Resident Evil 5

Resident Evil 5 is the fifth instalment in the Resident Evil series, which is set to debut for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It will be developed and published by Capcom. Capcom officially announced Resident Evil 5 on July 20, 2005, and has released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on March 12, 2009 in Japan, and March 13, 2009 in North America and Europe.

Gameplay
Jun Takeuchi, the game's producer, stated that Resident Evil 5 will feature similar gameplay to Resident Evil 4. The player will control Chris Redfield similarly to how the player controlled Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil 4. The game's environment will also play a significant role. The game implements various lighting effects. If Redfield moves between bright and dark areas his eyes will have to adjust, causing the player to briefly lose some sight. The player will be able to take cover and dodge. The Mercenaries minigame, which was featured in both Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and Resident Evil 4, will also make a return in Resident Evil 5.

The game will also feature new types of enemies. The extended E3 2007 trailer revealed several sequences involving Redfield attacking hordes of fleet-footed enemies, who possessed melee weapons. Takeuchi has also stated the game's enemies will also possess human-like intelligence and awareness. Furthermore, he stated they will be different from the previous ganados. Takeuchi said that they have "greatly increased the number of weapon variations" compared to the previous games in the series, while the requisite handguns and shotguns also return.

In an interview with XBOX360ISM, Keiji Inafune stated that the game will feature some online elements. Resident Evil 5's main story mode can be played with two players, in a co-operative online mode. The feature will allow players to enter or leave anytime during the game. Players will not always stick together, and can be separated at points during the gameplay.

Trailers at TGS 2008, revealed an "offline co-op mode." This mode delivers the same co-op experience as offered by the online co-op mode, only with two local players controlling the action in split screen.

Plot
Resident Evil 5's setting will have a similar feel to the film Black Hawk Down Takeuchi added that the development team is composed of staff members who worked on the first Resident Evil. He has stated that Resident Evil 5 will be an actual sequel to the Resident Evil series. Before Takeuchi took over, the game's former producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi stated "it's safe to say that Resident Evil 5 will naturally proceed from where Resident Evil 4 left off".

In a July 2007 Famitsu interview, producer Jun Takeuchi revealed the main playable character as Chris Redfield and the game takes place ten years after the events of the original Resident Evil. The story will explore Chris' life during the ten year interval between the two games. During the game's events, he is a member of a group known as Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), and sent to investigate an incident in a desert area that serves as the game's setting. Takeuchi also confirmed that a female character from the series, who is seen briefly at the end of the trailer, will appear in the game. In an online interview, Takeuchi revealed that the game's plot will be set in Africa, and will concern "the origins of the virus". He also stated one of the plot's key elements will revolve around the whereabouts of STARS and Redfield's life after the first Resident Evil game. Another game trailer that was released on May 31, 2008 depicted a female character named Sheva Alomar who is an agent of West African branch of the BSAA, who will assist Redfield.

Alomar will follow Redfield, while supplying him with ammo and support. She will also be able to engage enemies, and will require the player's assistance from time to time.

Information from IGN.com has revealed the lady in white from the trailers to be Excella Gionne. According to IGN, she is a family member of the founder of the Tricell Pharmaceutical Company and she runs the company's African branch. She is also allied with Wesker.

Development
Jun Takeuchi, the director of Onimusha and producer of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, will take over producer duties from Hiroyuki Kobayashi. Keiji Inafune, who served as promotional producer for Resident Evil 2 and executive producer for the PlayStation 2 version of Resident Evil 4, is overseeing the project. In February 2007, members of Capcom’s Clover Studio were also called upon to help develop the game. However, many developers from the studio moved on to work on the Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, which debuted for the Wii. Several staff members who also worked on the original Resident Evil are involved in development. According to Takeuchi, the game will utilize the same gameplay model introduced in Resident Evil 4, while implementing thematics from the original Resident Evil into the game.

Although the game garnered much interest among Resident Evil fans, Capcom did not present any footage or information about Resident Evil 5 at E3 2006. Capcom revealed a brief new trailer for the game at E3 2007. They concluded the screening by stating Resident Evil 5 will not be released anytime in 2007. The full E3 trailer for the game became available on the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network on July 26, 2007.

In late March 2008, the April issue of Famitsu Wave was bundled with a DVD containing a preview of the game. On April 10, 2008, a translation of the video was published on Capcom's official blog. Takeuchi gave new information on the game and showed new gameplay footage. A new trailer shown at Captivate '08 debuted on Spike TV's show Gametrailers TV, on May 31, 2008, as well as the GameTrailers.com website.

Music
The music for the video game was composed by Kota Suzuki. His score was electronic, but includes 15-minutes of enormous orchestral underscore, which was recorded in Los Angeles at the Newman Scoring Stage at 20th Century Fox Studios with a 103-piece ensemble of the Hollywood Studio Symphony. Additional orchestral arrangements were composed by Wataru Hokoyama, who conducted the orchestra.

Capcom recorded in Los Angeles because they wanted a Hollywood caliber soundtrack that would increase the game's cinematic value and global interest. The game’s soundtrack will feature an original theme song as well as live orchestral music compositions, a first for the game series. The theme song is composed by Kota Suzuki and sung by Oulimata Niang.

Controversy
Resident Evil 5's 2007 E3 trailer sparked controversy with its depiction of an apparent Caucasian protagonist killing hostile African villagers. Newsweek editor N'Gai Croal began the criticism by stating, "There was a lot of imagery in that trailer that dovetailed with classic racist imagery." He nonetheless acknowledges that only the preview has been released.

A second trailer released on May 31, 2008 revealed a more racially diverse group of enemies, as well as an African female agent who assists the protagonist. However, Takeuchi denies that complaints about racism had any effect in altering the game design of Resident Evil 5.