Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, is a 2012 third-person shooter video game with online playability for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. It is developed by Slant Six Games and published by Capcom. The game will be a new installment in the Resident Evil series of video games and will be developed by Slant Six Games instead of Capcom. It is set at the same time as Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, but is unrelated to the main series storyline and is a "what-if", non-canon entry in the series.

Plot
The game is separated into two sides: the U.S.S. side and the SPECOPS side (Playable in DLC). Each side has six chapters, where players can choose four of the six playable characters per side.

U.S.S. storyline
U.S.S. Delta team (also known as "Wolfpack") enters the Raccoon City Underground Laboratory, where they meet up with Alpha team leader HUNK. Their mission: to assist the Alphas in stopping Dr. Birkin from handing over his G-Virus research to the US Military and retrieve the G-Virus. On their way to Birkin's lab, they find that Birkin has paid-off numerous UBCS Mercenaries into working for him while the deal goes forward. When they reach Birkin's lab, the doctor is shot at from behind a closed door, HUNK and another Alpha leave with the samples. Heading up the elevator to meet up with Goblin 6, they soon find that Birkin has survived the attack and infected himself with the virus. The creature proceeds to kill off most of Alpha team before disappearing; HUNK offers to go back in search of the sample.

Not long after the battle, it becomes evident that the T-Virus has leaked city-wide, and people are begining to transform into zombies soon after. In what they see as a punishment by U.S.S. Command, Delta team is ordered to remove evidence of Umbrella's role in the outbreak. Heading into Raccoon City Hall, Delta Team meets with a UBCS mercenary and they monitor Nicholai Zinoviev; he is soon revealed as a traitor and attempts to kill the Wolfpack.

Later, the team is sent out around Raccoon Park to find the Nemesis-T Type, which has gone rogue. A second parasite is injected into its body in order to bring it back under control. Shortly after this mission is completed, the team is then sent out to the Raccoon City Police Department, ordered to kill any surviving police officers and destroy evidence linking the company to the outbreak. When this is all done, the team exits the station, and soon after encounter Leon S. Kennedy, whom they begin to hunt down.

The Wolfpack chase Leon through a dozen streets despite his pleas to stop shooting at him. U.S.S command grow anxious and abandon Wolfpack in favour of Plan B (The deployment of several Mr.X and Hunters from drop pods) Eventually after much fighting Leon successfully evaded the squad and they decide to find shelter for a breather. They mop up a small Spec Ops force at a barricade outside city hall as well as a bunch of hunters. The Wolfpack then find themselves ambushed by two T-103s and barely manage to take them down. The team retreat into an abandoned Barber shop to catch their breath making failed attempts to get back in touch with U.S.S command.

Shortly after though the Wolfpack are making a last stand and take down just over 1000 B.O.Ws attacking their position, Umbrella command decide to give the team one final chance and order them to return to Birkin's lab to find Leon. The team find themselves back at square one and eliminate countless enemies as they make their way through the labs. They engage in battle with Ada Wong briefly before she makes her escape. The self destruct sequence activates and Wolfpack see Leon kiss Ada and her supposed death on the control room's camera monitor. Wolfpack then fights their way to the power room to find Leon and Ada missing with little choice left they abandon the facility but not without fighting the super tyrant which emerged from the boiler earlier on.

Eventually, U.S.S. Command finds the location of Leon; Claire and Sherry and sends Wolfpack over to Lonsdale Yard where they have teamed up with whatever is left of the Army Spec Ops to defend the train yard. The Wolfpack break through their lines despite Claire's attempts at decimating them with a grenade launcher as well as massive mobs of crimson heads and zombies. With Claire going into retreat Leon comes out of hiding with a sniper rifle firing at the Wolfpack. The Wolfpack then fire upon the spec ops guarding Leon's platform and cause a soldier to bleed heavily causing a blood frenzy amongst the B.O.Ws. They smash down the barricade and overwhelm the last of the Spec Ops. Wolfpack make their way to the ladder and subdue Leon using him as bait to lure Sherry and Claire out of hiding. Leon questions what they fight for and the Wolfpack engage each other 2 on 2. The defenders of Leon believing they can use him as leverage for evac whilst the assassins believe carrying out these orders will finally earn them evac as well.


 * Saving Leon Ending

The player character and the other survivors of Wolfpack capture Leon, Claire and Sherry and negotiate they be paid triple for Umbrella leaving them for dead and making them do more than what was hired of them. U.S.S command are angered and deny the deal. Wolfpack cuts off all ties with Umbrella and vows to destroy the company presumably with the data that they did collect but not destroy throughout the story. It is unsure how they escape the city. But they most likely went into custody when the Spec Ops Evac finally arrived.


 * Kill Leon Ending

The Wolfpack defectors are killed and Leon lies dead on the floor. Despite Claire's pleas, she is, herself shot in the head. It is presumed Umbrella finally sends in a chopper to evacuate what is left of Wolfpack and captured Sherry.

Development
In May of 2011, The 2011 edition of the Official Xbox Magazine, to be released on April 5, shows an image of an individual in a gas mask along with an Umbrella Inc. logo on the issue's cover. On November 1, 2010 Kotaku reported on a rumor that Slant Six Games, developer of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, was developing Resident Evil: Raccoon City. On its website, Slant Six Games wrote that it was currently developing "an amazing new project" that was unannounced, which was developed in conjunction with a "new publishing partner on a world class franchise."

In an interview with 1up.com, Masachika Kawata estimated the game, as of March 30, 2011, to be 45% complete.

On March 27 of 2011, Capcom shows it's first details of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City in the French magazine of PlayStation. At the time, only four U.S.S. characters were confirmed to be in the game: VECTOR, SPECTER, BELTWAY and BERTHA.

In the 2011 E3, Capcom-unity anounced two new playable characters for the Wolfpack: LUPO, and FOUR EYES. Also, according to Kawata, there are currently discussions on introducing brand-new B.O.W.s into the game.

In early 2012, Capcom reveals the new protagonist team called EchoSix, an elite squad of the US Goverment Spec Ops. The characters are the countpart of the U.S.S. sent to rescue civilians, discover the truth about the outbreak and eliminate the U.S.S.

In January of 2012, Capcom shows the details of the four multiplayer modes: Team Attack, Survivors, Biohazard and Heroes, the Heroes mode includes several classic characters seprated into two teams: In addition to the multiplayer modes, a confirmed Xbox 360 exclusive has been added. Players will engage in a new versus called "Nemesis Mode". Players will engage each other as the Government Spec Ops versus the U.S.S. Players will engage in combat to find a control panel to activate Nemesis and program it to help eliminate the opposition. Nemesis Mode will be available for download on the release date of Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City for 320 Microsoft Points.
 * SpecOps: Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Carlos Oliveira and Jill Valentine.
 * USS: HUNK, Nicholai Ginovaef, Ada Wong and a new character called LONE WOLF.

In March of 2012, according to the Capcom Blog, a free DLC mission will be released on April 11th. The mission will be played as the SpecOps members and resembles some events of Resident Evil 3, including the Jill and Nemesis encounter.

Wolfpack
An elite team of the Umbrella Security Service sent to kill any survivors and destroy all the evidence about the company's culpability for the infamous outbreak.
 * "VECTOR" - Master of stealth, real name unknown
 * Hector Hivers - Explosives expert, codename "BELTWAY"
 * Karen LesProux - Team leader, codename "LUPO"
 * Vladimir Bodrovski - Designated marksman, codename "SPECTRE"
 * Michaela Heinzwaffen - Team medic, codename "BERTHA"
 * Christine Yamata - Field scientist, codename "FOUR EYES"

Echo Six
An elite squad of the SPEC OPS FIELD UNIT sent by the US Government to find the truth about the outbreak and rescue the civilians of Raccoon City.
 * Caroline Floyd - Recon, codename "Willow"
 * Crispin Jettingham - Team leader, codename "Dee-Ay"
 * Marissa Ronson - Demolitions expert, codename "Tweed"
 * Erez Morris - Team medic, codename "Harley"
 * Lawrence Kimbala - Field scientist, codename "Shona"
 * Sienna Fowler - Marksman, codename "Party Girl"

Classic characters
Currently, seven playable classic characters from Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 were confirmed as playable in the new Heroes Mode and encounters in the main story line of the game. Characters like Leon and Claire can be killed by the USS to change the events of the series, HUNK serves as support in the chapter Containment. Ada appears in the mission Redemption as a spy and is targeted by the U.S.S. Nicholai appears in the chapters Corruption and Lights Out as an antagonist. Jill Valentine will be appears along with Carlos Oliveira in the upcoming DLC chapter for the SpecOps.

Also, a new character nicknamed LONE WOLF was confirmed to enter in the Heroes mode.

SpecOps team:

 * Leon S. Kennedy - A rookie cop and one of the surviving Raccoon City Police Department, and as a cop, he is targeted by the U.S.S.
 * Claire Redfield - College student and sister to Chris Redfield. She was "prosecuted" by the WOLFPACK.
 * Jill Valentine - A former S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team member and a survivor of the "mansion incident".
 * Carlos Oliveira - One of the few surviving U.B.C.S. mercenaries, he was confirmed in the same trailer as Jill.

USS team:

 * HUNK - A U.S.S. veteran member known as "Mr. Death", confirmed via Inserted Evil clue #4; the Wolfpack met with him after he obtained a G-Virus sample.
 * Nicholai Zinoviev - A Russian mercenary of the U.B.C.S., he was confirmed to play a important role in the main game.
 * LONE WOLF - A legendary helicopter pilot of Umbrella. He does not appear in the main storyline.
 * Ada Wong - A female spy sent by The Organization to obtain a G-virus sample.

Non-Playable Characters

 * Sherry Birkin - Appears along with Claire and Leon on the final mission.

General gameplay
The game includes six selectable characters from the U.S.S. : FOUR EYES, LUPO, VECTOR, SPECTRE, BERTHA and BELTWAY. However, the players can choose only four characters for the on-line modes.

The game has players taking the role of one of the members of a U.S.S. clean up crew. Alongside a single player mode, the game will also offer a 4 player co-operative mode as the player experiences the events of the game. Operation Raccoon City will allow the player to make decisions that could have major repercussions on series canon, such as causing the death of Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield, or Jill Valentine during the course of the game.

The game was focused in the action and shooter genre, depicting the survival horror origins of the series, in a third person perspective, like in Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, but with the addition when characters can walk/run and shoot, aim or reload his weapon.

If the players are shot their blood will attract zombie hordes and BOWs. Players will be infected and turn into a zombie if they were bitten and didn't cure their infection with an antiviral spray. The infected players will have no control over their character and will attack their teammates, and must be killed.

After a campaign scenario or multiplayer match is completed, the players will earn XP points, depending on the enemies killed, secret items found, and time taken (during the campaign missions). The XP points can be used to buy new weapons or upgrate the classes abilities.

You can only carry two weapons: a primary and a secondary. A new CQC style was introduced into the game, merging the blades, cuts, and physical hits.

Classes
Each character of the game has a unique class. Each class has five unique abilities, with three levels when can be upgraded using the XP points. During the Heroes Mode, the classic characters can use the abilities of more of one classes, making uniques comibation of thems.

Enemies
The enemies from the game were selected from Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 Nemesis.

Zombies return as the main enemy, if a zombie grapples a player they will have a chance to get them off by moving the joystick left and right rapidly, if the player fails to do so the zombie will bite the player allowing them to be ignored by zombies, eventually the player will turn into a zombie if a team mate does not use an anti-virus spray on them. Crimson Heads are also in the game, damaged zombies can turn in Crimson Heads, but the Field Scientist class players can turn a normal zombie into a Crimson Head ally using their special ability. Other B.O.W.s like the Hunters and Lickers roam in the city. A new enemy called Nemesis-beta was introduced into the game with the ability to control other BOW.

Bosses for the game include: William Birkin's first transformation, Nemesis T-type, two T-103 tyrants at the same time and the T-103 mutation of the original Mr. X of Resident Evil 2.

The very first human enemies are introduced in the series. The players will fight against the Government Spec Ops, UBCS mercenaries and RPD officers during certain chapters of the game. Also, in the DLC campaign for the Echo Six, the players will take control of Echo Six and will fight against the U.S.S. members. The players can kill classic characters from the early games like Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield and Jill Valentine.

Soundtrack
Currently, is unknown if Capcom and Suleputer wants to release a official soundtrack of the game, depisting the ripped backgrounds music uploaded in YouTube by the players: The music of the game despite the horror and suspension background ambientation of the past games, but in specific chapters or scenes, the background music takes parts of the tracks of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 's OST, likely the Super-Tyrant reaparition in the underground lab's furnace and the Nemesis encounter in the same name mode.
 * SpecOps selection: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLY_pUUqxvw
 * USS selection: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TE9Bz7kvuQ
 * Main menu theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wejjyDpdXjY
 * Leon's theme (final decision): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcqxZYE7wJE
 * Nemesis mode (encounter): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d67rSInXBpg

Weapons
====The weapons for the game were taken from the first three Resident Evil games, as well from SOCOM titles. The players begin the game with five basic weapons, but they can buy some others using their XP points. Currently more than 45 weapons were confirmed from the Kendo Gun Shop webpage.====

The players need to choose a primary weapon before the game begins. The primary weapons are separated into five categories: shotguns, sniper rifles, submachine guns, assault Rifles and light machine guns, with between 4 and 6 weapons in each category. the players can also choose a secondary weapon, merging the handguns and magnums in one. The weapons didn't uses his real life counterpart models.

During the game, the players can unlock other weapons kept in metalic cases, these weapons include flamethrowers, grenade launchers and some others, also the players can take these weapons from the killed humans enemies and allies.

Grenades return in three categories, like in the past two games: frag grenades, flash grenades and Incendiary Grenades. The field scientist class can carry a fourth, special grenade called pheromone grenade, used to attract the zombies to a specific point.

All of the players begin the game with a melee weapon, used in the new martial arts CQC style, impaling and slicing the infected and humans enemies. The players can reload their ammunition reserves by approaching an ammo box in the chapters for a full reload of their weapon's ammo.

According to a Trophy/Acheivement leak in the game, "Secret weapons" were confirmed.

Downloadable weapons
Operation Raccoon City is the first game in the series to include DLC weapons, currently eight in total. Some weapons resemble past firearms from the early Resident Evil games, but with new designs and forms. Depending on the pre-order retailer, the weapons are separated into four packs: The special edition of the games includes all the eight DLC weapons, alongside with the six alternate costumes for USS members.
 * Classic weapons: Matilda and Classic launcher.
 * Elite weapons: Combat SMG and Perforator.
 * Power weapons: Anti-materiel rifle and Combat shotgun.
 * Renegade weapons: Automatic pistol and Cowboy shotgun.

Players can now buy outfits on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace or the PS3 Store.

Inventory
Operation Raccoon City doesn't include an inventory system like the past games.

The new inventory system can be changed depending on the players class, it esembles the Resident Evil 5's quick selection of items using the game pad, the game separated the most important items for the gameplay into four easy buttons.
 * Up button: Reserved for special items for each class like the Hypo Gun, the Sonar and Thermal Visions and Bombs Detonators.


 * Left button: Reserved for the first aid sprays. The Medic Class can carry multiple sprays, all the remaining classes can carry only one spray


 * Down button: Reserved for the antiviral spray. The Field Scientist Class can carry multiple sprays, all the remaining classes can carry only one spray.


 * Right button: Reserved for grenades. The players can carry three types of grenades: Frag Grenades, Flash Grenades and Incendiary Grenades, with the new Pheromone Grenade being used only by the field scientist class. All the remaining classes can carry only 3 grenades per type, the demolitions class can also get a timed sticky grenade along with laser trip mines.

Consoles release
The game has two edition for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles:
 * Standart edition: includes only the game disk with the standart cover.
 * Special edition: includes the game disk with a new cover design, eight DLC weapons, six DLC costumes for USS characters, a steel protecion cover of the game, and two cloth patches with the USS and SpecOps logos.

Also, a third exclusive special edition for Japan includes a concept guide of the game and a exclusive DVD called "The Secret Report". http://www.biohazardfrance.net/index.php?article=resident-evil-operation-raccoon-city-secret-report&id=91272 ===Pre-order ===

If you pre-order the game at GameStop, BestBuy, Amazon.com, GAME (gets the same as GameStop), you will receive two DLC weapons different for each retailer.

Release dates
The release date has been confirmed to be:

PC release
The PC version will be released in may 18, for Microsoft Windows. Is unknown if the game also will be released for Mac.

Translation
Operation Raccoon City is the second game in the series, after Revelations, with a full translation of the dialogues of the curtscenes, in-game voices and subtitles in different languajes: english (by default), japanes, spanish, portugues, italian, french, deutsch and russian.

Reception
Operation Raccoon City received a mixed critical reception. IGN's review stated "An actual zombie outbreak would have been less tragic," calling the game "little more than a poor man's SOCOM and a destitute man's Resident Evil." GameSpot echoed these sentiments, stating that the game "is a frighteningly flawed action-heavy spin-off that withers in the shadow of its superior alternatives". GamesTM magazine gave Operation Raccoon City 3/10, criticising the team mate AI, glitches, and unimaginative set pieces. They played through the first four levels on single player and did not review the multiplayer modes. Eurogamer called it an "under-designed and under-produced nightmare...that delivers the bare minimum in every category." GamesRadar summed up its review with "poor design choices, narrative missteps, and technical issues combine to make this one of the worst Resident Evil games to date." Game Informer ended their review with "Not even online play is enough of a reason to warrant checking out this botched experiment with the Resident Evil brand." Edge gave the game a 3 out of 10, concluding that "it’s hard to see what this distinctly low budget shooter has to offer beyond yet another return visit to already blood-saturated and well-trodden ground." Game Revolution even went as far as to say that the game hurt the Resident Evil brand name, and that the game "should never have had the Resident Evil name attached to it. It smacks of purely business-oriented decision-making. Players are guaranteed to walk into the store and see that name and expect something completely different. It's not fair to consumers and Resident Evil fans alike.

Some reviews were positive. The Official Xbox Magazine gave it a score of 7/10, as a "satisfying blend of gunplay and teamwork." Destructoid said that the game "suffers from poor design...but that doesn't stop it from being a genuinely good time that should satisfy anybody looking for a hardcore romp." The Guardian said "It's important to bear in mind that it's best experienced multiplayer rather than solo. But it's great fun and adds a fresh spin to a key time and place in the Resident Evil universe." GameShark said: "Raccoon City isn't the next real Resident Evil game (though its improved controls do bode well for that game). Instead, it's a mostly solid third-person, cover-based shooter set in the same universe."

Also, some fans criticism the low-tier alternate costume for the characters, most likely a "color swap" for the original ones. The DLC weapons also are criticated for the early cofirmation before the game was released, lileky with Jill Valentine DLC in the original Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

Downloadable content released:

 * The eight retail weapons: Combat SMG, Anti-Material Rifle, Automatic Pistol, Perforator, Classic Launcher, Combat Shotgun, Matilda and Cowboy Shotgun.
 * The six alternate costumes for USS characters: Lupo, FourEyes, Specter, Vector, Beltway and Bertha.
 * The Nemesis Mode, exclusive for the Xbox 360 owners.

Future downloadable content:

 * Six mission for the SpecOps faction. The first will be released in april, free for pay when we see the first encounter of Jill Valentine with Nemesis. The another five are unknown his date, storyline and price.

Trivia

 * Originally shown was that the U.S.S only had four playable characters, that number was later increased to six.
 * Only a new B.O.W., the Nemesis Beta was introduced in the game.
 * However, notables B.O.W.s from RE2 and RE3 like the Ivy, Giant Spiders, Hunter gamma, Brainsuckers and the giant moth didn't included in the game, making this the game with few B.O.W. arsenal in the series.
 * The demo of the E3 2001 includes a chapter called "No Survivors", with the objective to hunts Leon and Claire after the fuel tank track crash, resembling the opening of Resident Evil 2. In the final product, the chapter was losely changed and merged with the chapter 6.
 * Also, during the first trailers, a cutscene with the Leon's arrive of Raccoon City was eliminated of the final product.
 * It is interesting to note that any recreated cut-scene in this game from RE2 or RE3 has the original lines of dialogue, but characters like William Birkin didn't appears as a phsisical form before his transformation.
 * Brian Irons and Sherry Birkin makes a cameo in the specific chapters introduction, using the exactly cutscenes from Darkside Chronciles.
 * However, Sherry Birkin makes a phisical apparition in the final chapter.
 * The former STARS survivors of "the mansion incident" appears in the introduction of the chapter "Gone Rouge", when WolfPack was sended to reactivate the Nemesis to chase the former survivor STARS.
 * Barry Burton and Chris Redfield, but with his eyes, mouth and personal infromation censored.
 * The only full-showed formerly STARS members is Jill Valentine, who appears in this game.
 * Brad Vickers and Rebecca Chambers, didn't make a cameo in this part.
 * In the final product, some weapons changes his real life based models for most part real countpart models, despiting the original models of the Kendo Gunshop catalogue in the Inserted Evil page.
 * Also, is the first game in the series without the rocket launcher and revolver weapon classes.
 * In the Saint Micheal's Clock Tower, the Moonlight Sonata can be heard looped in the chapel/piano room area.
 * However, the song was never heared in Resident Evil 2 or Resident Evil 3.
 * Bertha original name was Michaela Schneider, but afther the E3 2011 her surname was changed by "Heinzwaffen" in the official web sities and viral campaings of the game.
 * However, in her description of the USS character selection, she still using the surname "Schneider", probably as a typing glitch.
 * During the San Dieg ComiCon 2011, along with the HUNK confirmation to appears, some peoples talks about a possible apartition of Albert Wesker in Operation Raccoon City, but he didn't make any apparition or cammeo in the game.