Rumors about the next Resident Evil have been validated, and it has been confirmed that a new game is scheduled for release this winter. This title is dubbed “Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City” and will be developed by Slant Six, the former body behind SOCOM series. The game will be set in 1998 during the original outbreak that underscored the first few games in the franchise. This time however, players will not be taking part as BSAA agents, but those responsible for the outbreak at Umbrella Corporation. In the game, up to four players can take roles as USS (Umbrella Security Services) and engage in team-based missions. USS is comprised of Vector, Beltway, Bertha, and Spectre. Your role on the team will vary depending on which character you choose. Objectives for the USS team include destroying evidence of the outbreak, quarantining key figures—and of course killing infected. An XP system will be implemented in order to acquire weapon upgrades and abilities.
The atmosphere in the game is described as being much darker than some of the previous titles and no matter which team you play on, you will be fighting the horrors created by Umbrella. In order to create the “three-corner-conflict” there are two other factions featured in Operation Raccoon City, including the US Spec Ops and the “BOWs” (Bio-organic Weapon Monsters). The three factions will be in constant battle with each other but will ultimately be fighting off the infected as well. Zombies in the game can sense players in three different ways: sight, sound, and smell. This makes team role-playing very important and puts emphasis on working together to complete objectives. There will also be some descisions to be made as you interact with characters from the RE universe, which will determine the future of the storyline and the resulting events. Slant Six hasn't revealed any additional playable characters, but there are likely to be a few familiar faces. More information on Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City will be revealed very soon.