Resident Evil: Raccoon City announced [Officially confirmed: Post 273]

[Alkar]

I'm talking about OXM UK which is where this info is apparently taken from. I went to check on their official website and found out when the April issue was released.
From there I simply guessed when the May issue is supposed to come out.
I don't know, this is honestly the first time I've heard of a magazine leak 2+ weeks before it's out and having no scans at all doesn't help.

[Mr. Rod]

I reaaaaally don't see how this could be an April's Fool Joke. First of all, where's the funny part of this? "Look we made believe the RE fans there was a MP game coming out this winter but it was a LIEEEE lolololol".... Nah.

[GuardhouseMusic]

I reaaaaally don't see how this could be an April's Fool Joke. First of all, where's the funny part of this? "Look we made believe the RE fans there was a MP game coming out this winter but it was a LIEEEE lolololol".... Nah.

Well, beyond the couple of wordplay jokes that EGM threw in, Sheng Long was hardly a "joking" type of prank. Nor really was EGM2's Akuma in RE2 stunt. The only thing that could be construed as "funny" in either was the outlandish feats you had to accomplish to get them, or in the latter's case, seeing a Street Fighter character throwing hadokens in RE's more grounded (easy now) environment. Nonetheless, both cases were April Fool's pranks which appealed to the magazines' audiences, and understandably so.

[Stu]

Difference being you're talking about ONE SINGLE CHARACTER. This report is detailing an incredible ammount of details, what's in it for Capcom to allow a publisher to jokingly blow the fictional lid off a game that we know to be in production?

[Darkmoon]

The more I think about this game, the more I wanna scream out 'bullshit!' The only thing I'm wondering is whether it's at some one doing a paticularly impressive April Fool's or at Capcom for making this game. I've been thinking about this quite a bit, so please bear with me if I get overly word and non-sensical.

* The game takes place in 1998, a time where Resident Evil fans already know what's set to take place. The title lets you enjoy the series from a new perspective, as the men and women who are technically responsible for it all.

* Rather than continuing the zombie slaying antics of BSAA agents, you're taken back to the original outbreak "that underscored both Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis."

Well, continuing zombie slaying aside, I'm instantly suspicious of sticking it with the role of a team that, as far as we know, got killed to a man. Maybe we're playing a back up squad that Birkin didn't horribly murder? Or the alternative reality starts with him tripping over his shoe laces while the minions run the fuck away? Or, maybe, they're a seperate team, but that doesn't quite mesh with the 'cause of the outbreak' thing, which make's me think HUNK's team.

I'm also slightly concerned that there's simply nothing new to do in Raccoon City at this point. We know how the Outbreak started, how it ended, how a bunch of people may have been killed horribly after finding the antidote. Is there really anything left to explore, beyond the alternative reality scenarios presented later?

Still, playing as the bad guys could be fun. Proper B.O.W's are nice too.

* The game doesn't require any crazy amounts of knowledge of the past titles or characters involved in the series. The title opens up to a "quartet of new faces". Essentially, you're playing as members of the official Umbrella Security Services squad.

Well, I suppose having it set around the second and third games will help there. This sorta makes me think 'partial reboot' with the reboot taking place after RE1 and Remake.

Of course, it also screams 'Oh God we don't have any idea what we're doing with the series anymore fuck we need to establish a new villain let's re-write time so he's actually involved in Raccoon City like we did with Albert Wesker because that made him more awesome!' It really feels like Capcom, with a prequel story in Revelations, a barely there story in Mercs, two re-releases for RE4 and and CODE: Veronica X and now a retelling of the fall of Raccoon City haven't got a fucking clue what they're doing anymore. If this is real then I wouldn't expect Resident Evil 6 for a while yet, as Capcom desperately attempts to find it's arse with both hands.

* Operation Raccoon City is a team-based shooter allowing four members of the USS team to destroy all evidence of the ongoing outbreak. Along with slaying the zombies, you're looking to "kill pretty much every survivor possible".

Yeah...this is where the smelly stuff hits the fan. I'm hoping the magazine has gotten this slightly off. Because why would Umbrella murder everyone? How would a team of four people do so? How could they even guarantee they'd killed everyone, and why would they bother trying when the city is going to be nuked?

Now, offing key targets such as S.T.A.R.S members, civic and authoirty figures (Leon), doctors who've studied the virus etc...sure. But, 'Hey, there's a person over there, shoot them and hope there are twenty more in a basement somewhere' strikes me as pointless. There was no way Umbrella could hide the Outbreak. People got out of the city, after all. But they could delete the possiblity of it's being linked to them.

* The gameplay is described as "dirty", and the series will feel much darker than it has up to this point.

Because a game where the dead crave your very flesh needs to be made darker? I suppose this basically means you shoot innocent people and no one makes any stupid wisecracks. So half right.

* The game features three factions that Capcom has stated make up a "three-corner conflict". The other two factions are the US Spec Ops, who are there to repel the USS, and the "bio-organic weapon monsters (BOWs) created by Umbrella.

And now we know where the mutilplayer verus mode will come from. I know a few people also hope that you can play as the Spec Ops guys, so I guess we know where the DLC will come from too.

* The USS team is made up of the following characters: Vector, Beltway, Bertha, and Spectre. Depending on which character you choose, the responsibilities that you're asked to do within your team will variate.

I'd like to see 'make your own character' a possiblity, but that's just me. I'd rather play me in a game than a faceless jerk codenamed Beltway. Still, having the characters be varied Team Fortress style does sound promising.

* Hunk, first seen in Resident Evil 2 as a hidden character, is the inspiration behind the USS team.

...and has shown up in one way or another in the other Resi Evils since. Appears in RE2, epilogue in RE3, Mercs character in RE4, the Mercs game, Umbrella Chronicles...

* "Whichever team you play on, you'll be facing Umbrella-created horrors in between skirmishes with each other".

Sounds slightly worryingly that shooting the other team will be the hard bit, killing the monsters not so much.

* Zombies in the game can sense you in three different manners: sight, sound, and smell.

Hopefully, certain zombies (or monsters like the Licker) will excell at one paticular way of being detected.

* A situation is described in the game where Vector cloaks himself to stir up previously slumbering zombies to use against the Special Ops military foes.

...ehhh? Cloaks himself? How? This isn't Solid Snake we're talking about.

* Quite a few scenarios in the game aren't "all about headshots". A quote in the article states, "It's about shooting the other soldiers - manipulating the, making them bleed."

This makes sense, and also doesn't. If bleeding makes you more likely to be attacked then every zombie in the game will attack the moment open clips you, which makes sense, but will make the game damned near impossible. Which doesn't.

And why clip comeone in the leg when there will be a tasty blood smell if you blow his head off as well?

* The game will take you through a number of familiar areas if you're a Resident Evil junkie who remembers your journey to Raccoon City.

Well, yes. There needs to be a reason why it's set in Raccoon City. They already have at least some of the city planned out.

* Operation Raccoon City, depending on how you play the game, will give you the option to "change the history of Resident Evil". Not only will you have the chance to meet and interact with various characters from the series, but you'll even have the opportunity to kill them.

This could be cool. It could suck. It depends on how Capcom plays it. Mostly? I'm expecting them to play it in such a way that makes the series plot and even more complicated, tangled and incoherent mess unless you can both read Japanese and buy three additional guide books.

* One of th mottos repeated to OXM throughout the demo was "Kill Leon". It's also stated that if you choose to represent in the game as the Special Ops team, that you'd more than likely have the goal of trying to save Leon Kennedy.

No, I'm pretty sure I'll shoot Leon then too. He might be infected after all. That zombie in the intro of RE2 in the back of the car is clearly evil zombie Leon sent back in time by the might of Bertha kicking him in the balls so hard it made a paradox. But it is nice to see the good guys will be an option too, and not DLC as I cynically thought.

* Slant Six or Capcom won't reveal if any other characters will be playable in the title just yet, but it'd make sense to see quite a few big cameos.

You play as Brad Vickers in a 'run away!' mini game.

* The title will still see players relying on collecting herbs to heal from any attacks you may suffer. You won't need to hoard any herbs, but they'll still benefit you to collect them throughout the game.

Does this mean we don't get an inventory, just a couple of guns and and ammo? Because I don't like it.

* "This is not a one-versus-one game where you've got one clip full of ammo and zombies on you. If you've ever thought of those times in an RE game when you thought, 'I'd wish I had a big gun', that's what this game is. It's not fair to give people big guns, then take all the ammo away."

And this is why so many American horror titles fail. The answer to horror is not, 'give him a bigger gun so it's more actiony and there's no more fear element at all!' it's 'Give him a bigger gun, then make him realize that the boss characters still don't care and will tear him a new arsehole in his face anyway.'

Besides, RE4 and RE5 already do this.

* One of the pictures in the article showcases a zombie being used as a "meatshield".

Could be good, in a 'look at me, I am a monster truck that walks like a man!' sort of way. Could be utterly stupid and insipid. Probably be a bit of both.

* Operation Raccoon City allows players to earn XP for kills, with these points helping you survive the onslaught, and to help to encourage you to anihilate everything in your path.

OK...so we have Left 4 Dead/Dead Island 4 team co-op, we have Team Fortress mutilplayer against another team of minions with each character having a certain role, you have an open world mutliple choice system going, some stealth elements...and now RPG elements? Either this game is schizophrenic, and I know of what I speak there, or it's someone's fanfiction ideal of the perfect game. 'It's just like Left 4 Dead! And Team Fortress! And there are tons of choices! And you level up!'

* The XP will allow you to earn new abilities, such as Vector's cloaking skill, and new weapons.

I guess each character will rip off one main character from another series? Maybe Bertha will take the Bayonetta role as a fuck you to Hideki Kamiya?

* Tyrants will most definitely be included in the title.

Annnnd this would be awesome. But I really hope it means there's a picture in the article, rather than Capcom said it. Because Capcom never, ever listens to western fan complaints. And this is pretty much addressing exactly that.

So what really bugs me with this game is this - it's either an over ambitious mishmash of the most recent best selling games that can possibly be rammed down this thing's throat in a desperate attempt to create a three headed mutant baby that everyone, everywhere will love, or it's someone having a laugh.

It says a lot about Capcom that I'm sitting here weighing up which I feel is more likely...

[Stu]

I'm talking about OXM UK which is where this info is apparently taken from. I went to check on their official website and found out when the April issue was released.

That's you making an assumption though, since it doesn't specifically state OXM UK in the article.

[Alkar]

That's you making an assumption though, since it doesn't specifically state OXM UK in the article.

It's what I read in some reports. Either way I doubt the US magazine would release in a totally different part of the month but I didn't find anything about it.
The source seems the same for everyone even if some don't even link to it so I guess you're right about that. Doesn't make this whole thing less suspicious sadly.

[Dracarys]

The latest OXM UK releasd on the 10th, presuming the next issue is roughly the same this is a very early leak.

[Stu]

Again, assuming it's the UK OXM.

[Stu]

Okey dokey...

It's the US OXM, and i'm convinced this is legitimate. This is my final answer.

[Pikminister]

I've seen many websites/blogs claim that Capcom confirmed this but none of them have any kind of proof and most don't even link to the source which is the same one anyway.
I think I'll just wait for scans/pics if this is real.

Well, someone on Twitter asked Capcom about the whole 'Capcom confirms it' deal and this is what happened...

@CapcomEuro http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news...l-Raccoon-City - it says capcom confirms it

Reply by Capcom's twitty bird:

@BobafetSVK It references a game i know nothing about. Sorry

However, I think they are going to discuss this same issue on Monday. Not sure about that one, though.

[Zombie Fred]

It's pretty much going to be comfirmed at this point. Way too many press sites to just use this one source without some of them not knowing themselfs. This is another way of them comfirming what they know (under embargo or otherwise) if so. Capticate in April will just double comfirm it.

[Archelon]

Am I the only one who's really tired of revisiting Raccoon City? The mansion, too, for that matter.

I get that it's the biggest event in the series, but for crying out loud, it's time to move on.

[BrionIrons]

Am I the only one who's really tired of revisiting Raccoon City? The mansion, too, for that matter.

I get that it's the biggest event in the series, but for crying out loud, it's time to move on.

Maybe.LOL.Because im definitly up to exploring raccoon city again.

[Darkmoon]

Am I the only one who's really tired of revisiting Raccoon City? The mansion, too, for that matter.

I get that it's the biggest event in the series, but for crying out loud, it's time to move on.

Mmm. I guess it's because the rest of the locations lack the importance or scale required to stick in people's minds? There's not really anything here that needs to be set in Raccoon, it must be said.

Of course, Capcom could set it somewhere new...but that would involve having some clue as to what the direction of the series should be.