I think it’s safe to say that this Easter has been more frightening for gaming fans than any other (and no, they haven’t revealed plans to commission another Duke Nukem title…) After the Easter market had been successfully infiltrated by two pretty prominent Silent Hill games it seemed strange to me that Capcom would choose then to release Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, a game far worse than those aforementioned. Whilst I’m stuck here trying to figure out why Halloween has shifted itself to April, I should probably start wondering exactly why Operation Raccoon City has been refused the same care and attention other titles in the same franchise have been blessed with.
The narrative for Operation Raccoon City is interestingly billed as a “non-canonical”, purely hypothetical entry to the series – taking place during the frenzied events of RE:2 and RE:3 Nemesis. Using the initial Raccoon City zombie outbreak as a starting point, this intriguing “what if” scenario is sadly unexplored and eventually springboards itself into the realms of being so close to the original source material that it ceases to be a “what if” game and more of a “this could legitimately have happened in order to support the series”. If Capcom were going to take a bigger punt with this title then I’d have had a lot more respect for both the developers and the Resident Evil franchise; a game of this ambition requires a lot more narrative creativity to pull off and what’s sadly left in its wake is a poor, linear storyline which regularly hits players with a bunch of nostalgia trips in order to get them to remember how great the original series was. If fans needed reminding of that, Capcom, then you should have just done a Konami and released a HD “collection”…
I’m saddened to admit that the single-player campaign is a tired and sorry entry to the first-person shooter genre; a consistently buggy and uninspired series of fire-fights helmed by faceless protagonists and bullet-sponge enemies. The very first mission, the one which developers will tell you means the most as it entices the gamer and sets the standard for the remainder of the game, is filled with lazy level design, terrible combat and a glitchy boss-fight. I’m a big fan of the Resident Evil series – so I can honestly say that this annoys me. You begin in the Raccoon City Underground Laboratory; a faceless U.S.S team named the “Wolfpack” defending themselves from the G-Virus infected Dr. Birkin. Such an iconic moment in the game series is really poorly handled thanks to some lazy execution. There is a moment where you’ll try to run away from Birkin but your protagonists’ body is locked in an angle towards him, preventing you from physically turning around. This leads to multiple deaths until you understand exactly what you need to do in this specific segment of the opening three minutes – frustrating, too, given that you’re not exactly introduced to combat properly. A few moments after that incident, whilst running through an area filled with helpful chest-high-wall cover, Birkin comes smashing through a wall right next to you. You’re given very little time to get out of his ranged attack, but what makes matters worse is that if you turn to run back to your cover – you’ll notice that it’s been lazily blocked off by a pathetic row of debris. It’s this lack of creativity that really bothers me – a game series so popular should not be releasing a title so lacking in quality and polish. Where the game actually shows signs of promise, however, is in its online multiplayer…
The game features four online multiplayer modes: Team Attack, Survivor, Heroes and Biohazard. The interesting crux to Heroes is that it actually allows players to play as popular characters from the Resident Evil series – including the likes of Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield. You’re given the option to play as those guys (Team SpecOps) or as the faceless protagonists (U.S.S) – so while it’s a no-brainer for most players I’m happy to confirm there is a well-considered balance to both sides; the game playing out much like a “last-hero standing deathmatch.” Another addictive game mode is the “Survivor” mode, which pits two teams against each other battling for one of four remaining seats on the last helicopter out of an infected area. Whilst it’s a brilliant concept (very Left 4 Dead-esque) made even more interesting by the inclusion of Zombies who can attack and infect you, I found the most frustrating factor was that out of hours of play – I was constantly being killed whilst holding down “X” to board the helicopter. I understand that’s the point of the game but after dominating for the entire match, team-killing at the final stage really proves to be an annoying issue.
And there you have it, there really isn’t much to recommend or get excited about with Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. It was a game bursting with potential that ultimately boiled down to being a lacklustre third-person shooter that just oozes with mediocrity. It’s a frustratingly average game with no unique selling point, a poor single-player experience and an okay online. There are already games on the market which do what Operation Raccoon City attempts to, and they do it far better. I find it hard to recommend to any specific audience, and I feel that even die-hard fans will be frustrated by its lack of care and attention to the series. A blip in the franchise – perhaps we should all just get high on the games’ ominously named “herbs” and forget all about it…
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