For nearly a decade, the Steam version of Resident Evil 5 has been a notorious "fixer-upper" for PC players. While Capcom officially removed the dreaded Games for Windows Live (GFWL)
If you still face the "Failed to initialize" error, the last resort is to disable your antivirus temporarily (Windows Defender sometimes quarantines the patched EXE) and ensure your GPU drivers are clean.
Ensure your graphics drivers are up to date, as outdated drivers can cause performance issues and graphical glitches. Visit your GPU manufacturer's website (NVIDIA or AMD) to download the latest drivers.
The issues faced by players of Resident Evil 5 on Steam can be resolved by updating graphics drivers, verifying system configuration, disabling conflicting software, and verifying game files. Specific fixes, such as disabling Steam Cloud, adjusting graphics settings, and running the game in windowed mode, may also resolve issues. By following these solutions and fixes, players can enjoy a smoother and more stable gaming experience.
If you are still crashing after trying all five fixes, consider a clean Windows installation or playing the "RE5 Gold Edition" via Xbox Game Pass’s cloud streaming. But for most users, the combination of the xlive.dll override and the DEP registry tweak solves 99% of issues.
How to Delete Save Data (works as of Jan 2024) - Steam Community