that whatever you supposedly killed didn’t die.

A few months later, the sequel debuts.

Bad marksmanship on your part? Not really. The problem stems from a lack of new ideas in shooters outside of venue changes, clothing changes from one kit of ragged togs to another — there must have been another firefight between sequels that nobody mentioned to get the clothes looking that way — a change of faces riding shotgun …

And usually, those new sub-characters sport bra cups big enough to hide Volkswagens. Makes for more interesting disc box art, at least.

All of this and a few other quirks came to mind a little ways through “Resident Evil 5″ (or  “Biohazard 5,” if you’re in Japan), actually the seventh installment of the monster-mashing, zombie-smashing franchise from Capcom and available starting Friday for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

This time, Chris Redfield, a peripheral protagonist in the original “Resident Evil,” is the main man. He sports a better haircut and pals around with a buxom partner named Sheva Alomar, and together they’re out to rid Africa of its undead. These aren’t your typical undead, though; they’re capable of riding motorcycles and shooting guns at the same time — an impressive skill even for people with a pulse.

You as Chris, however, have to stand perfectly still to aim and shoot, while the ever-so-helpful Sheva fumbles with her ammo like it was spare change. Consequently, Chris dies easily and often, and languishes as a ghost until Sheva demonstrates her one useful trait: a life-restoring thump to the chest. Then Chris is ready to rock again, but by then the zombies have evolved to the point of riding motorcycles AND doing long division.

Does it matter why Chris and Sheva are shambling about Africa, other than the obvious? No. Does it matter that “Resident Evil 5″ feels a lot like “Resident Evil 4″? Apparently not to Capcom. Is this game just blacksploitation for the 21st century? Depends on your perspective.

Above all, should there be something more to this game than frenetic button-mashing and a special patch near the end to extend online play? Well, Game Guy was hoping.

To be fair, the visuals are stunning — head shots decorate the drab brown landscape in rich red and brain-colored hues — and the portability of Chris and Sheva’s armory is impressive. It almost makes one feel bad for the overachieving zombies; they obviously weren’t talented enough to know what they were getting themselves into.

And if you think “Resident Evil 5″ is worth setting aside “Resident Evil 4,” then pity be upon you, too.