The recent transition of Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition from Games for Windows Live to Steamworks had one unexpected downside: The code that enabled the unofficial split-screen mod was removed from the new version. Capcom said code from the original GFWL release had to be changed to make it work properly with the new Untold Stories Bundle, and as a result, "the latest release currently does not work with the previous local co-op mod."
But for those willing to put the effort into it, and run the risk of potential headaches, it is once again possible to play in split-screen. Capcom has re-enabled the original GFWL version of the game as a beta branch, and provided step-by-step instructions for accessing it to Eurogamer:
- From your Steam 'Library' list, right-click on Resident Evil 5 / Biohazard 5 and select 'Properties'
- Select the 'Betas' tab.
- Select "Original - Original GFWL version" from the pull-down menu and click Close.
- Wait for the Steam client to finish downloading the GFWL build.
- Launch Resident Evil 5 / Biohazard 5.
"Please note though that this won't be an officially supported version and is not compatible with the recent Steam release, so you're playing at your own discretion," a rep said. Capcom also strongly recommended that anyone who plans on switching between the two—GFWL for split-screen and Steamworks for achievements, maybe?—back up the installation files before switching; otherwise, Steam will attempt to redownload the full game, roughly 6-8GB in size, each time the switch is made.
