RESIDENT EVIL: THE DARKSIDE CHRONICLES FOR THE Wii SHIPS TODAY

Wii Owners Get Their Resident Evil Fix as the Latest Installment to the Series Combines Frantic First-Person Arcade Shooter Action with 2-Player Co-op Gameplay

SAN MATEO, Calif. — Nov. 17, 2009 — Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that Resident Evil®: The Darkside Chronicles is now shipping to all North American retailers for Wii™. The latest installment in the Resident Evil® franchise, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is a follow up to the successful Resident Evil®: The Umbrella Chronicles that took the series’ infamous characters and storylines and turned the gameplay on its side with new on-rails arcade shooter gameplay. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles takes this gameplay to a whole new level in terror as the camera now mimics the first person view creating a more dramatic and immersive horror experience.

The addition of a full 2-player co-op experience only adds to the game’s level of depth, as players can now shoot zombies with their friends throughout the game. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is rated M for Mature by the ESRB and has a suggested retail price of $49.99 at all major retailers across North America.

For a taste of the action, players can also check out Capcom’s Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles official interactive trailer at http://www.gametrailers.com/video/experience-the-darkside/57808. For the first time in a video game trailer, the audience will be able to engage in the action they see on screen by being able to shoot the zombies with a click of their mouse. Before players purchase the game, they can try it out at Gametrailers.com.

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles sends a full cast of characters into a world where the lines between good and evil are blurred and the potential to go to the dark side lies within everyone. Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Jack Krauser, Steve Burnside, and Chris Redfield all play their part in an engrossing storyline that will fill in the missing pieces from Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. This new chapter in the Resident Evil series retraces the terrifying ordeals of Resident Evil® 2 and Resident Evil® Code: Veronica, but this time from an all-new perspective. A vibrant new South America part of the story pairs Jack Krauser with Leon S. Kennedy as they hunt down Javier Hidalgo, a drug lord connected to the Umbrella Corporation.

The game’s on-rail, arcade shooter gameplay first featured in Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, has been radically upgraded in Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. To create a more terrifying and cinematic experience, the camera mimics the first person point of view and at times, zombies surround players so they must rely on each other to advance. Combined with an eerie soundtrack and a new graphics engine utilizing state-of-the-art technology, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles delivers the most fun and accessible horror game on Wii yet.

RESIDENT EVIL: THE DARKSIDE CHRONICLES FOR THE Wii SHIPS TODAY

Resident Evil 5 Review by Ian Friedman

Resident Evil 5 Review by Ian Friedman

Resident Evil is finally upon us, it has been a long wait for fans of the series, has the wait been worth it, or has it fallen short of its goal in wrapping up the saga of Resident Evil?

Story: The story of Resident Evil takes a decidedly realistic turn, with a move away from gothic mansions and police stations that seemed more like something from Edgar Ulmer’s The Black Cat. In Resident Evil 5 there is an emphasis on the idea of what if Resident Evil took place in the real world (similar to Resident Evil Degeneration). It’s a change that I wish the series had embraced in the past. After a certain point, nothing can be covered up, and Umbrella was going to have to become known.

The past Resident Evil’s do attempt to deal with this (the Spec Ops team in RE3 in the Dead Factory, the National Police Force report on Irons), but at the same time, most of the dealt with escape and survival, which was fine, its just that after Raccoon City was destroyed, there needed to be an switch and shift in tone.

Resident Evil 5 is what Metal Gear Solid 4 was to that series. It does an excellent job in tying up all of the loose ends of the series and providing copious documentation about the history of the series and the people and organizations that inhabit it. Really there are ton of files to be read and examined and I’m happy that the Resident Evil 5 took the time to provide a great deal of information about the series. Most importantly it finally explains what Spencer’s goal was with Umbrella (and it explains greatly a lot of Umbrella’s odd behavior with regards to the idea of making a profit).

The story itself takes place in Africa and despite what some misinformed reviewers might tell you, is not racist and actually offers heroic non-stereotyped roles for blacks and not just as the Cole Train (which isn’t racist either, since everyone in Gears of War is a hyper masculine character, who makes the Ultimate Warrior look even keeled, and I do love Gears of War dearly too). It’s a game that posses a decidedly anti-colonialist streak as pointed out in a recent videogamer.com article and in document files in the game. The story is Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar hunting down leads in trying to explain a rapidly degenerating situation in the Kijuju region of West Africa. If they developers were to just homogenize the location and setting, it would be far worse in my opinion, because then you are simply painting an entirely different region and cultural environment in nothing but a Western shell.

Resident Evil is at its heart a series built up not just from George Romero’s Living Dead series, but also the work of Lucio Fulci and numerous other Italian greats. It also has a decidedly 1980s action movie emphasis on the dialogue and story. The voice acting is excellent, which can be ironic for some considering how the series started out. The writing is still very much what one might hear in Mark Lester’s Commando or Bruno Mattei’s Robowar or Strike Commando. Truth be told, I don’t think I would want it any other way. Some of the best dialog in Resident Evil 4 was the banter between Leon and Saddler and Salazar. I’m happy that for Resident Evil 5 no one tried to “improve” the writing, which would have just made it dull in the end.

Some may find the ending anti-climatic, but it’s logical and doesn’t make you scratch your head. If you’ve ever seen a James Bond movie, which is one of the places that the game takes it’s influence from, it will all feel at home.

Graphics: and Sound: Killzone 2 may be considered the champ for both graphics and sound, but if it is than Resident Evil 5 is close up on its tail. It’s is a wonderful game to look at, from all the detail even when close up to an object. The lighting is great and has an extremely natural feel to it as if one was looking around outside on an extremely hot day. The locations are varied and you never get a feeling of haven’t I been there before. Everyplace in the game has a unique look and style helping to eliminate the feeling in the series in older games caused by backtracking or levels that had a similar feel to it.

The sound features excellent 5.1 sound mixing that is both immersive and engaging. Games like Resident Evil 5, Killzone 2, Gears of War II, and Metal Gear Solid 4 are reasons no gamer should be without even an entry level 5.1 setup. The sound effects are varied and as I mentioned earlier mixed well with the musical score.

The score itself is excellent and helps create an experience that one is playing the latest Hollywood blockbuster and not a simple video game. Resident Evil 5 is a reason to stay homes from the movies and instead just play it at home. I couldn’t test the PCM 5.1 on the PS3, and was only able to test the DD 5.1, but it was excellent.

Gameplay: Now for the most important category: If the gameplay isn’t fun then it can negate all the gains made in the other categories. The gameplay of Resident Evil 5 is an evolution of Resident Evil 4, simply if it isn’t broke, just improve it! Despite some of the hubbub made of the control of the game, I have to say I was able to get a handle on the controls within a short period time, my fellow reviewer Rich did take a little while longer, but eventually was handling it like a pro.

I actually wound up finishing the game solo and found that Sheva controlled perfectly. The game is great at co-op too and will be a huge boon for those who like to play with friends. This is the perfect game to play with a friend for hours on end. I actually didn’t mind split-screen either; then again I was playing it on a 40-inch television. The replay value of the game is immense, and while I can’t describe them, let me simply say that beating the game is only the beginning.

The combat is extremely enjoyable and does an excellent job of building tension and keeping you on your tows as a gamer. The variety of weapons and the new ability to purchase them at the end of each section or when you die, makes the game easier, but allows you to customize your loadout, which leads to more experimentation and variety, which is something I always love. The boss battles were a blast to play and had a lot of variety in dealing with the enemy and how to defeat them (boss variety, which like in Metal Gear Solid, is always a sign of great gameplay).

My standout moment of gameplay was when I was facing a heavily armed opponent on a catwalk and I was trying to shoot him, but I had to reload. The enemy was already starting up their heavy weapon, and I was like damn, I’m screwed. However, at the last second, my friend at the other end of the catwalk snipes the bad guy in the head, killing him and saving me at the last second. It was an intensely exciting and cinematic moment and something that will stay in my memory for a long time. You hope all games will be able to give you a moment like that, Resident Evil 5 does it, but it’s not even programmed in. It shows the great strength of the co-op, that it allows for such gameplay moments.

Overall: Resident Evil 5 is a great game that manages to wrap the series up (and most of the older plot points) in a way that is not condescending or abuses pseudo-magical/spiritual solutions that would upset the new move to realism (in setting and tone). The gameplay is intense and fun, with a variety of different gameplay solutions.

I’d recommend getting the version for whichever system you prefer the controller of, or use the most. The differences between the two is a slightly slower framerate with the PS3 version because it has vsync turned on, and screen tearing on the Xbox 360 version, but a better framerate. The differences are fairly minor, as I said the purchase choice should really be on your own controller preference.

Resident Evil 5 is a great game I recommend for all fans of action, horror, the series, or just great gaming.

5/5 Stars

Resident Evil 5 Review by Ian Friedman

Capcom To Host Resident Evil 5 Blood Drive

Come Give Resident Evil 5 A Shot and

Make A Positive Change For the Community on Resident Evil 5 Launch Day

Capcom will usher in the launch of Resident Evil 5 (on Xbox 360® and PlayStation 3) on Friday, March 13th by partnering with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive. On the way to pick up their very own copy of Resident Evil 5, gamers in the LA area will be invited to give back to the community by donating blood at the World of Wonder gallery on Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, Calif. from 11 am – 5 pm. In addition, fans of the series will have the chance to get exclusive limited-edition Resident Evil 5 Blood Drive collectibles, win copies of the game, enter a raffle for one of several exclusive red Xbox 360® Resident Evil limited edition consoles and most importantly, do their part to help a good cause.

Kiosks showcasing the game will also be on-hand for fans to get a sneak peek at the eagerly anticipated new game before heading to retailers to buy their own copy. Generous fans who donate blood will receive exclusive Resident Evil 5 limited edition items created specifically for this event, including a series of hand-numbered stylized posters, bumper stickers, buttons and a chance to win a copy of the game or an exclusive red Xbox 360® Resident Evil limited edition console. All Type‘O fans will learn that they can B Positive agents for their community, and they will find that AB it of blood can go a long way.

Those who would like to participate can pledge and schedule appointments by visiting http://www.capcom-unity.com/snow_infernus/blog/2009/03/04/give_resident_evil_5_a_shot__win_a_red_xbox_bundle. For more information on blood donation eligibility requirements visit http://www.givelife2.org/donor/faq.asp.

When:

Friday, March 13, 2009

11 AM - 5 PM

Where:

World of Wonder Gallery

6650 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Capcom To Host Resident Evil 5 Blood Drive

The Interesting Origin of Resident Evil 5's Birdlady

I was watching a documentary on The Black Death that I got off of Itunes and I was skimming wikipedia for some extra info. In the process, I came across something very interesting. Look's like someone on the RE5 development staff likes European History.

Now considering Resident Evil 5 is all about bio-weapons capable of causing a new black death (in scale and scope, if not even worse), the idea of someone trying to protect themselves for the disease wearing this outfit (or at least a hightech upgrade) has an interesting comparison to history. I'd be pretty shocked if this wasn't some sort of factor in Birdlady's design, even more so considering the strong speculation on who she is.

Here is a little more info on this early version of a Bio-Hazard Protection Suit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consequences_of_the_Black_Death

Considered an early form of hazmat suit, a plague doctor's clothing consisted of:

* A wide-brimmed black hat worn close to the head. At the time, a wide-brimmed black hat would have been identified a person as a doctor, much the same as how nowadays a hat may identify chefs, soldiers, and workers. The wide-brimmed hat may have also been used as partial shielding from infection.

* A primitive gas mask in the shape of a bird's beak. A common belief at the time was that the plague was spread by birds. There may have been a belief that by dressing in a bird-like mask, the wearer could draw the plague away from the patient and onto the garment the plague doctor wore. The mask also included red glass eyepieces, which were thought to make the wearer impervious to evil. The beak of the mask was often filled with strongly aromatic herbs and spices to overpower the miasmas or "bad air" which was also thought to carry the plague. At the very least, it may have served a dual purpose of dulling the smell of unburied corpses, sputum, and ruptured bouboules in plague victims.

* A long, black overcoat. The overcoat worn by the plague doctor was tucked in behind the beak mask at the neckline to minimize skin exposure. It extended to the feet, and was often coated head to toe in suet or wax. A coating of suet may have been used with the thought that the plague could be drawn away from the flesh of the infected victim and either trapped by the suet, or repelled by the wax. The coating of wax likely served as protection against respiratory droplet contamination, but it was not known at the time if coughing carried the plague. It was likely that the overcoat was waxed to simply prevent sputum or other bodily fluids from clinging to it.

* A wooden cane. The cane was used to both direct family members to move the patient, other individuals nearby, and possibly to examine the patient with directly.

* Leather breeches. Similar to waders worn by fishermen, leather breeches were worn beneath the cloak to protect the legs and groin from infection. Since the plague often tended to manifest itself first in the lymph nodes, particular attention was paid to protecting the armpits, neck, and groin. It is not known how often or widespread plague doctors were, or how effective they were in treatment of the disease. It's likely that while offering some protection to the wearer, they may have actually contributed more to the spreading of the disease than its treatment, in that the plague doctor unknowingly served as a vector for infected fleas to move from host to host.

The Interesting Origin of Resident Evil 5's Birdlady