Resident Evil 5

Now, though a ton of fanboys bashed RE4, i loved it. I've played them all (with the exception of Survivor, Outbreak and Zero) and I loved RE4 onetheless. i feel it was a clever prelude to a combination Las Plagas/T-Virus creations in RE5. You get the rotting corpses and hideous spawn with the endurance of zombies and Lickers, but the intelligence of Ganados and the RE4 monsters. It be the shit.


Anyone have any official info on this?

Yesterday, we brought you news that Capcom would be bringing Resident Evil 5 to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Today, a few more details have trickled through concerning the actual gameplay.

We already know from yesterday's article that Jun Takeuchi (of Street Fighter 2 and Onimusha fame) will be at the helm. But we also now know that the game will star past Resident Evil hero Chris Redfield, and that the title will definitely be set in a South American country, though a fictitious one. Capcom has also confirmed that the majority of the game's environments will be far more open-plan than anything previously seen in a franchise that has almost become defined by its claustrophobic use of space and narrow corridors.

Enemies have been given a makeover, and are now said to be more intelligent than the usual fodder that litters Resident Evil games (though PALGN reckons Resident Evil 4's villagers were rather efficient). There'll also be hundreds of the buggers, all encircling you in a bid to bite off a chunk of your neck. Oh, and they'll 'speak a strange language'. Finally, heat is going to play a central role in the experience - apparently, players will need to stop off in caves to cool down and avoid the harsh sunlight that features throughout the game if they want to progress.

It's looking good then, and Capcom seems confident that the game is going to be a success, modestly proclaiming that Resident Evil 5 will 'revolutionise the series by delivering an unbelievable level of detail, realism and control,' though if we had a penny for every time we'd heard that from a game publisher, we'd probably be able to buy Capcom.

Capcom have announced that Resident Evil 5 is coming to Microsoft's next-generation console, the Xbox 360, as well as Sony's PlayStation 3. The announcement came in the form of a press release on the English-language section of the Investor Relations part of Capcom's Japanese corporate Web site.

The news came as only a small surprise, as Capcom executives had declared their admiration for both Sony's and Microsoft's next-gen consoles when they were unveiled in mid-May. "Utilizing the PlayStation 3['s] and Xbox 360['s] unprecedented power, Resident Evil 5 promises to revolutionize the series by delivering an unbelievable level of detail, realism, and control," read the release.


The announcement of an Xbox 360 Resident Evil 5 does reflect a change in the companies traditions. Up until now, Capcom has given Microsoft's current-generation console, the Xbox, only tepid support in the form of re-releases of older titles such as Genma Onimusha. However, that changed during this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, with the unveiling of Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance and Final Fight: Streetwise, two top holiday titles that will ship on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 simultaneously.

Unfortunately Capcom's brief announcement did not mention a ship date for Resident Evil 5 for the Xbox 360, which is due in Q4 2005, or the PS3, which currently has a "spring 2006" launch window. The company also made no mention of any plans they may have regarding RE5 and the Revolution, Nintendos next-gen console.

Nintendo fans shouldn't give up hope entirely though. Resident Evil 4 spent nearly four years in development, meaning that Resident Evil 5 likely won't arrive before the Revolution's expected late 2006 launch. Given that the Revolution development kits went out in March, a version of the game could still be in development for the mystery-shrouded console.

While Capcom's release had little information on Resident Evil 5, the latest issue of Famitsu revealed many details about the game. It features an interview with the game's producer, Jun Takeuchi, best known as the producer of Genma Onimusha and Onimusha 3. He also worked on Resident Evil 1 and 2, handling character animation and directing the creation of gun models.

Images of Resident Evil 5 featured in the magazine shows that the series' setting has dramatically changed. Instead of the creepy dark atmosphere of previous instalments, RE5 takes place in a hot and sandy desert city under a pounding sun. There are also scenes of unlit areas such as alleyways and buildings that reflect the same shadowy atmosphere as previous instalments.

The Famitsu images show an unshaven man in a short-sleeved shirt who appears to be the main character in Resident Evil 5, who could be be Chris Redfield from the original Resident Evil, armed with a handgun and knife belted to his shoulder, he is outnumbered and being chased by a mysterious group of enemies shown in silhouette.

Takeuchi commented that RE5's setting was inspired by the 2001 war movie Black Hawk Down, in which a crowd of angry Somalis swarm over an American helicopter after it crash-lands. Despite having a large area to operate in, the surviving soldiers are quickly cornered by the massive crowd that comes after them. Takeuchi says that he hopes to achieve a similar kind of experience and "madness" in RE5.

When asked about the unshaven man, Takeuchi said that the core developers for RE5 include staff members that worked on RE1, hinting that it might possibly be Chris Redfield from the original Resident Evil. Takeuchi also revealed that RE5 will be an authentic sequel to the series' main storyline rather than a side story. He added that if the main character is indeed Chris, the developers might be preparing to create some kind of a conclusion to the series' long storyline.

In terms of the mysterious enemies, Takeuchi commented that they are displayed in shadows because they will feature new elements that can't be disclosed yet. However, he hinted that the talking enemies in Resident Evil 4 were something he hopes to expand on in RE5.

As expected, Resident Evil 5 will take advantage of the PS3's and Xbox 360's high-definition graphics. Takeuchi said that one of the main goals of RE5's development was to use said graphics to deliver a tangible "atmosphere" to the game, to the point where the player can almost feel the hot air of the desert.

When asked about how RE5 will actually play, Takeuchi said that he hopes to bring back RE4's gameplay in RE5. He commented that Resident Evil 4 caused a lot of excitement at Capcom, since director Shinji Mikami had successfully made major changes while still keeping the essence of the series intact.

When Takeuchi was asked about the game's release, he avoided giving a straight answer, only stating jokingly that it will come out "before the launch of PlayStation 4." Later, Takeuchi commented that projects for next-generation consoles will easily take three to five years in development and that work on RE5 is expected to take a bit of time, since it's currently Capcom's main focus.



And a bit more for ya. Probably says the same as Xenn's but in more words.