J's guide to 'How not to be a liability in Resident evil 5'

Playing Resident evil 5 online is great fun...if you're playing with somebody who can actually play the game. Otherwise it can be bloody frustrating. So this is J's guide to how not to be a liability in Resident evil 5. I'm not the perfect partner, but I'm no liability neither. I've played with some folk who unfortunately for me have been complete liabilities. So for those unconfident in their partner skills, lemme throw you a rope...

1. Stop spamming the partner call button
If your partner is wandering around and taking awhile, take into consideration that they may be smashing open boxes and barrels for ammo, dealing with an enemy or trying to type a message to you. Pressing the Circle or B button and yelling "C'mon!" and "Hurry!" non-stop is bloody annoying and it does not help. So stop doing it!

2. Get close and get physical
If you've shot an enemy and they've stumbled, run in and attack the bitch! I was playing the game with this one dude and was covering him from afar. I managed to cap all of the enemies in their legs and had them stumble. Do you know what he did? Carried on shooting and then ran out of ammo in the process. Dumb arse. Only when you have the grace of infinite ammo can you get away with not going in for a melee attack. Melee attacks will often give you breathing space and cause near by enemies to stumble back, so it usually always pays to go in and get physical.

3. Don't stray too far apart
There are points in the game where distance apart allows you to cover more ground and get things done quicker. But bare in mind that enemies can overwhlem quickly and that if you get grabbed by an enemy and you're far from your partner, they will not reach you in time to help you. Keep your map visible and push your partner locate button every now and then to keep a tab on them, and lock their location down - in case they're unfortunate to go into a dying state and they need you to book it to them and save them.

4. Red and green
If you or your partners' health is low, don't use green herbs on their own if you have a red one you can mix it with. Red herbs can be mixed with green herbs to restore full health.

5. 'Restore partner' everytime
A herb is no more potent if you only use it on solely yourself as opposed to your partner too. So you may as well get the most out of a herb or First aid spray, and spray you and your buddy if they're within range.

6. "I need ammo!"
If you've got no ammo, sit and think for a second why. Perhaps you didn't follow step 2. If you have no ammo, don't keep requesting for it and then have a hissy fit when your partner doesn't give you anything. Your parner may have 30 bullets, whilst you've got zero. But bare in mind - ammo cannot be split. So your partner won't be able to give you ammo without stuffing themselves in it too. So don't always expect to be given ammo, because sometimes it just isn't possible.

7. Pick it up, even if you don't need it
If you come across ammo for a gun you don't have and you can take it, then take it. Your partner may not always be aware it's there in the midst of being swarmed by rampant villagers, tribes men, dogs, insects, or whatever virally infected enemy it is this week. Or maybe they've no slots in their inventory to take it. Whatever you pick up can always be given to your partner later. They will always be grateful. Picking up ammo for your partner is the name of the game in The mercenaries mode. Nothing will make your partner happier than darting to them and giving them a stash of ammo they desperately needed. Especially if they were unaware that you were collecting it for them all along.

8. Red barrells
Good to be shot if enemies are near them, not so much when your partner is standing near them. I've lost count of the amount times that a partners' rubbish aim has resulted in a barrell going off right beside me, and their help resulting in me dying. Think twice about aiming for an enemy if they're near your partner who happens to be near a barrell unless your aim is accurate. Also, do not go blasting away with the shotgun. It's shots spread. So even if the little red dot isn't on the red barrell, you can bet if you shoot anywhere near it, it'll hit it and your partner will get caught in the blast and get toasted.

9. Work together
Bosses and large swarms of enemies require the upmost team work. So you and your partner need to be on the same wave length and in sync. Figure out what your partner is trying to do and work around them or assist them. If you see they've got a strategy, help them pull it off. Assist in making their magic happen. Don't do your own thing and fight independantly of your partner, because one of you will end up dead, out of ammo, or place yourself and your partner is a crap position where the fight becomes difficult.

The aim of the game is to be the partner for somebody else that you'd like to have yourself. Even though it may seem good to dart off and do your own thing (which is tempting when you've already completed the game) it's not team work. And if you don't play as a team, you or your partner will die over something that could've been easily avoided - like not sticking together, or not healing your partner the second their health was critical. Now go off and be sure to make a good partner. So good you get a message requesting to play again another time.