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One of the more noticeable aspects of E3 this year was the lack of “big name” titles. Of that small group, no name was bigger or more anticipated than Resident Evil 5 and with good reason. Not only did the series have a big hand in introducing the idea of “survival horror”, but the last entry in the series, Resident Evil 4, has influenced a number of action games that came after it.
Not only did E3 2008 see the debut of the first gameplay footage, but producer Jun Takeuchi also announced that it would see a major gameplay addition – an online co-op mode – and will ship worldwide on Friday, March 13, 2009. For those who missed the earlier report, the release date is proof positive that someone at Capcom (whether they know it or not) really wants me to be happy as I end my third decade of life.
Resident Evil 5 brings back one of the game’s original protagonists, Chris Redfield, who has since quit S.T.A.R.S. and is now working for a new group, the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (B.S.A.A. to all its friends). Along with his partner, series newcomer Sheva Alomar, Chris is sent to Africa in order to assess a bio-terrorism incident. Although the Umbrella Corporation has long since disappeared, this incident might have some relation to the original viral outbreak.
The game uses the same over-the-shoulder viewpoint and general gameplay style as Resident Evil 4, but with a major twist. During the demo, Chris came to a gap that he couldn’t jump across. In order to make it across he needed to call his partner, who is light enough for Chris to boost across. Once on the other side, Sheva had to work her way down to the locked gate on the ground floor, but not before a group of ticked-off natives came charging for her. As in RE4, you won’t be facing zombies in RE5; instead, you’ll go up against mutants similar to the Ganados villagers Leon faced, only these guys come armed with rifles and fire-arrow spitting crossbows. The awesome just keeps getting better! The mob was too much for Sheva alone, so Chris had to arm a sniper rifle and help thin the crowd.
This style of co-op gameplay is central to RE5. Your partner will accompany you at all times, lending a little backup firepower as well as helping overcome environmental puzzles. As long as Sheva is near you, she’ll be able to heal him if his health gets too low. This doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to go through the game without dying since, obviously, she’ll still need items. Even more exciting than having the backup is that you’ll be able to hook up with a friend online and experience the game together – so start coordinating with friends on which version to get.
Again, Resident Evil 5 will be available on both PS3 and Xbox 360 on March 13, 2009. |
