Capcom has sent out a rather handy press release which answers some of the questions fans of the series may have. Ultimately, most of the answers will probably only be truly revealed when the game releases later this year, but let’s tell you what is known.
The game is set in 2013 – whether the Mayans have got it all wrong and the zombie apocalypse is the predicted end is not really known – which is 15 years after Chris and Jill faced the original Resident Evil mansion in Raccoon City and four years since Chris went on his African safari in Resident Evil 5.
The game is set in a fictional coastal town in China called Lanshiang. This is where you will find Chris Redfield who has “rejoined his BSAA colleagues in China to uncover a major bioterrorist attack.”
The second playable character in the game will be Leon S. Kennedy who is joined by Ingrid Hunnigan – acting as his Field Operations Support – and his new partner Helena Harper.
There is a “mysterious third protagonist” – a mercenary who is currently engaged in a bloody conflict in Eastern Europe where reports confirm that B.O.W.s are increasingly being used. Unfortunately, being an unscrupulous sort, when told that he is “the man to save the world”, his first thoughts turn to how much money he can make from that little albatross…
Along with the familiar zombies (which we auditioned for but were turned down for being too “laid back”) there is a new regenerating zombie breed called J’avo – or ‘demon’ in Serbian. The first J’avo made an appearance in the conflict zone of Eastern Europe about six months before the action kicks off in Resident Evil 6 and while they still exhibit certain human elements – the ability to understand speech, work together as a group and use weapons – they are “incredibly aggressive and a number of their actions have regressed to pure instinct.
When a J’avo takes damage it has the ability to regenerate itself. However if it is receives major damage then it will mutate that affected body part into a number of varied forms, meaning players will have to rethink their strategy and adapt to this unpredictability.”
Finally, the Capcom notes have announced that the game “features an evolved control system allowing players to shoot whilst moving; slide; roll in any direction and to take cover along with the addition of an enhanced melee attack.”
It all sounds bloody fantastic.
