At this point in the history of the series, it is fair to say that the great co-op experiment has failed. Capcom's continued efforts to force players to bring a partner along for the ride have grown tedious in addition to doing little more than relaxing the tension the player should feel. After all, how can you be worried about what's around the corner if you always have a partner to back you up? Though first introduced in Resident Evil 0, where the mechanic worked extremely well to the point where you felt truly vulnerable when your partner wasn't around, it was the fifth game in the series that really started to force the issue. Unfortunately, unless you were playing with a friend, Sheva acted as little more than a slightly weaponised version of Ashley from Resi 4, and would spend as much time needing your help as she would fighting against the Manjini. The sixth game continued this new direction, though at least here the partner was practically invincible so they generally couldn't cause a game over by getting themselves killed. Still, it's clear that Capcom are trying to shoehorn an online co-op experience into a game that is best enjoyed through single player. Resi 7 should ditch the partners and let players battle through the game on their own, rather than insisting they get online for a good experience.