With such a flurry of recent game releases, people often find it difficult to purchase every single game they’re interested in. Thanks to the internet, gamers now have the ability to access content related to games of interest, as well as get a collaborative perspective from fans of a specific series. I consider this to be one of the most important resources for me when considering the purchase of a game, as for a college student, money doesn’t always come so easily.
Two new games currently in development are Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and Silent Hill: Downpour. The moment I discovered there was going to be a new Resident Evil game, I almost lost it. My excitement was horrifying in itself, and I spent countless hours researching this new title. When I found out that a new Silent Hill game was coming out, I was actually pretty skeptical. I looked at screenshots and sort of said, “Meh.” The irony of my initial stance on both of these games is that, over time, they completely flipped on each other. With both games scheduled for release in March of 2012, can Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City compare to Silent Hill: Downpour?
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is a revisit to the era of RE 2 and RE 3; however, this is somewhat of a “Mirror Universes” title, as the story is not concurrent with the original games. Players now control operatives of the Umbrella Security Service and even have the opportunity to alter the original timeline, killing Leon Kennedy. Capcom has stated that this title is not part of the chronological storyline, but that it is merely a break from the games for players to control Umbrella operatives. Initially, I thought this title was going to be an amazing revisit to the ever-classic Raccoon City—I later found that I might be taking my money elsewhere in March.
One major issue I have with RE:ORC is that it’s a squad-based, multiplayer game. I’m sure a lot of people playing Resident Evil over the years have urged for the thought of blasting away zombies with unlimited ammunition, but that’s really missing the point of the Resident Evil series entirely. Most fans of the series require a claustrophobic environment, three bullets in their handgun, and a frantic hunt for the nearest safe room; this is why I find it so hard to be interested in this new title. This is also to look beyond other obvious concerns a RE fan might have, such as the fact that the creators of SOCOM are in control of production. In a way, I had to turn myself away from this title and tell myself that just because it has a Resident Evil logo on it, doesn’t mean that it’s not a quick cash-in on the multiplayer shooter craze. This led me to do more research on Silent Hill: Downpour.
Initially, my interest in the new Silent Hill title was overwhelmingly conservative. RE:ORC completely overshadowed any curiosity I might have in this new release, so I hardly bothered doing any research on it; however, after viewing countless articles and videos, I discovered that this might be the game even Resident Evil fans are craving. Set in the traditional town of Silent Hill, players control Murphy Pendleton, a prisoner in transit, who is involved in a bus crash and winds up in Silent Hill. The classic, creepy environment Silent Hill fans crave is still intact, but developers have taken the liberty of including large quantities of water in this title (quite large quantities). As I read more into the purpose of this game, I realized it seems infinitely more similar to the traditional Resident Evil series than the new ORC game (not to mention, it appears to stay true to the classic Silent Hill series as well). This game will offer players both melee weapons and firearms, puzzles, and side quests (side quests? Yes please!). Needless to say, gamers will probably notice a Silent Hill: Downpour icon next to my Xbox avatar before seeing a Resident Evil: ORC icon this March.
In conclusion, I have been a Resident Evil fan for years, and I’m nearly shrieking in excitement over the release of Resident Evil: Revelations, but I’m convinced that March will be a Silent Hill month for me. For college students like myself, racking up student loans over video games is something that must be done with caution.
What are your opinions on these upcoming releases?
