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

[Zombie Fred]

captivate when is that ?

Mid April.

About the USS versus US Special forces, you should remember how huge the US military and fellow law enforcement and special combat unit organizations there are. It just sounds of cold war tactics between the US and Umbrella Corp because of the outbreak from umbrella reaching to the ublic. using proxy agents to retrieve/remove any evidence that could fall back onto them. Degeneration showed how Umbrella tried to shift the blame onto the government during their dealings. You would expect this kind of contingency for this kind of situation. Especially with the US government.

[Spera01]

And I thought that by now, after Zero and seeing Marcus'/Leech's get-up in that... I'm not surprised by the somewhat weird clothing designs. I'm just taking it as it seems that Umbrella must have practically had a requirement on eccentric dressing or psychotic tendencies from the looks of things.

I mean, really. Alexia and Alfred, Alfred's cross-dressing... Marcus' strange robe that seems like it fits with Demento, a fair amount of RE4's kit, Morpheus...

Honestly, the outfits aren't that bad considering what we've already seen come from Capcom.

I guess its just a little weird since the designs remind me a lot of sam fisher/solid snake. I guess I just find it hard to believe that they're wearing these, while say like the UBCS in RE3 where just in a black and green uniform pretty much. Or even hell, HUNK's squad which all wore pretty much the exact same thing; gas mask and a dumbed down suit of some of these characters.

Of course, this situation is different where these characters are suited up to kill other soldiers/the main characters, and obviously Umbrella would equip them with only the best, but I still just find it strange... Also, the whole detail about being able to cloak... That alone right there just constantly makes me go "what"? I'm trying to imagine how they'll include that without pulling a solid snake out of nowhere. lol

[News Bot]

Only last character is good. BERTHA belongs in the Saw basement. But really nothings ruined yet. Ok we have cheesy character design and names. Hello? It's RE we are talking about here. Say CHEESE. I'm pretty sure that one mission will revolve around retrieving the P. Sword seen in RE3. I hope. What bothers me is that they say that S Ops are there to fight USS te reveal Umbrellas involvement. WRONG.

The U.S. Army Special Forces were sent to rescue William Birkin and retrieve the G-virus (sort of the same objective anyway), but Umbrella's maneuvering within the U.S. government caused them to take the wrong elevator and end up at the P-12A Waste Incineration Plant. The U.S.S. took control of the Underground Laboratory and attacked Birkin in the meantime. The Special Forces continued to try and get the G-virus, but Umbrella deployed those 5 Tyrants against them.

The new premise is just made up, which is disappointing because the political and corporate conspiracy angle (which they never fully explored) was really interesting. Likewise, the premise for the U.S.S. involvement is also sort of potentially interesting, as Umbrella sent the U.S.S. 2nd Squad (seen in Outbreak File 2) into the city, but we don't know what their objectives were due to the rest of Outbreak never being released. Also, the whole "kill survivors" thing is handled by the Under Taker unit (Umbrella Trashsweepers), not the U.S.S. While the retrieval and destruction of evidence is carried out by Monitors. Oops.

HUNK would be pissed.

[Zombie Fred]

I wonder if this whole "Kill Leon" thing is because of his involvement of the G virus and being monitored during his exploration in the laboratory (security camera systems or otherwise that are still functional and connected to Umbrellas other facilities. Quite plausible) and now become a target. Survivor or otherwise.

That's the problem with press release statements. They're just basic PR and nothing should be taken serious until playing the game/further information is released.

[shanemurphy]

I'm not even bothered about this not being a survival horror, the mental images of us fighting each other while I make my friend bleed and lore him into a horde of the undead or maybe worse...

Such a simple example but even that has me excited.

[Thanatos-R]

This last dude doesn't feel human, his long goggles remind me of Cleaners leader in RES as well. What if they are gonna make Cleaners a sub-division of USS? Or maybe the elite of Cleaners are all humans?

[Enetirnel]

I guess its just a little weird since the designs remind me a lot of sam fisher/solid snake. I guess I just find it hard to believe that they're wearing these, while say like the UBCS in RE3 where just in a black and green uniform pretty much.

Of course, this situation is different where these characters are suited up to kill other soldiers/the main characters, but I just personally find it strange... Also, the whole detail about being able to cloak... That alone right there just constantly makes me go "what"? I'm trying to imagine how they'll include that without pulling a solid snake out of nowhere. lol

Only last character is good. BERTHA belongs in the Saw basement. But really nothings ruined yet. Ok we have cheesy character design and names. Hello? It's RE we are talking about here. Say CHEESE. I'm pretty sure that one mission will revolve around retrieving the P. Sword seen in RE3. I hope. What bothers me is that they say that S Ops are there to fight USS te reveal Umbrellas involvement. WRONG.

To both of you, the design of the first one particularly reminded me of the Repo Man outfit from Repo! The Genetic Opera, video example so it does make me wonder if that was a slight inspiration there.

Though, the video isn't the best quality - it shows the full costume. Though, here's a picture to show what I mean. Considering that the colour choice also seems to match up to it.



One of them seems to resemble the ones we see in Survivor, but as for the cloaking bit - we don't actually know what the characters look like under the gear.

I've never played Splinter Cell, but that's more or less what came to me first in regard to the styling.

We only know those images and the announced code-names. For all we know, there's a few different ideas in regard to "cloaking" so we'll have to wait and see how it's done. It could be uniform pick-ups to blend in with others, or something possibly along the lines of what we saw in Gaiden or 4D-Executor. Could be something entirely new, we'll have to wait and see.

But you're right about it all being cheesy, so despite the usual weird designs for characters' we would normally view as enemies once we see them all in action we may actually warm up to them more.

[News Bot]

I wonder if this whole "Kill Leon" thing is because of his involvement of the G virus and being monitored during his exploration in the laboratory (security camera systems or otherwise that are still functional and connected to Umbrella) and now become a target. Survivor or otherwise.

That's the problem with press release statements. They're just basic PR and nothing should be taken serious until playing the game/further information.

Umbrella didn't really have any way of knowing about Leon or Claire until after Raccoon City (they compile an entire dossier for Leon in the Umbrella Archive eventually). In Wesker's Report, Wesker himself alludes to the Tyrant being sent by Umbrella to kill Leon and Claire. In reality, it was sent to retrieve the G-virus from Sherry's pendant.

It would have been nicer if they worked in the Under Takers into the Raccoon City incident, but that would be too smart. Instead they've combined the U.S.S., Under Takers and Monitors into one.

This last dude doesn't feel human, his long goggles remind me of Cleaners leader in RES as well. What if they are gonna make Cleaners a sub-division of USS? Or maybe the elite of Cleaners are all humans?

The Under Taker unit is comprised of genetically modified clones. They're a separate unit from the U.S.S. completely. But you're right, the commander (or commanders) of the unit is a normal human.

[Thanatos-R]

I already see Bertha having a sad melodramatic RE style story of love lost and cheesy one-liners. I wonder if they'll add Wesker in some form... Honestly though, buying this to get another glimpse at RPD in HD is enough for me. Nostalgia.

[killer7ITA]

Call of Evil... Resident Bad Company... Halo Evil or what?

[Darkmoon]

London, UK– March 28, 2011 – Capcom® a leading worldwide developer and publisher of videogames, today announced Resident Evil™: Operation Raccoon City, is in development for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC. In addition it was also confirmed that the forthcoming Nintendo 3DS title, Resident Evil™: The Mercenaries 3D,will ship with a playable demo of Resident Evil Revelations.

Nice to see something about Revelations. It occasionally feels like Capcom's forgotten red-headed step child.

Resident Evil™: Operation Raccoon City is a collaboration between Capcom and Vancouver based studio Slant 6 Games and is scheduled for release this Winter. Since the launch of the first title 15 years ago the Resident Evil series has enjoyed phenomenal success, selling over 45 million units worldwide to date. This latest offering will take the series in a completely new direction and offer a style of gameplay yet to be seen from the franchise.

Given we've had first person shooters, third person shooters, onrail shooters and 3rd person tank controls, plus whatever the mobile phone games offered that's pretty impressive.

Resident Evil™: Operation Raccoon City delivers a true third person team based shooter experience set within the dark and sinister Resident Evil universe and a reinterpretation of the events depicted in Resident Evil™ 2 and Resident Evil™ 3. The setting of the Resident Evil universe not only provides a rich backdrop to the action but delivers a unique and thrilling triple threat battle. Zombies and Bio-Organic Weapons (B.O.W’s) add to the mix as players not only compete against an opposing squad but also tackle this third unpredictable element, creating a brand new style of gameplay and breaking the conventions of traditional team based shooters.

So far, this is the most appealing element. Fighting a enemy team while trying to keep youw own ass out of the zombies reach is a good idea, but is going to take a lot of effort to balance. If the B.O.W's are too easy they'll be, at best, a distraction. If they're too hard they'll make it too difficult to do anything.

Also - thank fuck it's third person. First person would have likely killed it for me.

It is September 1998 and the action centres once more on the ill-fated Raccoon City and the horrific consequences of the deadly T-virus outbreak from the Umbrella facility. With a cover up required, Umbrella orders an elite team into Raccoon City to destroy all evidence of the outbreak and eliminate any survivors. Hearing of this plan, the US Government dispatches its own special forces to uncover any evidence that exposes the cause of the viral infection and Umbrella’s actions. Players take on the role of an Umbrella Security Services soldier (U.S.S.), competing alone or in four player co-op in a battle against all the competing forces at play in Raccoon City.

Mmm...eh. News Bot's covered it in more detail, but from a purely logical point of view - this doesn't make much sense. Kill off key survivors? Fine. Destroy evidence? Fine. But killing anyone is just pointless. By the time this team will have been sent in there will already be an army blockade around the city, so it'll hardly be a shock to the US Goverment. And survivors will likely have made it past them. Shooting survivors is a waste of bullets.

Expect the return of original Resident Evil enemies, iconic landmarks such as the Raccoon City Police Department and fan favourite characters, including Leon S. Kennedy, who as a rookie police officer in Raccoon City is on your hit list to eliminate. Players will experience a retelling of classic moments from past titles Resident Evil™ 2 and Resident Evil™ 3 and watch the events unfolding from the menacing perspective of the Umbrella Security Service, giving fans the chance to rewrite the history of the Raccoon City outbreak.

I like the idea that there is a chance to not fuck with the timeline, giving us a solid view from the Umbrella side point of view that can actually be considered canon.

In addition, Resident Evil™: Operation Raccoon City will deliver a number of competitive online multiplayer modes. Each one of these will provide a unique gaming experience thanks to the three way combat between the Umbrella Security Service, US Special Ops and threat of zombies and B.O.W’s that could only exist in the deadly and twisted Resident Evil Universe.

Y'know, combined with the RPG elements mentioned elsewhere, I wonder how this is going to work? I guess it'll be MGS4 style, where you don't actually play the characters online maybe? I dunno. It's that or you have to level them up seperately for each? Just loading a character you've fully upgraded from the single player doesn't seem like a great plan, but then again, this is Capcom.

Purchasers of Resident Evil™: The Mercenaries 3D, scheduled for release in the coming months, will get a taste of the horror to come thanks to the addition of a playable demo of Resident Evil™ Revelations. Set on board an ocean liner, the demo lets players take control of one of the full game’s characters, Jill Valentine, as she explores the ship’s dark interior, killing any mysterious creatures that emerge from the shadows. A brand new title built from the ground up for the Nintendo 3DS, further details on Resident Evil™ Revelations will be revealed at this year’s E3.

E3 Info too? Sweet.

So, I'm feeling a little happier about this, but still have two big issues.

1 - This game has too many elements. Each character is different in there play style - I'd guess one long range sniper, one close range melee/shotgun, on scout and one asshole with explsovies or healer. Then you have RPG elements, action elements, multiplayer elements...horror elements? HAH, it's funny 'cos there's no chance. Stealth elements for one character too, so likely some unique elements from other genres for others. Who got bullet time?

It feels worryingly like Capcom has been looking through the best sellers least of recent years and decided to throw the lot in a blender. If we get an announcement that this also has sandbox elements it'll be pretty much complete. I'm not sure they can make it work.

2 - Another look at the past of Resident Evil. Normally, I'd have no problem with this, but given we have got five current games heading towards us - Mercs, Revelations, RE: CVX, RE4 and now this...and the only one that may have story element leading the series fowards is Mercs. Revelations is from before Jill 'died' so it'll likely just be a side stroy, probably featuring Umbrella remnants if HUNK is still involved. RE CVX and RE4 we know, and Mercs is only rumoured to have any kind of story. And this is set back in 1998, so no plot advancement to you.

It feels a lot like Capcom haven't got a clue what they're doing now, and are desperately cashing in on any bit of the games past that they can to put off having to decide what they're going to be doing. Which is, needless to say, a bad thing. They should have known what they were doing when they'd finished RE5.

On the plus side, I'd like for them to take this oppurtunity to feed us a few answers. That is, answers for us Gaijin scum. Capcom could do with this chance to clarrify a lot plot points for us, such as Sherry and Ncholai's fate. Even Calros' fate. Instead of answering them in a expensive book only available in Japanese.

[Zombie Fred]

An interesting note, I won’t be surprised if the character models are customised and work like how it did in Lost Planet 2. Would make sense considering the multiplayer focus this game will have. It makes sense with the designs of the character so you can be able to recognise which class and faction a person is playing (USS versus Special forces) as.

[Thanatos-R]

Killing any survivors is logical. Potentially ANY person who survived could have seen something incriminating Umbrella. Yoko, and practically all Outbreak characters saw ALOT of Umbrella shit. And most of em had no connection to Umbrella. Some even ended up escaping with a T vaccine. Imagine if someone just shot em. It changes everything. I wonder if Greg's assassination will be a mission as well although it was UBCS. I expect new files too.

[Darkmoon]

I'd agree if it was a contained situation. Raccoon City wasn't contained. People got out of the city before the army surrounded the city, and then there was a vast army barricade seeing zombies and whatever else wandered out of the city. The Goverment already knew about Umbrella because they had a team that was meant to getting Birkin out. At this point the best they could do would be damage control, and shooting everyone isn't that great a plan. Eliminating key bits of evidence and survivors is fine. Shooting a random survivor? Pointless, especially since there may well be 2 dozen more running down the street next to you which you'll never seen.

[Zombie Fred]

I'd agree if it was a contained situation. Raccoon City wasn't contained. People got out of the city before the army surrounded the city, and then there was a vast army barricade seeing zombies and whatever else wandered out of the city. The Goverment already knew about Umbrella because they had a team that was meant to getting Birkin out. At this point the best they could do would be damage control, and shooting everyone isn't that great a plan. Eliminating key bits of evidence and survivors is fine. Shooting a random survivor? Pointless, especially since there may well be 2 dozen more running down the street next to you which you'll never seen.

I'd imagine they'll kill any survivors that are within the objective' parameter where they are deployed. It would make sense to neutralize any targets that are possible dangers to the mission or any critical evidence against Umbrella, given the unit they are. Any survivors outside the area would probably be ignored and seen as nothing of importance or a threat.