Resident Evil 5

Resident Evil 5, known in Japan as Biohazard 5 (バイオハザード5), is the forthcoming installment in the Resident Evil survival horror 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 is expected to release the title before the end of the current fiscal year (March 31, 2009).

Gameplay
Jun Takeuchi, the game's producer, stated the Resident Evil 5 will feature similar gameplay to Resident Evil 4; The player will control Chris Redfield, the protagonist of the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil Code: Veronica. The game's environment will also play a significant role. For example, if Redfield suffers prolonged exposure to heat, he will begin to see mirages and hallucinations. Also, 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 visual of their surroundings. The player will be able to take cover and dodge (using a similar control scheme in God Hand). The Mercenaries mini-game, which was featured in both Resident Evil 3 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 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 zombies and ganados.

In an interview with XBOX360ISM, Keiji Inafune briefly 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. Both players will not always stick together, and can be separated at points during the gameplay.

Plot
Few details have been released about the game's storyline other than the fact that the 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 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.

UK-based publication Xbox World 360 revealed that the game takes place in a unnamed African country near a line of active volcanoes that stretch across Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Kenya, where volcanic activity is threatening to release a previously dormant virus. They also confirmed the return of recurring antagonist Albert Wesker, as well as Sherry Birkin (last seen in Resident Evil 2). Another game trailer that was released on May 31, 2008 depicted an unknown female character who assists Redfield.

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 Resident Evil 4's PlayStation 2 version, is overseeing the project. In February of 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 360 Marketplace and PlayStation Network Store on July 26, 2007.

In late March 2008, the April issue of Famitsu was bundled with a bonus 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.

Liam O'Brien will be directing the English dialogue for Resident Evil 5.

Controversy
Resident Evil 5's 2007 E3 trailer sparked controversy with its depiction of a Caucasian protagonist killing hostile African villagers. African-American 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 a non-Caucasian female character who assists the protagonist. However, Jun Takeuchi denies that complaints about racism had any effect in altering the game design of Resident Evil 5.