Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

'Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is an upcoming 2012 third-person shooter video game for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, co-developed by Slant Six Games and Capcom, and currently scheduled for a release on March 20, 2012 in North America and March 23, 2012 in Europe. It is part of the Resident Evil series, being set around the same time as Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and the two Resident Evil Outbreak titles.

Plot
The game takes place in the year 1998, during the events of Resident Evil 2 and 3, after the outbreak of the t-Virus in Raccoon City. However it is a reinterpretation of the events that occurred in the original games, and players are given the opportunity to change the occurrence of certain events in the Resident Evil canon. Players will take the role of an officer of the Umbrella Security Service, part of the Umbrella Corporation. Members of the USS are tasked with destroying evidence of Umbrella Pharmaceutical, Inc.'s illegal activities which caused the t-Virus outbreak, including killing survivors of the outbreak. Among their enemies are Government Spec Ops, who are tasked with exposing the actions of Umbrella and understanding the cause of the t-Virus outbreak in Raccoon City. The game will see the return of major places as well as characters of the Resident Evil series including Raccoon City as well as characters; Leon S. Kennedy, and Claire Redfield. Also announced at E3 2011 is the decision whether or not to kill Leon and Claire so you can keep the storyline as it is or you can change it drastically.

Environments known to appear in the game are Central street, the street left burning by the oil truck that decimates Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield's car in the opening cinematic to Resident Evil 2, about a block or so away from the Gun Shop Kendo (It is also the starting point for Scenario A, and a joint street to Central Station, where Jill Valentine makes her escape via Raccoon's Tram system in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis). This area is showcased in the latest gameplay video from E3 2011. It is also shown in the gameplay demo from San Diego Comic Con 2011, where the members of the Umbrella Security Service overhear Leon and Claire shouting to each other after the crash, re-creating dialogue from the original Resident Evil 2. New footage also shows a recreation of the ending of Resident Evil 2's opening cut sequence. This demo also reveals Kendo's Gun Shop as another location. Another area shown is the Stagla gas station, previously from Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, although it does not appear to be the same gas station Jill ends up in. The Raccoon City Police Department has also been shown in one of the trailers, and a screenshot indicates that the Raccoon General Hospital from Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and Resident Evil Outbreak will also make an appearance, although the screenshot appears to be of a back entrance previously unseen. Other places likely to appear due to information from the "Inserted Evil" ARG are the sewers from RE2 and Raccoon City Hall and the Raccoon Park (Information from the second ARG mission :Check The stairway in City Hall. Check out the big sewer grate in the park.) Other locations revealed by the site are the RPD and Lonsdale Yard.

Wolfpack
An elite Umbrella Security Service team sent to kill any survivors and destroy all the evidence about the company's culpability for the infamous outbreak.
 * "Vector" - Real name unknown. Class: recon.
 * Hector Hivers - Codename "Beltway". Class: demolition.
 * Karena Lesproux - Codename "Lupo". Class: assault.
 * Vladimir Bodrovski - Codename "Spectre". Class: marksman.
 * Michaela Heinzwaffen - Codename "Bertha". Class: medic
 * Christine Yamata - Codename "Four Eyes". Class: field scientist.

Echo Six
The US Goverment send a elite squad to seach the trith about the outbreak and rescue the civilians of Raccoon City.
 * Caroline Floyd- Code named "Willow." Class: recon.
 * Crispin Jettingham- Code named "Dee-Ay." Class: assault.
 * Marissa Ronson- Code named "Tweed." Class: demoition.
 * Erez Morris- Code named "Harley." Class: medic.
 * Lawrence Kimbala- Code named "Shona." Class: field scientist.
 * Sienna Fowler- Code named "Party girl." Class: marksman.

Key persons

 * Leon S. Kennedy - A rookie cop who arrives in Raccoon City for works in the RPD.
 * Claire Redfield - A college student, sister of Chris Redfield.
 * Carlos Oliveira - A latin mercenary of the UBCS.
 * Jill Valentine - A former STARS Alpha Team member and survivor of the Mansion Incident.HUNK
 * HUNK - A special agent of the USS, nicknamed "Mr. Death".
 * Nicholai Zinoviev - A mercenary of the UBCS, using the outbreak for his personal propouses.
 * Ada Wong - a female spy sended by The Organization to obtain the G-Virus sample.

Campaign Scenarios
The game contains these current scenarios:

Containment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XagVLpbkvok&feature=related
 * Objective: Infiltrate in the Birkin's laboratory and steal the G-virus sample.
 * Areas: Umbrella Underground Laboratory.
 * Characters: HUNK.
 * Enemies: UBCS, G|G-Birkin, SpecOps, Cerberus.

Corruption

 * Objective: Destroy all the evidence of the Umbrella participation in the outbreak.
 * Areas: Raccoon City Hall.
 * Characters: Nicholai Zinoviev.
 * Enemies: Zombies, Lickers, SpecOps.

Lights Out

 * Objective: Retrieve an EMP from the roof of Raccoon City Hospital.
 * Areas: Raccoon City Hospital.
 * Characters: Nicholai Zinoviev.
 * Enemies: Zombies, lickers, crimson heads.

No Survivors

 * Objective: Find the cop and kill him.
 * Areas: Stagla Gas Station, Kendo Gun Shop.
 * Characters: Claire Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy.
 * Enemies: Zombies, Hunters, Lickers, SpecOps, T-103

Betrayal

 * Objective: Unknown
 * Areas: Unknown
 * Characters: Unknown
 * Enemies: Zombies

Rogue's Gallery

 * Objective: Unknown
 * Areas: Unknown
 * Characters: Unknown
 * Enemies: Zombies

Downloadable Missions
According to Xbox360Achievements.org, an additional 20 achievements worth collectively 500 points has been added to their preview code, which suggests that there will be a post-launch DLC pack. Based on the text of the achievments, it seems the DLC will contain a set of missions for Echo Six.

Like the USS Campaign, there seems to be six missions for Echo Six:

By the Trail of Our Dead

 * Objective: Unknown
 * Areas: Unknown
 * Characters: Unknown
 * Enemies: Unknown

I Now Know Why You Cry

 * Objective: Unknown
 * Areas: Unknown
 * Characters: Unknown
 * Enemies: Unknown

Nothing Is As It Seems

 * Objective: Unknown
 * Areas: Unknown
 * Characters: Unknown
 * Enemies: Unknown

Longest Yard

 * Objective: Unknown
 * Areas: Unknown
 * Characters: Unknown
 * Enemies: Unknown

Root of All Evil

 * Objective: Unknown
 * Areas: Unknown
 * Characters: Unknown
 * Enemies: Unknown

The Places We're Meant to Die

 * Objective: Unknown
 * Areas: Unknown
 * Characters: Unknown
 * Enemies: Unknown

Gameplay
The six main playable characters are members of the USS, in a elite team called Wolfpack.

Each have their own unique abilities; seprated in six classes. Vector (real name unknown) is the team's recon expert and is equipped with a cloaking ability, Beltway (Hector Hivers) is proficient in the use of explosives, Bertha (Michaela Heinzwaffen) is the team's medic, Spectre (Vladimir Bodrovski) is the team's surveillance class and sharpshooter, Four Eyes (Christine Yamata) is the scientist of the group with the ability to program the Bio Organic Weapons (BOWs), and then there is Lupo (Karena LesProux) who is an assault class/Team leader.

Campaing mode includes single player, multiplayer off-line and multiplayer on-line. Is unknown yet if the games includes the LAN multiplayer mode, likely aonther shooter games.

The zombies in the game will be able to attack the player in a multitude of ways. A zombie that gets too close to the player will usually attempt to grapple the player, prompting the player to rapidly shake their analogue stick to avoid infection. Players who are unsuccessful in doing this will be "invisible" to nearby zombies for a limited amount of time whilst they are infected before their death in game. If a player is successfully bitten and later runs out of time after becoming infected, the player will lose control of their character and begin attacking their former teammates until shot in the head, allowing the player to respawn.

The game also utilizes a bleeding mechanic, meaning characters who have been badly wounded will be deemed "bleeding out", giving their screen a blood red hue and making them a higher priority target to nearby infected than the others.

In December 2011, Capcom unveiled Heroes Mode, an online multiplayer mode feature allowing you to play classic hero characters such as Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine and Carlos Oliveira, plus the villains Ada Wong, HUNK, Nicholai Ginovaef and an all-new character, called Lone Wolf.

In January 2012, Caprom revealed another set of playable characters, from the US SpecOps elite squad named "Echo Six". The characters Dee-Ay, Willow, Harley, Party Girl, Shona and Tweed share the sames six classes of Wolfpack. The Echo Six characters can be used in the multiplayer modes and in the DLC Echo Six Pack campaigns.

Multiplayer
These Multiplayer Modes have been confirmed by Capcom for the game:

Team attack
A team deathmatch style gametype. The goal is for one of the two teams (Spec Ops or USS) to kill the other in order to attain the highest score.

Biohazard
The goal is to escort samples of the G-Virus back to the base of your team.

Survivors
A competitive twist on survival game types; the goal is to survive until a rescue helicopter arrives, while fending off the other team.

Heroes Mode
The goal is to fight against your opponents' and defend your own team's iconic characters.

Enemies
During the campaigns, players encounter a large amount of classical enemies and BOWs from Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, likely zombies, dog zombies, Hunters, and lickers. Crimson Heads return using the Four-Eyes ability to convert a normal zombie in a Crimson Head. A new B.O.W called NE-β Type can control other B.O.W, making them more resistant and harder to kill.

Characters also can fight against human enemies, likely RPD officers, UBCS mercenaries, SpecOps and USS troops (this last, only in SpecOps campaigns). Classic characters like Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield also can be killed by the Wolfpack during the game, changing the events of the series.

Bosses are confirmed yet: G-Birkin (first mutation), Tyrant T-103 (and his transformation) and Nemesis T-type using a mini-gun and a rocket launcher.

Weapons
The weapons for the game are directly taken for Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and Slant Six SOCOM titles, takes the more notable weapons for this games. A great part of the weapons are confirmed via Kendo Gun Shop webpage, via Inserted Evil in the fifth clue. A weapon pack was taken from Resident Evil 5, with weapons like the AK-74, H&K MP5, H&amp;K PSG-1 and others. Alfred Ashford's sniper rifle from Code: Veronica was confirmed to be in the game.

All playable characters begin the game with a standart combat knife, used in melee and CQC attacks.

The primary weapons are separated into six categories yet: shotguns, sniper rifles, assault rifles, machine guns and submachine guns with each category containing between 3 and 6 weapons. Also, player can choose a handgun/magnum sidearm as his secondary weapon. Players can buy unlockeable weapons using his EX points, likely with special habilities.

Other weapons like flamethrower, grenade launchers and a unknown yet special weapons may be present in game, but obtaining only during the campaing. Players may choose only primary and one secondary weapon before the campaign begins, despiting the classic inventory system. The grenade launcher just uses explosive rounds.

Other characters and bosses use weapons not shown on the Kendo Gun Shop web page. Nemesis-T Type uses his trademark FIM-92 Stinger rocket launcher, as well as the Gatling minigun from his movie appearance fighting against SpecOps. Claire Redfield uses a Penn Arms L1 rather than her signature M79 Grenade launcher against the USS. Also, in Claire's render, she is shown using a shotgun rather than her canon bowgun. Nicholai Zinoviev uses a H&amp;K PSG1, likely in Outbreak File 2.

Classic characters uses his trademark handguns, confirmed via Heroes Mode trailer. Leon uses his VP70 burst (Matilda), Claire the Browning-HP, Jill the Samurai Edge, Ada the Blacktail and Carlos Oliveira and Nicholai the SIG-P226.

The grenades in game can be used by USS members, UBCS mercenaries, RPD Officers and Government Spec Ops. Currently, just the frag and flash grenades are confirmed along with the proximity bomb used by both Beltway, Tweed and Nicholai. A new grenade type called Pheromone grenade can be used to attract the BOWs to a specific place, but can be used only by Four Eyes and Shona.

The knife has special action techniques merging with martial arts attacks to kill enemies in a new CQC system. Blades includes survival knifes, machetes and daggers used by Wolfpack, Echo Six members and classic characters in the Heroes Mode.

Downloadable weapons
Operation Raccoon City is the first game in the series to include DLC weapons, currently eight in total: Machine Pistol (Steyr TMP), Combat Shotgun (Armsel Stryker), Perforator (Kel-Tec KSG), Combat SMG (TDI Vector), Anti-matérial rifle (Barret M82), Matilda (H&K VP70 burst), Cowboy Shotgun (Remigton Cowboy), and Classic Launcher (M79).

Development
The idea for the game came about during the development of Lost Planet 2. 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: Operation 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."

On March, 2011, Masachika Kawata estimated the game to be 45% complete. According to Kawata, there were discussions on introducing new "Bio Organic Weapon" enemy creatures into the game.

The May 2011 edition of the Official Xbox Magazine, released on April 5, shows an image of an individual in a gas mask along 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."

Awards
According with xbox360achievements.org, the game includes 50 achievements with a total of 1000 Gamerscore. Is more probably when these achievements are the same for the PS3 trophies

Release
During E3 2011, French game site Play3-live.com claims that Capcom gave a release day of November 25, 2011 for Europeans, however, Capcom confirmed the worldwide release in March 2012.

A special edition of the game includes a steelbook with exclusive art, a steel cover for the game, 2 embroidered patches of the USS and Spec Ops,and 8 exclusive weapons.

If you pre-order the game at GameStop, BestBuy or Amazon.com, you will receive six alternate costumes for Lupo, Bertha, Four Eyes, Vector, Spectre, Beltway and two DLC weapons different for each retailer.

In other local retailers, if you pre-order the game you can obtain a steel plaque "Welcome to Raccoon City".

Trivia

 * In the demo, signs written on walls written in blood are seen around (often asking for HELP), this was already in the beta version of the original Resident Evil (1996), but for unknown reasons, blood signs were cut from the final product.
 * The North American PC version of the game will be sold exclusively as a digital download.
 * This game seems to have the most playable characters in the series so far.
 * In the mission containment a cutscene will occur where HUNK and another USS soldier heads into Dr. Birkin's laboratory; which leads into the cut-scene in Resident Evil 2, where Annette Birkin tells Ada Wong/Claire Redfield how Birkin injected himself with the G-virus. This mission is used as a tutorial for beginners.