Resident Evil 5, known in Japan as Biohazard 5 (バイオハザード5 Baiohazādo Faibu), is the forthcoming installment in the Resident Evilsurvival horror video game series, which is set to debut for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It will be developed and published by Capcom. Capcom officially announced Resident Evil 5 on July 20, 2005, is slated to release the title on March 12, 2009 in Japan, and March 13,2009 in North America and Europe.
Gameplay
Jun Takeuchi, the game’s producer, stated that Resident Evil 5 will feature similar gameplay to Resident Evil 4. The player will controlChris Redfield similarly to how the player controlled Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil 4. The game’s environment will also play a significant role. More RE5 Details from Famitsu (August 1, 2005), IGN, Retrieved on March 4, 2007. Also, the game implements various lighting effects. If Redfield moves between bright and dark areas his eyes will have to adjust, causing the player to briefly lose some visual of their surroundings. The player will be able to take cover and dodge (using a similar control scheme in God Hand). The Mercenaries minigame, which was featured in both Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil 4, will also make a return in Resident Evil 5.
The game will also feature new types of enemies. The extended E3 2007 trailer revealed several sequences involving Redfield attacking hordes of fleet-footed enemies, who possessed melee weapons.Takeuchi has also stated the game’s enemies will also possesshuman-like intelligence and awareness. Furthermore, he stated they will be different from the previous ganados.
In an interview with XBOX360ISM, Keiji Inafune briefly stated that the game will feature some online elements. Resident Evil 5’s main story mode can be played with two players, in a co-operative online mode. The feature will allow players to enter or leave anytime during the game. Both players will not always stick together, and can be separated at points during the gameplay.
Plot
Few details have been released about the game’s storyline other than the fact that the setting will have a similar feel to the film Black Hawk Down. Takeuchi added that the development team is composed of staff members who worked on the first Resident Evil. He has stated that Resident Evil 5 will be an actual sequel to the Resident Evil series. Before Takeuchi took over, the game’s former producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi stated “it’s safe to say that Resident Evil 5 will naturally proceed from where Resident Evil 4 left off.”
In a July 2007 Famitsu interview, producer Jun Takeuchi revealed the main playable character as Chris Redfield and the game takes place ten years after the events of the original Resident Evil. The story will explore Chris’ life during the ten year interval between the two games. During the game’s events, he is a member of a group known as BSAA, and sent to investigate an incident in a desert area that serves as the game’s setting. Takeuchi also confirmed that a female character from the series, who is seen briefly at the end of the trailer, will appear in the game. In an online interview, Takeuchi revealed that the game’s plot will be set in Africa, and will concern “the origins of the virus.” He also stated one of the plot’s key elements will revolve around the whereabouts of STARS and Redfield’s life after the first Resident Evil game.
UK-based publication Xbox World 360 revealed that the game takes place in an unnamed African country, which is near a line of active volcanoes that stretch across Eritrea, Ethiopia, andKenya, where volcanic activity is threatening to release a previously dormant virus. They also confirmed the return of recurring antagonist Albert Wesker, as well as Sherry Birkin (last seen in Resident Evil 2). Another game trailer that was released on May 31, 2008 depicted a female character named Sheva Alomar who is an agent of West African branch of the B.S.A.A. (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance), she will assist Redfield.
Alomar’s character will follow Redfield, while supplying him with ammo and support. She will also be able to engage enemies, and require the player’s assistance from time to time.
Development
Jun Takeuchi, the director of Onimusha and producer of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, will take over producer duties from Hiroyuki Kobayashi. Keiji Inafune, who served as promotional producer for Resident Evil 2 and executive producer for the PlayStation 2 version ofResident Evil 4, is overseeing the project. In February of 2007, members of Capcom’s Clover Studio were also called upon to help develop the game. However, many developers from the studio moved on to work on the Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, which debuted for the Wii. Several staff members who also worked on the original Resident Evil are involved in development. According to Takeuchi, the game will utilize the same gameplay model introduced in Resident Evil 4, while implementing thematics from the originalResident Evil into the game.
Although the game garnered much interest among Resident Evil fans, Capcom did not present any footage or information about Resident Evil 5 at E3 2006. Capcom revealed a brief new trailer for the game at E3 2007. They concluded the screening by stating Resident Evil 5 will not be released anytime in 2007. The full E3 trailer for the game became available on the Xbox 360 Marketplace andPlayStation Network Store on July 26, 2007.
In late March 2008, the April issue of Famitsu Wave was bundled with a DVD containing a preview of the game. On April 10, 2008, a translation of the video was published on Capcom’s official blog. Takeuchi gave new information on the game and showed new gameplay footage. A new trailer shown at Captivate ‘08 debuted on Spike TV’s show Gametrailers TV, onMay 31, 2008, as well as the GameTrailers.com website.
Liam O’Brien will be directing the English dialogue for Resident Evil 5
Music
The music for the video game was composed by Kota Suzuki. His score was electronic, but includes 15-minutes of enormous orchestral underscore, which was recorded in Los Angeles at the Newman Scoring Stage at 20th Century Fox Studios with a 103-piece ensemble of the Hollywood Studio Symphony. Additional orchestral arrangements were composed by Wataru Hokoyama, who conducted the orchestra.
Controversy
Resident Evil 5′s 2007 E3 trailer sparked controversy with its depiction of a Caucasian protagonist killing hostile African villagers. African American Newsweek editor N’Gai Croal began the criticism by stating, “There was a lot of imagery in that trailer that dovetailed with classic racist imagery.” He nonetheless acknowledges that only the preview has been released. A second trailer released on May 31, 2008 revealed a more racially diverse group of enemies, as well as a non-Caucasian female character who assists the protagonist. However, Takeuchi denies that complaints about racism had any effect in altering the game design of Resident Evil 5.
