Today Capcom is proud to announce Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City! It is in development for the PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC. In addition the forthcoming Nintendo 3DS title, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, will ship with a playable demo of Resident Evil Revelations!

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is a collaboration between Capcom and Vancouver based studio Slant 6 Games and is scheduled for release this Winter. Since the launch of the first title 15 years ago the Resident Evil series has enjoyed phenomenal success, selling over 45 million units worldwide to date. This latest offering will take the series in a completely new direction and offer a style of gameplay yet to be seen from the franchise.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City delivers a true third person team based shooter experience set within the dark and sinister Resident Evil universe and a reinterpretation of the events depicted in Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3. The setting of the Resident Evil universe not only provides a rich backdrop to the action but delivers a unique and thrilling triple threat battle. Zombies and Bio-Organic Weapons (B.O.Ws) add to the mix as players not only compete against an opposing squad but also tackle this third unpredictable element, creating a brand new style of gameplay and breaking the conventions of traditional team based shooters.

It is September 1998 and the action centres once more on the ill-fated Raccoon City and the horrific consequences of the deadly T-virus outbreak from the Umbrella facility. With a cover up required, Umbrella orders an elite team into Raccoon City to destroy all evidence of the outbreak and eliminate any survivors. Hearing of this plan, the US Government dispatches its own special forces to uncover any evidence that exposes the cause of the viral infection and Umbrella’s actions. Players take on the role of an Umbrella Security Services soldier (U.S.S.), competing alone or in four player co-op in a battle against all the competing forces at play in Raccoon City.

Expect the return of original Resident Evil enemies, iconic landmarks such as the Raccoon City Police Department and fan favourite characters, including Leon S. Kennedy, who as a rookie police officer in Raccoon City is on your hit list to eliminate. Players will experience a retelling of classic moments from past titles Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 and watch the events unfolding from the menacing perspective of the Umbrella Security Service, giving fans the chance to rewrite the history of the Raccoon City outbreak.

In addition, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City will deliver a number of competitive online multiplayer modes. Each one of these will provide a unique gaming experience thanks to the three way combat between the Umbrella Security Service, US Special Ops and threat of zombies and B.O.Ws that could only exist in the deadly and twisted Resident Evil Universe!

Purchasers of Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, scheduled for release in the coming months, will get a taste of the horror to come thanks to the addition of a playable demo of Resident Evil Revelations. Set on board an ocean liner, the demo lets players take control of one of the full game’s characters, Jill Valentine, as she explores the ship’s dark interior, killing any mysterious creatures that emerge from the shadows. A brand new title for the Nintendo 3DS, further details on Resident Evil Revelations will be revealed at this year’s E3.

In the meantime check out the covers of the various magazines that will have amazing previews of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City in their next issues!