JBoc924Last week was quite a big one for Resident Evil fans. Going into the week, we already had a concrete release date for Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and news of its retailer-exclusive pre-order bonuses and its special edition. And things only got better from there.
We received two big trailers on Monday from Capcom’s Gamers Day press event: one for the aforementioned squad-based shooter and the other for Resident Evil Revelations. So, as always, I’m going to be dissecting and breaking down both new trailers as much as I can. Granted, some of the things I’m going to be noting below may have already been spotted by the eyes of many a die hard Resident Evil fan. So, if anything, consider this a neat recap of all the juicy details we can pick out from this new pair of trailers.
Join me as I dissect Operation Raccoon City’s Gamers Day 2011 trailer.
Capcom sure loves starting their trailers with a close-up of an eye, don’t they? This one can’t really be related to the G-eye, though, seeing as how it looks pretty normal, possibly belonging to someone watching things unfold. You can almost see a screen of some sort in the eye’s reflection, so maybe this is the person watching the surveillance footage we’re about to get to.
I also find it kind of interesting how it quickly shifts from blue to red, serving as another nod to the series’ past, what with the ever so popular blue and red tiger eyes you had to originally collect in the first game.
This shot is from a scene we’ve already witnessed, thanks to Inserted Evil. Here we see Nicholai, of Resident Evil 3 fame, betraying his fellow UBCS soldiers. Yeah, I’m quite sure those poor guys weren’t expecting that. Then it gets worse once the zombies start getting in on the fun.
Nicholai’s going to be factoring largely into the plot of this game, and we’re going to get to see more of him as he partakes in Operation Watchdog. He pops up some more times in this trailer too.
Here’s a thought-provoking shot. We see what are most likely US Spec Ops soldiers on the ground, being confronted by an unidentified BOW. It surely is a BOW since just by looking at its silhouette alone is enough to make one believe that this isn’t a regular human. The question is: what BOW is this?
In this particular shot you can somewhat clearly see it walking away, with one huge right arm. It could be William exiting after he says hello and introduces himself to the Spec Ops soldiers. Or it could be the T-103 tyrant perhaps, sans the stylish coat. This is something that should definitely elicit much discussion (or maybe I’m just looking into this too much…).
In one of those classic “blink and you miss it” scenes, an “intruder detected” screen is quickly seen for a split second. This then leads to the shot we see pictured above. Yes, that right there is Claire, or as the USS is labeling her: the intruder.
What’s even more interesting about this shot is the exact location of it. I think this is actually one of the main generators in Umbrella’s secret facility’s power room, which we traversed in Claire and Leon’s B scenarios in Resident Evil 2. Claire is highlighted here, though, possibly suggesting that Claire’s B scenario is the one this game’s plot is going to run with. Or maybe Capcom’s opting to making alterations to Resident Evil 2’s scenarios. And to further help prove this as being the main generator, we get to see it seemingly explode, which in Resident Evil 2 leads to the facility’s self-destruct system being initiated.
The money shot. While Revelations is bringing us back to the world of survival horror, Operation Raccoon City will be bringing us back to where it all started: Raccoon City. They’re also doing it in a way that should definitely cater to fans of Resident Evil 2 and 3, by setting the game’s plot during the events of those classic titles. Basically, we’re set to learn more about what Umbrella was up to as the actual outbreak was occurring, specifically the USS. Will Lupo and her squad make it out alive? Or will they die along with the city they’ve had a hand in unleashing hell on?
Now this would make for an awesome desktop background on one’s computer. This screen depicts the many BOWs that have been deployed in Raccoon City amidst the outbreak. What’s visible in this shot are a Hunter, a trio of Lickers, and the T-103 tyrant. This seems to be the way Umbrella is monitoring all of their BOWs off-site. Interestingly enough, we all see an infected kill count in this screen, which currently is at 1,116.
We already know that many classic BOWs will be returning with this game, but it’s just cool to see how said BOWs’ creators are keeping an eye on them, and thus, everything that’s going on in the city.
I say this all the time, but Nemesis in Operation Raccoon City really does look adorable (does that sound wrong?). So much so that I would love to see Capcom offer a Nemesis plush doll exclusively on their online store when you pre-order the game from them (hey, there’s an idea!).
We get to see more of this classic foe later on in the trailer too. This is just the awakening scene which we already saw prior, thanks to Inserted Evil once again.
What’s so special about this explosion? Well, I strongly believe this is the explosion caused by the crazy, zombified truck driver from Resident Evil 2’s intro, which then leads to Leon and Claire getting split up. This particular shot’s probably from the point of view of one of the USS members aboard a chopper, giving them a place to land to see what’s going on (and, you know, to kill Leon).
Or maybe Nemesis left something in the oven for too long.
Something’s trying to push through this barrier in this shot. But what could this thing be? Definitely a BOW, but which? It could end up being a pack of Hunters, but then again, they would just be able to leap over this with ease. One of the T-103 Tyrants perhaps?
Here’s an awesome shot of Nemesis walking away with swagger, with his trusty rocket launcher in hand. This is possibly right after he’s been awakened and gets his personal, one-shot-kill, belonging, as we saw in the Inserted Evil video. He definitely seems to be in the same warehouse. Now he’s off to go flirt with Jill! Oh, and also to get rid of Brad.
There goes HUNK, after having obtained the G-Virus sample from Birkin, or, rather, after him and his team turned William’s chest into cheddar cheese and stole his life’s work. We all know how this particular scene unfolds, in a truly classic manner as shown in Resident Evil 2 and Outbreak’s amazing intro. HUNK survives, while his team gets completely torn apart by a mutating William. This scene has also been confirmed to serve as Operation Raccoon City’s intro, which in my opinion is going to be a pitch-perfect way to start things off.
The question is though: Will it be playable? Some of the new screens released, and even one scene at the end of this trailer, seem to indicate that we might actually be playing as HUNK in the game’s intro. It would be very nice, especially since we’ve already seen this play out in two games already, so being able to actually take on the role of HUNK during it would be pretty darn awesome. As cliche as it may sound, this may end up being quite an epic intro, and one of those set-piece moments all the kids are crazy about these days.
That maniac’s going to ram us! This is a recreation of a classic scene from Resident Evil 2’s intro right here. And this directly leads to Leon and Claire getting split up, or if you want to get technical, it leads to Leon A/ Claire B, or Claire A/ Leon B, it all depends on which one this game will be going with.
And as I’ve speculated before, I strongly believe that we may actually end up playing a sort of Resident Evil 2 remake once the final product hits in one of its confirmed extra modes. Said extra modes were strongly suggested by Capcom’s Mike Jones as possibly starring classic characters fans have come to love. So, why not offer an extra scenario covering some of the actual events in Resident Evil 2, from Leon and/or Claire’s perspective? I mean, the character models are there already, making them playable would be the only thing left. It may not be the standalone release a Resident Evil 2 remake deserves, but it would make perfect sense to make it part of Operation Raccoon City, since this game’s plot does span the exact time period Resident Evils 2 and 3 are set in.
Then we get a series of quick shots showing off the game’s tight and action-packed gameplay. Here we get to see the ongoing triple threat war going on in the city, with the US Spec Ops soldiers and the USS going at it while the classic zombies and their BOW buddies joining the fray. The best part of these bits of gameplay, for me at least, is when Vector shows off his unqiue special ability: cloaking and shape-shifting.
After taking down a Spec Ops soldier, HUNK’s protege’ is then able to assume his entire form. This is definitely going to be really fun to use and very useful to boot, especially while partaking in online competitive play. Beltway’s ability to place a grenade in a zombie’s mouth and make it blow is also quite awesome. And I hope I’m not the only one that’s excited about seeing the lone female zombie from Resident Evil 2 back in this game, now in HD along with some other female zombies (BFFS?).
(UPDATE: As our reader, Red-Dragon-Cro, pointed out, the soldier Vector is killing isn’t a Spec Ops soldier, it’s actually a UBCS operative. This pretty much confirms that we’ll be fighting them as well.)
Hello again, William. Having grown bored of fighting HUNK and his men, William is now going after the USS squad. And in this particular shot we get a peek of one of the boss battles we’ll have with the classic BOW. What I’m wondering about is where exactly this fight is going to take place. It looks to be a warehouse of some sort.
I know I say this all the time, but I’m way beyond excited about not only Birkin playing a role in this game (which should’ve been a no-brainer this whole time since, you know, he was quite central in Resident Evil 2), but also about actually confronting him throughout it. You can probably imagine how I felt when I locked my eyes onto all the screens showcasing him last week.
Nicholai is seen in this shot in the process of sniping a chopper. The question here is: who’s in said chopper? It would make sense for it to be carrying Spec Ops soldiers, but it could also be the chopper that was sent to pick up Jill in front of the clock tower in Resident Evil 3, which then got shot down by Nemesis. Sorry, Nicholai. Nemesis beat you to the punch there!
We’ve already learned that the game will be canon or non-canon, depending entirely on the player. So, if you do decide to go on ahead and kill Leon, then obviously, the game will automatically be considered non-canon. But, if you’re like me, and you want to experience the game’s story without screwing around with the series’ timeline, then you’re going to be met with a full-blown canon experience. This particular scene right here is definitely something players who try to kill Leon will see.
First of all, Leon and Claire were never together in a situation like this back in Resident Evil 2, especially not going up against the USS squad. Maybe Capcom is looking to alter some things here and there, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case in this shot. I think this is a scene we’ll see if we opt to take Leon’s life. In the end, it seems that we’re going to have a lot of choice in regards to how we let the story play out, with multiple endings perhaps.
Oh, and Leon using a sniper rifle during the events of Resident Evil 2? Blasphemy!
A continuation of the game’s intro where HUNK and his team are running away from a mutated Birkin after they’ve stolen his G-Virus sample. Here we see HUNK thrown across like a rag doll by an angry Mr. Birkin. This then results in the briefcase with the virus samples to be dropped, which, of course, can’t be good. As we all know, this results in the Raccoon City outbreak, because of those damn rats!
Nemesis sure loves his close-ups, here we have another shot of one of the most popular Resident Evil foes. He sure does know how to pose for a picture too. I mean, talk about excellent positioning of lighting. Also, this is just a little thing I found neat, but notice the three at the right? Yeah, he wants people to know what game he’s from!
We’re back to what I believe is the main power generators in the power room from Resident Evil 2’s secret Umbrella lab. I may end up being wrong about this, but I feel confident in this particular speculation. This then results in the self-destruct timer winding down, with the USS possibly swiftly on the move to off Claire and Leon before they can escape.
It’s Nicholai again. While he isn’t giving direct orders to you like HUNK is in the game, Nicholai is still set to play a huge role in the proceedings. He was a shady character in Resident Evil 3, and in Operation Raccoon City we’re going to see more of his personal agenda– like the surveillance tape from Inserted Evil and the beginning of this new trailer. His intentions may not be on par with the USS’, and ultimately Umbrella’s, so it’ll be interesting to see how things play out every time you and him cross paths.
And we also learn that Nicholai has a little contraption (which sounds kind of wrong!). Seriously though, his little contraption does cause one mean explosion (that sounds wrong again!) as we’ll soon see…
Don’t tell me you’re sick of seeing Nemesis! I know I nearly had to get a new pair of pants when I saw that awesome awakening video. We know he’s in the game, and we also know we’re going to cross paths with him at some point. But how many times will we actually fight him? And where?
It’s easier with Nemesis than it is with William in regards to fighting him in locations where we didn’t actually get to fight them in in their respective games, because Nemesis was actually roaming around the entire city looking for any last STARS member he could get a lock on. So we could easily have a boss battle with him in a brand new area in the city, whereas if the same were to happen with William, it would need some sort of explanation. Maybe Mr. Birkin opted to get some fresh air outside of the police station and all its underground passageways leading to the Umbrella facility.
What’s Nicholai blowing up now? I’m not quite sure, but something tells me he’s going to try and take down the USS at some point in the story. Or maybe here he’s just killing a bunch of Spec Ops soldiers. We know this man is a traitor, so it really wouldn’t be surprising to me to see him go against the USS and their mission. But what would he gain from that? Also, how awesome would it be to see him and HUNK go at it? Not exactly likely, but, who knows, it could happen.
Time to be faced with Mr.X’s second form! Things get serious once his stylish coat burns away when he’s dropped in a fiery pit. Mr.X emerges full of rage, ready to take down Claire or Leon, depending on who’s B scenario you’re doing. Seeing how amazing William and Nemesis look like in the game, I can’t wait to see how Mr. X’s second form looks like. It sure will be frightening, just like the boss battle itself will be. We know Ada drops the rocket launcher to aid you in this battle, so…will we be seeing Ada in this game? I’m 100% sure we will,but we’ll just have to wait for an official confirmation from Capcom regarding this.
“There are no survivors, they’re all dead,” says Jill. Carlos then responds by saying “This is war, survival is your responsibility.” Wait what?! Yes, while we may not actually see them in the trailer, the end of it does feature their voice overs. Nemesis has already been revealed as being part of this game, along with his Resident Evil 3 colleague, Nicholai, so it wont come as a shock whatsoever to see Jill and Carlos in the game as well. We still haven’t received an official confirmation relating to both characters but still, this dialogue between them takes care of that.
(UPDATE: As our reader, DarkDreamTCK, pointed out, it’s actually HUNK who states “This is war, survival is your responsibility.” Regardless, we still have Jill speaking in there, which more than confirms that she’s going to be in the game. And the person Jill’s talking to has to be Carlos after he asks if she knows of other survivors still in the city.)
But let’s go back to the actuals scene we see in this shot. Here we have what may be the end of the game’s intro where William is quickly getting closer and closer to HUNK. HUNK, being Mr. Death and the fourth survivor and all, shows no fear and continues shooting at the enraged, mutated scientist. Again, this should prove to be a breathtaking intro sequence to the game. I’m ready to get scared shitless by Birkin’s unsettling roar once again. But who am I kidding? I religiously play Resident Evil 2 almost every day!
And there you have it! It’s been one hell of a busy week with a plethora of Resident Evil news. But I loved covering every last bit of it. I also enjoyed sitting down and breaking down both Operation Raccoon City’s and Revelations’ new Gamers Day 2011 trailers to give you guys a more in-depth look at them.
I can’t say this enough but I absolutely cannot wait for early next year, it’s going to be packed with Resident Evil goodness! Has this new trailer gotten you even more interested in Operation Raccoon City? Or are you still trying your best to ignore this game (you really shouldn’t be) because of its more action-oriented nature? Let me know in the comments below!
