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. 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 SPEC-OPS side (Playable in DLC). Each side has seven 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 U.B.C.S. 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 beginning 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 U.B.C.S. 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 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, SPECTRE, 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 Echo Six, 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 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.
 * U.S.S.: HUNK, Nicholai Zinoviev, Ada Wong and a new character called LONE WOLF.

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

Characters




Wolfpack
An elite team of the Umbrella Security Service sent to destroy all the evidence about the company's culpability for the infamous outbreak, and kill any survivors in the process.
 * Karen LesProux - Team leader, codename "LUPO"
 * "VECTOR" - Master of stealth, real name unknown
 * Hector Hivers - Explosives expert, codename "BELTWAY"
 * 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.
 * Crispin Jettingham - Team leader, codename "Dee-Ay"
 * Caroline Floyd - Recon, codename "Willow"
 * Marissa Ronson - Demolitions expert, codename "Tweed"
 * Sienna Fowler - Designated Marksman, codename "Party Girl"
 * Erez Morris - Team medic, codename "Harley"
 * Lawrence Kimbala - Field scientist, codename "Shona"

Classic characters
Currently, seven playable classic characters from Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis 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 U.S.S. 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.

U.S.S. 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. Graphically, the screen can be effected in different ways including blood splatter from killing or hurting an enemy, or being covered in vomit from zombies and crimson heads.

If the players are shot, their blood will attract zombies and B.O.W.s until the bleeding stops a few moment after.

Players can be infected and will turn into a zombie if they are bitten and are not cured of their infection with an antiviral spray. When the player is infected, their health bar will turn from green to blue, and slowly begin to decrease, with the screen becomes increasingly blue and the character having increased difficulty breathing. If the health bar were to completely empty, then the player will become a zombie. The player can recover health using first aid sprays or green herbs but will still be infected until cured with an antiviral spray. The infected players, who have turned into zombies, will have no control over their character and will attack their teammates. The zombie player must be killed before another teammate can revive them.

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

The new inventory system can be changed depending on the player's class. It resembles Resident Evil 5's quick selection of items using the game pad.

However, some classes can carry more of a certain item by upgrading a particular ability:


 * The Field Scientist can carry up to 4 Anti Viral Sprays.
 * The Medic can carry up to 4 First Aid Sprays.

XP points
After a campaign scenario or multiplayer match is completed, the players will earn XP points, depending on the enemies killed, killed times, secret items found, and time taken with a individual rank between the F to S and depending the final rank (merging all the before), the player can earn XP points.

Similar with the money system in Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, the XP points can be used to buy new weapons or upgrade the classes abilities.

In multiplayer modes, each enemie killed or objective has this pointage system, plus the time, killed times like the campaing mode:

Some of them can be combined, depending the actions of the players. For example, you can earn 25 XP points if you kill a character enemy with a melee move plus if these character are a Hero you can earn other 250 XP points, so you earn in total 275 XP points.

Classes
Each character of the game has a specific class. Each class has five unique abilities, which can be upgraded up to 3 levels using the XP points.

Classes abilites are seprated in two: active and pasives. Pasives abilites didn't need to activated to uses in the game, but the active need to activated and reloading after a ammount of time to uses again.

During the Heroes Mode, the classic characters can use the abilities of two different classes.

Infected enemies
The B.O.W.s and irregular mutants in the game were selected from Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, though there is little variety of enemy.

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. Zombies and Crimson Heads can puke to the players, similar in the early games of the series,

Bosses for the game include William Birkin's first transformation; the Nemesis-T Type and three fights with T-103s (one of which being against two T-103s simultaneously). Also, Leon and Claire serves as bosses in the final chapter and depending the decision to save or kill Leon, two comrades of Wolfpack become your enemies.

Human enemies
The very first human enemies are introduced in the series. The players will fight against the Government Spec Ops, U.B.C.S. mercenaries and R.P.D. 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 and Claire Redfield.

Areas
Operation Raccoon City take places in the year 1998, in the midwestern American town of Raccoon City, destroyed after the infamous t-virus outbreak.

The game resembles some important and iconic areas of the city, first shown in Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, and after remade in the Outbreak and Chronicles series with best graphics. These areas is space had to be increased in order to avoid problems of mobilization of the even eight muliplayer character support with the human and infected enemies, however, retains its essence and its main features.

Other iconic minor places makes a cameo in the mayor scenarios, like the STAGLA Gas Station and the Kendo Gun Shop.

In the multiplayer modes, every of this areas shared the same enemies: zombies, crimson heads, nemesis beta, zombie dogs, hunters and a T-103 tyrant who attacks all the B.O.W.s and player characters without discrimination. In the Nemesis Mode, the T-103 is replaced by the Nemesis-T Type.

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 5 basic weapons, but they can buy others using their XP points. Currently more than 45 weapons were confirmed from the Kendo Gun Shop webpage. The weapons for the game can't be upgraded like in Resident Evil 4 or Resident Evil 5.

The players need's to choose a Primary and a Secondary weapon before the game begins, with between three and six models per weapon class.

During the game, the players are able to change their Primary weapon by finding specially locked metallic cases within the environment. According to an award of the game, "Secret weapons" were confirmed: the Grenade Launcher and the Flamethrower, however, no rocket launchers, revolvers, bowguns and fiction weapons, like the Mine Thrower or the Spark Shot, was included in the final game.

Nemesis-T Type can uses a minigun during his encounter in the game and Nemesis Mode, and his signature Rocket Launcher in the upcoming SpecOps DLC chapter, pursuing Jill Valentine. Both weapons can't be used by the players.

Grenades return in three types: Frag, Stun (or Flash), and Incenciary, now with a track color to differences after throwing. Also, a new type of grenade called Pheromone Grenade can be used to attract B.O.W.s in a specific point and used only by the field scientist class characters.

Finally, all of the players begin the game with a unselectable melee weapon (a knife or a machete, depending the character), used in the new martial arts CQC style, impaling and slicing the infected and humans enemies. Also, the players can use the infected enemies as "human shields" to receive the damage, a player can get rid of the shield in two ways via a neck-breaker or a kick, but during the use of the "human shield", the player can only use their secondary weapon and throw grenades.

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 retailer, the weapons are separated into four packs as a pre-order bonuses:

However, the special edition of the games includes all the eight DLC weapons, alongside with the six alternate costumes for U.S.S. members.

Soundtrack
The soundtrack to Operation Raccoon City is set to be released on May 16, 2012 alongside the Japanese edition of the game. Nevertheless, gamers have managed to rip music files for YouTube audiences, much like Revelations was earlier in the year.

Console release
The game has two edition:

Also, a third exclusive special edition for Japan includes a concept guide of the game and a exclusive DVD called "The Secret Report".

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 from each retailer.

Release dates
The release date has been/were confirmed to be:

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

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 fan criticism was for the alternate costumes for the characters, due to them being a "color swap" from the original ones. The DLC weapons also are criticised for the early confirmation before the game was released, similar with the Jill Valentine DLC for Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

Trivia

 * Early previews suggested that there were only four playable U.S.S. characters, However, after the E3 2011, Lupo and Four Eyes were introduced as the members of the Wolfpack.


 * A number of B.O.W.s and irregular mutants seen in other portrayals of Raccoon City do not appear in this game, and only one new B.O.W. -the Nemesis Beta - was introduced.


 * The demo of E3 2011 included a chapter called "No Survivors", with the objective to hunt Leon and Claire after the fuel tank track crash, resembling the opening of Resident Evil 2. In the final product, the chapter was loosely changed and merged with chapter 5, "Expendable".


 * It is interesting to note that any recreated cut-scene in this game from RE2 or RE3 has the original lines of dialogue.


 * The only former S.T.A.R.S member to appear is Jill Valentine, who makes an appearance in Heroes Mode and the upcoming Spec Ops DLC. Barry and Chris are shown in the Gone Rogue opening scene, while Brad and Rebecca make no appearance whatsoever.


 * In the final product, a lot of the weapons had design changes from the real life based models. The differences can be seen in the Kendo Gunshop catalogue from Inserted Evil.


 * Some weapons in the game are anachronistic; that is, their real-life production occurred long after the events of September 1998, when the game is set. An example is the Advanced SMG, which was based off of the TDI Vector, a weapon whichd started production during 2006.


 * In the Saint Micheals Clock Tower, the Moonlight Sonata can be heard looped in the chapel/piano room area. However, the song was never heard in Resident Evil 2 or Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.


 * While Bertha's surname is Schneider in the final game, her Inserted Evil profile refers to her as "Michele Heinzwaffen".