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Archive for May, 2010

Resident Evil 6

30 May

Resident Evil 6 – News

The Resident Evil (RE) series of games has been with us since 1996 and has been an almost constant success story since that time. The releases of RE on various platforms has sold over 40 million units since its debut.  Capcom can surely take pride in what has been a great commercial success and a delight to gamers all over the world.  The world of computer gaming does not stand still however and now possibly the most frequently asked question is: “When will there be a Resident Evil 6?

In order to answer this question we first need to look at the events surrounding the current edition of the game.  Resident Evil 5 received a lukewarm response from game reviewers although the game itself was the most financially successful in the series to date.  Unfortunately for Capcom Shinji Mikami, the original creator of the series, left the company in 2007.  The producer that took over from him, Jun Takeuchi, spoke of feeling “extreme pressure” following in Mikami’s shadow and no doubt that pressure only increased with the mixed reviews the fifth release of the game received.  While some fans might be cheered to hear it Takeuchi has effectively ruled himself out of producing a future Resident Evil 6 stating that he would only do so after “two Olympics had passed”.  For most gamers, this comment translates as “never”.

Jun Takeuchi - Producer of Resident Evil 5Assuming that Takeuchi is serious about his delay before wanting to get involved in the development of another in the Resident Evil series then this leaves the field open for a new producer to take up the mantle.  The reason for this is simply that Capcom must surely be as eager as fans of the game themselves to see a new release and waiting eight years for a sequel is just not a serious option.

So what kind of game will Resident Evil 6 be?  Fans of the early games would no doubt be happiest to see it stay as an atmospheric third person horror/survival shooter.  More bloodthirsty fans might like the current direction with more guns and action and less role playing style elements.  The only problem with this direction is the cool reception it has already received and it is unlikely that a company as successful as Capcom will be keen to go against fans interests.  The fans are paying customers after all.

Resident Evil 6 – New Directions

So what kind of game will Resident Evil 6 be? It is highly likely to be an online game as this format has already been tried and has proved to be successful.  Will we see new 3d graphics?  Perhaps this is most likely to be decided by the success or failure of the new format in cinemas and already scheduled games than any direct decision by Capcom.  While fans would most likely want to see a return to a more RPG game style of play rather than a shooter style the only ones who know for sure what a future Resident Evil 6 will look like are Capcom themselves and they just aren’t saying.

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Resident Evil 3

30 May

Resident Evil 3 Review

I admit I am a sucker for old time video games and Resident Evil 3 is one of those games that just makes me smile.  What could be better than spending time blasting zombies and trying to stay alive while doing it?  Well OK, I admit there are actually lots of things that are better, but you know what I mean. :)

For anyone that has never played any of the Resident Evil series of games they are sort of zombie based first person shooter.  There are lots of role playing elements to the story but basically the object is to survive and commit mass zombicide.  There has been a spin off movie, sound track and series of books as well as the video game itself which has been released on a variety of platforms including the PC, Dreamcast, GameCube, PS3 and Playstation Portable.  Graphics on the PC version are probably the best of the series.

Resident Evil 3 was slightly less successful than Resident Evil 2 in financial terms (selling about 3.5 million copies), but it received much better reviews than its predecessor and rightly so.  Just goes to show what us games reviewers know, huh?  To be fair the game is a great deal of fun and was advanced in its day instituting novel character moves and keyboard shortcuts.  It is still worth playing today, especially as a modern PC can give excellent frame rates even at maximum settings and this makes the game play like the designers intended.

The game deals with a period before Resident Evil 2 and a period a few days after that game.  The storyline expands upon event surrounding the outbreak of the T-virus in Raccoon City and the eventual fate of the infected population.  This plot was also used and expanded upon when the movie was made and was probably a good idea overall, although it might have offended a few purists expecting a direct conversion from the game.

Resident Evil Gameplay

One novel idea in the game is that of an enemy bad guy called Nemesis who pops up at regular intervals throughout the game.  Unlike previous enemies he can follow you up and down stairs, into rooms etc and cannot be dealt with until the end of the game.  This forces players to use some brains as this is an enemy that cannot just be blasted.

Jill vs Nemesis Gameplay Video

Resident Evil 3 also includes an unlockable mini game called The Mercenaries – Operation Mad Jackal.  Completing this minigame grants the use of weapons for the main game with infinite ammo and also some new costumes for Jill.  Several completions will unlock and epilogue sequence that tells the story of the characters after the destruction of Raccoon City.

Resident Evil 3 was a great game at its release and if you like slightly retro games, it still is.  When you consider how low the price is now the game is available as a budget title then buying Resident Evil 3 for your gaming platform is a good choice.

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