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It’s the current hot topic in regards to the Resident Evil franchise; Operation Raccoon City aims to not only shake things up in terms of gameplay mechanics, but the story as well what with being able to rewrite the series’ lore in this non-canon spin-off. “Kill Leon” is the name of the game for the quartet that make up the USS side of the triple threat battle taking place in Raccoon City between the aforementioned squad, the US Spec Ops and the BOWs.
But let’s focus on Leon, and what we’ve seen in both videos (the teaser trailer and 15th anniversary trailer) and images (from scans and art). Resident Evil fans have been demanding a remake of Resident Evil 2 for a very long time; and what Operation Raccoon City does is tease them in the biggest way possible: by including remade scenes from said cherished game that aren’t playable…Or are they?
First let’s ask the long-standing question: Why hasn’t Capcom remade Resident Evil 2 yet? Having asked that, it’s worth noting how sometimes gamers become fed up with all the “reboots” and “remakes” that may come their way from various publishers/developers but in the case of Resident Evil this wouldn’t be a bad thing; especially considering the survival-horror masterpiece that is the remake of the original Resident Evil. So when are fans of Leon’s first day as a rookie cop, and Claire’s quest to find her brother, going to get the remake they’ve been asking for for so long?
The assets are already there thanks to Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, with them only having to be applied to a third person perspective. Easier said than done, I know, and I’m just a mere editor and have no experience in any aspect of game development but it just seems like the work is essentially cut out for Capcom.
The Resident Evil 2 portions of Darkside Chronicles also made a good attempt of combining both Leon’s and Claire’s scenarios into one where both characters wouldn’t have to necessarily split up. And with Resident Evil 5’s recent implementation of co-op in the franchise, such a mechanic will transfer itself nicely to a full-blown Resident Evil 2 remake utilizing what was included in Darkside Chronicles. But now let’s move away from the Wii-exclusive rail-shooter and talk about Slant Six’s upcoming Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City.
When rumors first started stirring up about former SOCOM developer Slant Six taking on development duties for Capcom on a co-op based Resident title, fans immediately thought of Outbreak and a potential successor to it. Some time later, the game was made official and fans have been split since then, to say the least.
With the revelation that Slant Six is focusing on pure action for the game, ignoring the series’ survival horror roots, to deliver an intense “dirty” team-based shooter; fans felt like they raised their hopes for nothing. And while images of Leon, returning zombies, and the classic T-103 tyrant did excite, concerns were still in play especially with the other revelation that sprouted having to do with the death of said protagonist.
Operation Raccoon City doesn’t just aim to put a spin on the franchise’s mainstay gameplay conventions, but it also looks to enable players the ability to alter the actual events of the storied franchise (with no real long-term consequences due to this title’s non-canon nature). The main event being Leon and his adventure in Raccoon City during the T-Virus outbreak. The USS squad seeks to put and end to his survival antics and thus save their (and their company’s) asses from being exposed to the world for what they really are and for what they did in the once peaceful town. While the US Spec Ops are tasked with protecting Leon and making sure his quest doesn’t get cut short by their ruthless rival faction. And BOWs are…well…they just kill whatever may happen to be in their way.
The most striking part of Operation Raccoon City’s teaser trailer, especially to fans of Resident Evil 2, was the remade scenewhich sees Leon arriving in Raccoon City only to stumble upon a body in the middle of the street. We know what happens from there, but it was downright awesome to see this classic intro scene remade using Operation Raccoon City’s engine. We then get a slightly more extended cut of this scene in Capcom’s Resident Evil 15th anniversary trailer where Leon is confronted by a horde of incoming zombies. But could all these Leon-centric scenes be more than just cutscenes?
Let’s note one thing to start of: the franchise’s tendency to include separate scenarios and modes upon completing the main game. This is more relevant in the more recent entries in the series but it can also apply to Resident Evils 1-3. What with the original’s dual scenarios, the sequel’s 4 main scenarios (Leon A/B and Claire A/B) and its extra ones (Hunk/Tofu) and the threequel’s inclusion of the now traditional mercenaries mode; it’s clear to see that once you clear the game you still have many reasons to come back. Resident Evil 4 and 5, as aforementioned, continued that trend by offering a more fleshed out mercs mode as well as extra scenarios to tackle upon completing the main campaign. Which then leads to Operation Raccoon City.
Expecting DLC support for Operation Raccoon City is pretty much a no-brainer especially due to its huge team-based cooperative focus. But what of actual extra content unlocked after beating the game? All this Leon content we’ve been seeing leads me to believe that perhaps (key word) we’ll possibly be getting a Resident Evil 2 remake with the release of Slant Six’s multiplayer affair. Fans have been asking for it for far too long and we’re possible going to be finally getting our desired remake, though in an unexpected but understandable format: an unlockable scenario.
Could it happen? We’ll have to wait and see as more information comes out but judging by everything we’ve seen up to this point, there’s a possibility that Resident Evil 2 isn’t just serving as a narrative backdrop to the events of this title. I’m not oblivious to the fact that we would all prefer a full-blown remake serving as its own release, but one can’t help but admit that such an inclusion would make this package a much more appealing one; and also provide something for those seeking a purely single-player based experience.
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What do you guys think? Would you like Resident Evil 2 to be remade as an extra scenario in Operation Raccoon City? Make sure to let your thoughts be known in the comments below.
