Introduced in the 2009 video game Resident Evil 5, she is a native African operative of an anti-bioterrorism group and the new partner of the series' veteran Chris Redfield.

The character was met with mostly positive reception from video game journalists, who praised her strength and attractiveness, though her AI in-game received mixed to negative reviews.

Her face and story background changed several times while she underwent many redesigns and re-imagining as developers searched for the right look to combine the qualities of "feminine attraction" and the "strength of a fighting woman".

She described her character as more acrobatic and agile than her partner Chris Redfield, and as "very passionate and youthful", adding she had an "emotional attachment" to her mission as she wants to save her people.

When BSAA agent Chris Redfield is sent to intercept a black market BOW sale in the fictional African country Kijuju, Sheva is assigned to be his partner and guide.

[31] GamesRadar's Matt Cundy said that unlike other characters in the series such as Jill Valentine and Ada Wong, Sheva's primary uniform was both less sexualised and more practical for fighting, describing her as "the absolute antithesis of vulnerable ... a walking fortress that is equal parts kick-ass and intimidating feminine sexuality,"[32] and Lisa Foiles of The Escapist praised Sheva among other characters for having a hairstyle that is practical for fighting, unlike many video game heroines.

[33] In 2021, Ian Walker from Kotaku opined her as the greatest character in the series, lauding the racial diversity she brought and how her "charm" contrasted well with Redfield's "overall gruff nature".

IGN's Jesse Schedeen called her a "walking bag of useless",[35] and "just dumb as a rock when it comes to fighting zombies",[36] while Portal Play Game considered her performance to be extremely annoying.

[21] Dan Whitehead from Eurogamer described Sheva's abilities as a bit hit-or-miss, saying that in a game where ammunition is scarce it was often frustrating watching her miss her targets.

Andre Brock from Games and Culture opined that Sheva was a "videogame equivalent of Pocahontas: a woman of color coerced into 'guiding' White explorers across a foreign land", and also said that her alternate costumes "make it clear that she is window-dressing; a sexualized mule".

[42] Eurogamer's Whitehead said that Sheva "neatly fits the approved Hollywood model of the light-skinned black heroine";[37] Geyser and Tshabalala similarly stated that her skin tone, outfit and job all conform to Western ideals.