Umbrella’s hulking experiment gone wrong, Tyrant, shows up to pummel your team.Since its origins as a survival-horror game where players warily explore a mansion teeming with the undead, Resident Evil has gradually moved to a much more action-oriented focus — a shift that’s reached its peak with this four-player, squad-based shooter. Thankfully, while Raccoon City is largely devoid of the tension and suspense established by the original games, it’s still an entertaining ride.
The tale told in Raccoon City certainly isn’t canon for Resident Evil fanatics, but it does give you the chance to peep behind enemy lines as a member of Umbrella’s Security Service. As one of four playable characters, you’ll pick any of six specific roles on your team: explosives expert, field scientist, medic, assault unit/team leader, recon, or sharpshooter. Using the experience points you rack up, you can buy weapons and character-specific abilities like active camouflage and incendiary rounds.
Unlike Resident Evil 5, Raccoon City lets you move while firing a gun. Phew!As a shooter, Raccoon City succeeds in delivering a fast-paced and instantly gratifying co-op experience. Even though you’re essentially tasked with the same objective in every mission — wiping out hordes of enemies and then moving on to the next location — doing so alongside your squadmates is still a good time.
The game also features four competitive multiplayer modes. Two of them — team deathmatch and survivor — aren’t all that interesting or fun. But Raccoon City’s version of capture the flag is exhilarating, as you must rush past zombie hordes to collect virus vials before your opponents. Heroes mode is pretty satisfying as well, in that it allows you to suit up as one of the franchise’s heroes or villains (including Leon Kennedy, Jill Valentine, HUNK, and Ada Wong) to battle opposing forces.
Vicious Hunter Alphas strike with lightning-fast ferocity.Franchise fans will appreciate Raccoon City’s numerous nods to earlier Resident Evils, including appearances by lickers and other classic enemies, plus trips to iconic locations like the Raccoon City Police Department. In some of the campaign’s more memorable moments, you’ll battle familiar foes such as Nemesis and Tyrant, although slugging it out with smaller infected creepy-crawlies like zombie dogs is intense, too. You can pummel dead dogs and “regular” zombies pretty easily, but you’ll need effective teamwork to destroy bosses. The key often involves attacking them from multiple angles as your squad unleashes everything in their arsenal.
At one point in the game, you also have the opportunity to determine the fate of Resident Evil 4 protagonist Leon Kennedy. This scene illustrates some rather bold storytelling by developer Slant Six; it’s just a shame that they didn’t add more compelling moments like this to the campaign.
Our biggest complaint about Raccoon City is its squadmate A.I. — or lack thereof. Far too often, your dimwitted A.I. allies become a sponge for enemy bullets and thrashings, and it’s incredibly frustrating having to constantly revive them. (Then again, Raccoon City is clearly meant to be played online, with other humans — not bots.) The game’s environments also feel bland: though you get to explore a variety of locales — everything from laboratories and fog-enshrouded graveyards to the backalleys of Raccoon City — all of the settings have a discernable lack of personality.
Some diehard Resident Evil fans may be disappointed by Raccoon City for sapping the survival-horror soul out of the series. But the game’s satisfying blend of gunplay and teamwork, coupled with its cool references to past Resident Evil games, make revisiting the perilous streets of Raccoon City worth the trip. Even with its failings, Raccoon City keeps the action rolling along; just make sure you bring some buddies to help you slaughter all the undead.
PUBLISHER: Capcom • DEVELOPER: Slant Six Games • ESRB: Mature • MULTIPLAYER: 2–4 in campaign co-op, 2–8 in Versus modes (all over Xbox Live) • ACHIEVEMENTS: Rewarding • COST: $60
+ Wreaking havoc in the series’ iconic locales is loads of fun — if you’re playing with other people.
+ Numerous references, characters, and foes from classic Resident Evil games.
– Horrendous A.I. makes it a frustrating mess offline; long loading times and weird bugs hinder online experience.
? Why are melee strikes so weak?
