Resident Evil 5 facts are still scarce, despite this A-grade five-quel being announced way, way back in July 2005. The lack of updates isnt that surprising when you consider our moles in Capcom are saying the games script hasnt even been finished yet. What have they been up to all this time? Well, heres literally everything we know
and a bit we, uh, dont.
The games producer Jun Takeuchi has hinted that we should be able to work out who the games hero will be based on the fact that members of the original development team are working on RE 5 - in other words, the lead character will be series stalwart Chris Redfield. A very good thing that, as Chris has always been a shoot first, ask questions later kinda guy; virtually guaranteeing RE 5 will be a slam-bang action-fest rammed with monster-murdering gunplay and less concerned with tedious find the key puzzles
Another pointer towards an action-oriented plot is Takeuchis revelation that a big influence on the game is Ridley Scotts visceral war epic Black Hawk Down - in particular, the scene where the titular US chopper is blasted out of the African sky and immediately converged on by swarms of Somali guerrillas, salivating to hack off bits of prime Army beef. Imagine that terrifying scenario transposed to RE 5s brand new, sun-drenched setting, except without the Somalians. In the teaser trailer youre a lone gunman patrolling the deserted city, and hear the rolling thunder of a hundred rapidly approaching footsteps and raise your gun to the oncoming danger. Realizing the noise is coming from behind you turn
and are faced with a dozen sprinting zombies now only feet away. Theres only one option: start blasting or prepare to get gutted.
Judging by the trailer and the leaks coming out of Capcom, this is going to be the most cinematic and heart-in-mouth, tension-wracked Resident Evil ever, a notion only heightened by the trailers other big revelation - fast zombies. We dont yet know whether theyre the brain-dead ghouls of early RE or the more advanced species from RE 4, but either way theyre taking a leaf out of 28 Days Laters book and rushing for their dinner. Its obvious what impact this will have on gameplay: no time to think, just react and shoot or get the hell out of there. And could there be vehicles to aid your escape from the run-o-zombies? Dont bet against it.
Throw in advanced physics that heighten the games key themes of heat and cold (atmospherics now possible thanks to high-def visuals), plus a storyline that looks to pick up after the events of Code Veronica and you have about the most eagerly-anticipated game this side of Halo 3.
