Resident Evil: Raccoon City confirmed

By Fred Dutton Published 24 March, 2011

First details of SOCOM dev's team shooter.

First details have emerged of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, the much rumoured franchise spin-off from SOCOM developer Slant Six.

According to Official Xbox Magazine's imminent scoop, kindly summarised by StickSkills, it's a team based shooter set in the Resident Evil 2 era that sees up to four players cast in one of three factions.

As a member of the Umbrella Security Services Squad you'll have to scour Raccoon City destroying evidence, head-shotting zombies and brutally sweeping T-Virus survivors under the proverbial rug.

There are also two other teams to choose from, which Capcom apparently insists constitutes a "three-corner conflict". As well as the Umbrella death squad, US Special Ops are also on the scene, as are "bio-organic weapon monsters" created by Umbrella.

The Umbrella team is made up of four new characters: Vector, Beltway, Bertha, and Spectre, and the game will play out slightly differently depending on who you choose. Various familiar faces are due to pop up along the way, including Leon Kennedy.

You'll earn XP as you progress, which allows you to earn new abilities, such as Vector's cloaking skill, and weapons.

It sounds like it's set to be a more gun-ho Resi than we're accustomed to, with ammo management not playing such an important role. "It's not fair to give people big guns, then take all the ammo away," reads a quote from the OXM piece.

Apparently the game is due out on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in the Autumn.

Expect a shedload more information when Capcom officially takes the wraps of the game, possibly at its annual Captivate event early next month.

Looks like it's set to be a busy year for Resident Evil fans. That's two HD catalogue remakes, two 3DS titles and now this all on the release slate.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (35) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • richarddavies #1 1 year ago

    A resi team multiplayer shooter? If done right it could be good. I'll reserve judgement till I see more info though.
    Edited by richarddavies at 24/03/11 @ 17:59

  • CrispyXUK64 #2 1 year ago

    FFS

  • randompanda #3 1 year ago

    "Vector, Beltway, Bertha, and Spectre"

    Or as Dodgeball so perfectly summed up:

    "Blade... Laser... Blazer... "

  • Mark1412 #4 1 year ago

    "Vector, Beltway, Bertha, and Spectre"

    Seems like S.T.A.R.S have fallen into the trap of only recruiting people with awesome cool (read: lame ass) names. Sorry Chris, Leon and Jill, your names just don't cut it in the modern age of zombie warfare.

  • the_dudefather #5 1 year ago

    Won't be the same raccoon city unless they bring the 'Don't you worry girly' gunstore owner back

  • icematt12 #6 1 year ago

    Completely agree with richarddavies. Never played those two online-like games already set in Raccoon City (Outbreak? Been a few years), this could be my dream version of them.

  • Transmission89 #7 1 year ago

    I want to play as vector, that way I will have both direction and magnitude. Then zombies will fear me!!!

  • bad09 #8 1 year ago

    A team based shooter? So all hope of RE returning to it's brilliant roots is dead, I'm not even gonna bother being interested anymore.

    I loved you RE (....well up until CV), rest in peace my love I'll never forget you.

    (although I couldn't buy it anyway as Capcom seems to have dropped all PC support without having the balls to actually say it)

  • Desheep #9 1 year ago

    WE DON'T KNOW WHERE BARRY IS.

  • Nithron #10 1 year ago

    I've wanted something like this since the amazing Resi 3 intro with the Umbrella mercs fighting the undead hordes.

    A proven developer too. Could be great.

  • coolbritannia #11 1 year ago

    But SOCOM was rubbish....

  • Steroyd #12 1 year ago

    Didn't these guys do Socom confrontation...

    Nevertheless I missed out on Resident Evil Outbreak because the PS2 just wasn't cut for online play, will keep an eye for this.

    A team based shooter? So all hope of RE returning to it's brilliant roots is dead, I'm not even gonna bother being interested anymore.

    It being online alone would kill the survival horror atmosphere.

  • Acrid #13 1 year ago

    Sounds a bit like Darkside Chronicles without the rails.

    Could be good but I'd prefer a real Resident Evil game circa 1998

  • Cadence #14 1 year ago

    @Rage_Quit_Bob

    Just a shame there's no one called Roger on the team.

  • Eraysor #15 1 year ago

    They should have just paid Valve to make a Resident Evil mod for L4D...

  • metalangel #16 1 year ago

    What is it with Capcom and stupid names? 'Raccoon City' was bad enough but now 'Bertha'?

  • silversun #17 1 year ago

    It will be different im sure but there is already a very good shoot zombie type game out there, its called left for dead.
    I hope resident evil will go back to its horror roots (i know va was terrible, but you know what i mean) and stay away from action side but i fear the series as well as dmc series will really not be what long time players want.
    At least if it turns out to be a disaster resident evil 5 had some closure to the series for me.

  • Pastici #18 1 year ago

    At least it's not the next major game in the franchise. Resi and spin offs isn't really new.

  • SavageEvil #19 1 year ago

    Hopefully Slant Six can provide RE with something akin to realistic survival, I doubt it though. Realistically I would like to see a four man survival, but being able to use anything as a weapon, and ability to fashion weapons out of seemingly non intimidating things. RE: Outbreak on PS2 was close to it, but the lame robot like movements felt too stale and looking at the scenery that looked like many things can be used as a weapon to bludgeon an enemy incredibly went unused. RE reliance on weaponry is it's main problem, everything is about a gun, without a gun well you can't survive anything. How stale and boring that is to do, game after game. DR has a nice idea, but that is too sensationalistic and bright to be fun and it's a bit on the stupid movements and control scheme side to be of any interest.

    Trying to survive is a human thing, and RE these humans are the lowest of the low, they shouldn't be allowed to reproduce if this is how they try to survive. Make this survival more realistic, build the game around an engine that support destructibility, allow for use of pretty much anything as a weapon, throw things that you can pick up and reuse. Not just run around all day saving bullets and avoiding things because you can't use your ammo, so build a trap that will allow you to detain the mindless dummies. Seriously it can't be that hard to come up with worthwhile ideas to fill the void that is actually survival horror, what is up with context sensitive melee attacks?

  • SteveHolt #20 1 year ago

    This + Dead island = another busy holiday for zombie hunters.

  • Spike183 #21 1 year ago

    Yes! Yes! Yes! Any new Resi game is fine by me! Especially team based co-op :D
    And with the HD remakes of Resi4 and Code Veronica on the way, along with the 2 3DS games... Good times ahead!
    I love Resident Evil!!!!! : )

  • the_dudefather #22 1 year ago

    YOU WANT ZOMBIES WE GOT TOP BRAND ZOMBIES AT BRAIN EATING PRICES ££££

    ACCEPT PAYPAL AND BRAINS

    TOPS BRANDS T VIRUS RAGE INFECTED MONKEYS NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

    BARRY BURTON $20

    TOTAL GLOBAL SATURATION $100

    JILL SANDWICHES $10

    WWW.UNBRELLACORPERATION.ZOM

    ENJOY GOOD PRODUCT TODAY!

    ----- ~ ¤ ╭⌒╮ ╭⌒╮
    ╭⌒╭⌒╮╭⌒╮A
    374;╭⌒╮ LICKER35$
    ,））））,''）~~ ,''~）
    ╱◥█◣ ╱◥█◣ NEMESIS 35$
    ｜田｜田｜｜田A
    372;田｜ WESKER15$
    ╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬_
    80;╬╬╬╬╬ 2010 NEW=

  • drumbaby #23 1 year ago

    Resident Evil Outbreak HD?

  • Bulbatron #24 1 year ago

    I haven't read anybody else's comments yet, but I'm assuming many are foaming at the mouth in rage at the idea. I reckon it might actually be a good idea though - if only if it means that the main series will return to it's survival horror route while having a spin-off where the heavy shooting can be catered for.

    Sound fair?

  • SpaceMonkey77 #25 1 year ago

    Down with the spammers.

    Yeah, while some will object, this is Capcom's best outsourcing move, IMO, and just what the RE series needs to stay more with L4D and other games. More games these days are about co-op play, and just look how well that worked for Square's previously failing TR IP. Guardian of Light showed it can be done, and done well.

    RE's story has become to hokum and B movie, and seriously needs better writers, because that's where the real horror is now, not in the scares or action.

    Perhaps the calls for an Outbreak remake are what led Capcom down this path, along with Capcom's previous awful attempts at the FPS genre via the Gun Survivor series, and Nintendo's success with the Metroid Prime series. All in all, I'm glad that they recognised the potential of outsourcing RE like this, and will certainly buy it.

    RE is by no means perfect as a series, just because its japanese, people. I love it to, but for it to survive, just like a virus, it must adapt for the better. You'll still get your RE6 etc, so rest easy.

  • Nikanoru #26 1 year ago

    "It's my worst nightmare in video game land come true."

    Didn't that already happen with RE5?

    Really, this isn't much of a stretch from where the series has been going is it?

    Anyway, Slant Six can go stick this up their arse.

  • GiarcYekrub #27 1 year ago

    Does this have a single player mode?

  • TheApologist #28 1 year ago

    Would I prefer a trad resi game to be announced? Yes.

    But this is a spin off, outsourced to another studio, retreading Resi 2 territory. It doesn't seem me that this makes a back-to-its-roots numbered sequel any less likely.

    And this sounds like it could be fun. But if it isn't, I don't have to spend money on it. So, y'know, yay.

  • RodHull #29 1 year ago

    Based on the past SOCOM games I'm sure this will be not only the beat RE game but will eclipse the likes of Left 4 Dead as well.

  • username84 #30 1 year ago

    Wait hasn't COD with zombies been done already?

  • flaming.carrot #31 1 year ago

    Zipper are the true SOCOM dev, Slant Six made the truly awful SOCOM: Confrontation, so not holding out too much hope for this.

  • 5h1nj1 #32 1 year ago

    RE5 with it's coop option(!) was fine. I wouldn't compare it to that.
    This sounds like sh*t to me so far. But hey, let them surprise us.

  • kinky_mong #33 1 year ago

    Can't wait to fuck up some zombies as Bertha!

  • sonicyoda #34 1 year ago

    So basically Outbreak 3. Could be good if there's a decent enough online presence.

  • telboy007 #35 1 year ago

    Transmission89 and kinky_mong you have made me laugh, and for that I thank you.