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'Resident Evil 7' is going back to its horror roots
Capcom's Resident Evil 7 brings some substantial revisions to the series. The seventh major installment takes the franchise into virtual reality, but that's just the start of the changes you'll see when it launches on PS4 early next year. The studio is taking the opportunity to rewrite the "survival horror" game concept it helped pioneer, stripping away a lot of schlocky Resident Evil tropes, enemies and characters. Both the demo and trailer show a more terse, psychological kind of horror game, something that several games (including Konami's loudly canned P.T. teaser) are looking to tap into. Action appears to takes a back seat to exploration and plain weirdness. It's a great conceit, but it's still a work in progress. Series producer Masachika Kawata explained to Engadget what's happened to Resident Evil -- and the challenge of ensuring that those playing on PSVR can stomach it.
'Resident Evil 7' in VR is a sweaty, puke-inducing masterpiece
I nearly tossed my cookies in the middle of Sony's media lounge at E3, while hosting a Facebook Live stream and playing Resident Evil 7: Biohazard on PlayStation VR. This wasn't a case of Nerd Flu or a bout of food poisoning -- I finally experienced the notorious curse known as VR sickness. For years I've been drifting from headset to headset without a care in the world, content in the knowledge that I didn't get nauseated while playing games in virtual reality. I'd read about people feeling queasy after playing Elite: Dangerous or Project Cars, but I never fully understood why it was such a big deal. Couldn't these people just chug some Pepto Bismol and get on with their immersive gaming experiences? Where did all these weak-stomached crybabies come from anyway? Crybabies, consider this my formal apology, courtesy of PS VR and Resident Evil 7.
'Resident Evil 7' will be fully playable in PlayStation VR
If you ever played P.T., the playable teaser for the now defunct Silent Hills -- you know exactly how terrifying atmospheric gameplay can be. A dimly rit room can create a sense of claustrophobia. Otherworldly sounds can put you on edge. Now, put that carefully constructed horror world into VR, and you've got Resident Evil 7 -- the scariest looking game to come out of E3 so far.
'Resident Evil 5' comes to PS4 and Xbox One on June 28th
Capcom's Resident Evil series set the standard for a generation of horror video games -- so it's no surprise that the company is celebrating the franchise's 20th anniversary by selling some of its greatest hits again. In reverse order. Starting with Resident Evil 6 back in March, Capcom has been counting backwards to the game that redefined the series: Resident Evil 4. That coveted release is still awhile out, but if you need a zombie fix right now, there are options. At the end of June, Resident Evil 5 will be available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
The 'Resident Evil' 20th anniversary means more re-releases
Ready to re-buy Resident Evil 4 again? This time for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One? Well, you'll be able to do that this year, but not before developer/publisher Capcom drops gussied-up versions of Resident Evil 6's hot garbage and the divisive Resident Evil 5 first. Come March 29th, the absolute mess that's better known as RE6 will hit the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live stores for $20, with RE 5's African adventure starting sometime this summer and the series' modern highpoint, RE 4, releasing this fall.
'Resident Evil' the play is better than I expected
The first Resident Evil games were my favorites. With comically bad dialogue like the now infamous "Jill sandwich" meme, tension built on scare tactics, gore and the thrill of a shotgun blast, simpler was better, or at least more fun. As soon as the franchise started to take itself too seriously, I stopped paying attention. So when Capcom decided to make the video game horror franchise into a stage play, I feared it'd either steer straight into closed-space melodrama (i.e., actors trapped in a room; one has a dark secret) or that it'd simply have little to no relevance to Resident Evil. So, with trepidation, I went to see Biohazard: The Stage (the series' title here in Japan) when it opened for a limited one-week run right before Halloween. Was I going to be bored to tears? Despite an unnecessarily fashionable Tyrant and a severe lack of blood, I was hooked for all two-and-a-half hours of it. And that even included a pop-dance interlude.
The next 'Resident Evil' game is an online competitive shooter
Resident Evil's recent track record for hits is... patchy. And we're being nicer than we should because of how fondly we remember the earlier games. More recent spin-offs and adventures for the series that all-but invented survival horror might have watered down that (t-virus) formula, but that's not stopping Capcom's very own hideous experiments. Tying into the 20 year anniversary of Resident Evil (or Biohazard), the company announced Biohazard Umbrella Corps, a game that'll see you shooting zombies and... other people that also seem to also be shooting zombies. The trailer was heavy on the action and gore, but expect to control your characters in first person when accuracy demands it, as well as a bunch of new zombie not-so-friendly gadgets and weapons. The game arrives in early 2016 on PS4. (Update: and also PC.)
'Resident Evil 4' secretly adjusted its difficulty for you
Resident Evil 4 is one of the most beloved entries in the survival horror franchise, and the last game before the series moved towards a more bombastic, action-focused style. There are many reasons to love this Leon Kennedy adventure, but one that often goes unrecognised is its dynamic approach to difficulty. As Pocket Gamer's Mark Brown explains, Resident Evil 4 would subtly tweak your experience depending on how well you were playing. Enemies would deliver greater damage, for instance, and appear more aggressive if you were easily charging through each area, and some players have suggested that ammo drops would automatically decrease for your preferred weapons. All of this culminated in a game that naturally balanced challenge and progression -- you never felt completely safe or in control, but neither did you feel that tricky sections were impossible. As Brown notes, to Capcom's credit they've never confirmed the feature's existence -- all we have are anecdotes and corroborating gameplay footage from the fans.
Playdate: We're livestreaming 'The Evil Within' on PS4! (update: game over!)
Welcome, ladygeeks and gentlenerds, to the new era of gaming. The one where you get to watch, and comment, as other people livestream gameplay from new-gen consoles. Because games! They're fun!
Resident Evil is getting its own TV series
If you love Zombies, but find The Walking Dead's narrative a little too serious, pay attention: a campier option is coming soon. Constantin Film, the production group behind the Resident Evil movies has announced that the franchise is being adapted for television. It's part of a larger movement to put the company's properties on the small screen: Mortal Instruments and Perfume are also being re-worked for television. It's not clear if the Resident Evil series will be based on the movies or a new storyline derived from the video game source material, but you'll get at least one more adventure in the current film's universe before it debuts -- Constantin Film says the TV show won't launch until after it completes the 6th Resident Evil feature film. [Image credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy]
Japan's Resident Evil 6 bundle costs $1,300: nets you a leather jacket, doesn't make you cool
Engadget has seen plenty of limited edition items looking to lighten the wallets of oil barons and hedge fund managers alike. Now Capcom's readying its bundle for Resident Evil 6's Japan launch and it includes protagonist Leon's leather jacket -- available in sizes S, M, L and XL. A complete set of as-yet unrevealed "tablet cases", supposedly emblazoned with character designs will also arrive in the set, as those wealthy enough to afford the 104,000 yen ($1,300) set presumably have at least four devices to garnish with Resident Evil livery. Japanese one-percenters can hit up the preorder site -- with their choice of jacket size -- at the source below.
Nintendo Slide Pad for 3DS review
First impressions stay with you. Take our first look at the Nintendo 3DS, for example. Our first thought? "Hey, where's the second analog stick?" Given all the gaming genres that benefit from it, it's almost unthinkable for a major portable console to launch without an extra analog stick. It's like Mario without the mustache, Charlie Sheen without the tiger blood or Donald Trump without the dead marsupial or whatever the heck that thing is on top of his head. Unfortunately, Nintendo decided to release the 3DS without that second analog. So folks who want to get their dual stick groove on right out of the box can only hope the Big N has a change of heart when it eventually releases the 3DSi Lite XL Advance. (We're just kidding about the name, of course, but you never know...) In the meantime, Nintendo's got a peace offering of sorts to tide by 3DS owners: the Circle Pad Pro. Slated for a February 2012 release in the US, we got our grubby hands on its Japanese equivalent, the "Slide Pad" during a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun. So is it worth the $20 price of admission? Read on to find out.
Mystery Sony-branded Arc appears in Resident Evil trailer, Umbrella Corp. doesn't comment on rumor or speculation (video)
While most rumors of a high-definition Arc were laid to rest with the reveal of the LTE'd Xperia Ion and the sumptuous Xperia S at CES, it hasn't quite stopped smartphone fans poring over the web for a sniff of its possible existence. This time -- get that salt shaker ready -- it's a cameo in the trailer for the latest cash-in release from the Resident Evil franchise. The hardware is certainly that of an Xperia Arc, but it's the first time we've seen a Sony-branded version -- no Ericsson here. Although it's not enough to convince us just yet that we're looking at a super-screened Arc, with Sony rumored to be readying plenty of phones for 2012, it looks like the Arc HD rumor zombie may need another bullet in the head. [Thanks Alex]
Nintendo to release Circle Pad Pro to US through Gamestop: February 7th for $20
That extra analog stick and three shoulder buttons -- they make all the difference and net you additional street cred in the process. Following up on its Japanese release of the Circle Pad Pro over the weekend, Nintendo has stated that it will release the accessory to the US exclusively through Gamestop on February 7th with a retail price of $20. Though still relatively unknown in American gaming circles, the Circle Pad Pro is cited as running for 480 hours on one AAA battery, which is nothing to sneeze at. Nintendo has stated that upcoming games will need to be optimized for the device but suggest that it can bring tighter controls to titles such as Resident Evil: Revelations and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Also, it makes your 3DS mildly huge. Click the break for the full PR and a quick video guide of the Circle Pad Pro's features.
Nintendo 3DS SlidePad coming to the US under the name Circle Pad Pro?
Last month, Nintendo quietly unveiled the SlidePad -- a battery-powered "extended slide pad" for the 3DS, slated to hit the Japanese market on December 10th. At the time, there was no indication that the add-on would be coming to North America anytime soon, but according to Capcom, it's on its way. Speaking at New York Comic Con last week, Capcom's Ryan McDougall confirmed that the attachment will indeed arrive Stateside by February 7th, alongside the company's new 3DS game, "Resident Evil: Revelations." It's not clear whether the add-on will arrive for other games released before February, but it may very well have a different name by the time it does. According to Siliconera, Nintendo has already filed a Japanese trademark for the name Circle Pad Pro, which could be the moniker we'll be seeing in the West. Nintendo, it should be noted, has yet to confirm any of this, nor has it mentioned anything about US pricing, but we'll let you know as soon as we hear more.
Capcom releasing HD remakes of Resident Evil 4, Code Veronica on PS3 and Xbox 360
Capcom is celebrating the 15th anniversary of Resident Evil by upgrading a couple of the games to high definition. Resident Evil Code: Veronica X and Resident Evil 4 will be available on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live this fall, as seen above in all their HD remastered glory. Our friends at Joystiq have a few more hi-res snaps in their gallery, given the slew of remade games in HD, and even 3D, how excited are you to play yesterday's games with a new coat of paint slapped on? Around here, we're more than ready to give Shadow of the Colossus another runthrough in a new format.
Nintendo 3DS in-depth preview, slight return (update: more videos!)
Immediately following its big 3DS price and release date unveiling, Nintendo had on hand dozens of new titles playing on what we'd surmise is final hardware (or at least near-final, given its February 27th Japanese launch). Our first hands-on experience was just over six months ago during E3, at which point we were very impressed with what we saw. Did this playthrough garner the same excitement? Have our decidedly older but not much wiser selves become jaded by the novelty of it all? Venture on after the break to find out. %Gallery-114669% %Gallery-114714%
Sony Pictures schedules Resident Evil, Piranha flicks for Blu-ray 3D release
Sony Pictures queued up a couple of new Blu-ray 3D releases, revealing that Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D will arrive on shelves December 28, while Piranha 3D is getting ready for a January 11, 2011 release across 3D, Blu-ray 2D and DVD formats. The December release schedule is quickly filling up with 3D, with Despicable Me, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore and Step Up 3D already slated for retail release next month. Check after the break for a full list of special features on both, plus another box shot and trailer for Resident Evil.
Resident Evil: Afterlife trailer promises James Cameron's cameras for the distinguishing 3D viewer
It doesn't appear that the slapdash 2D to 3D conversion seen on Clash of the Titans (or being a rather lackluster remake in general) has dimmed its box office prospects that much, but we're probably not the only ones who will be looking carefully to see what technique was used to create the next 3D movie due in cinemas. Such is the world that Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D enters, and instead of focusing on the strong story and character development featured in previous films, its trailer (embedded after the break) goes out of its way to namedrop Avatar and mention this flick was filmed using the camera techniques pioneered on our friend Jimmy C's blockbuster smash. All you have to do is say zombies and we're halfway there but even without the blue aliens, are you going to be quicker to shell out for a natively-filmed-in-3D flick in the theaters? [Via Joystiq]
13 PS3 motion control games confirmed for next year, motion-enhanced Biohazard 5 coming Spring 2010
Sure, the company's Tokyo Game Show keynote was a bit of a bore, but in a second press conference for Japanese media, Sony did what it could to make up for it by revealing Biohazard 5: Alternative Edition, the first PS3 title we've heard of to support the new motion controllers -- and better still, it's due out Spring 2010. Also confirmed is the existence of 13 first-party titles with motion support coming at some point next year, including Pain, EyePet and Flower. Both Biohazard 5 (known in the US as Resident Evil 5) and a LittleBigPlanet tech demo were shown on stage, and pics from the announcement are being uploaded now, so stay tuned! Update: Some new details of the LittleBigPlanet motion control demo from our friend Ittousai of Engadget Japan. In the presentation, one player was playing the normal way via DualShock while a second person was "assisting" by means of the motion control.
