October 10, 2002 - You have to go back into the archives of IGN Dreamcast to see first rumblings about a networked game set in the Resident Evil universe (for the interested, here\'s the very article where the game was first revealed). Since that time, little has been revealed on the game aside from the occasional mention to verify its existence.
And now, the flood begins. As part of its three weeks of continuous Capcom coverage, this week\'s issue of Japan\'s Famitsu games magazine features a first look at the still tentatively titled Network Resident Evil.
The game takes place parallel to the stories of Resident Evils 1 and 2 and rather than dealing with members of the STARS team, focuses on the citizens of Racoon City. You can chose to play as one of eight citizens who run the gamut of generic names, professions and types:
Kevin: A member of the Raccoon Police department (the RPD). He\'s brave and American (aren\'t most of the characters in the R.E. universe American, anyhow?). He seems to be this game\'s Ryu.
George: A surgeon with a hand in politics. He\'s divorced.
Yoko: A girl with plenty of secrets.
Mark: A worker at a security company who has bad memories of his experiences during the Vietnam War.
Cindy: A waitress at a bar. She chose this particular line of work. Her cheery spirit as she works is a plus.
David: A plumber, and the type of guy who only says what needs to be said.
Jim: A worker with the Raccoon City subway system. He\'s an energetic young man who seems to let his mouth run wild at times. He\'s into puzzles and even in his free time is always reading puzzle books.
Alyssa: A newspaper journalist. As one might expect (journalists, especially those portrayed in books, movies and, it would seem, videogames, are evil) she\'s not very likable and often gets into quarrels with others. She\'s willing to accept some dangers for her job.
Each character has his own unique abilities, which will presumably come into play through the course of the game. And judging by the pictures, they all seem to have the proper form when holding a pistol.
Your not by yourself as you play this game, of course. Network Biohazard is an exclusively Online experience, allowing up to four players to play simultaneously, each as a different character chosen from the above eight. The four remaining characters who aren\'t chosen by human players are controlled by the computer. Apparently, it will be difficult to determine right off the bat which players are controlled by humans and which are computer-controlled, something which Capcom comments will give players a feeling of independence as they play.
How the network play works hasn\'t been fully revealed just yet, but Capcom stresses that it will be different from other Online titles. In particular, this isn\'t a game in which you form a party and go around a game world defeating enemies while chatting. The game will require you to split up and group back together at times. Occasionally, characters who were told to meet at a certain point will not arrive there, and you\'ll have to decide to go on without them or wait just a bit longer. Story and dramatic elements will also play into the game, although we aren\'t sure at what level just yet.
Famitsu lists Network Biohazard only for the Play Station 2 and offers no solid release date. Check back for more on the game in the near future.
As a side note, Famitsu has one more week left in its three weeks of Capcom coverage. Last week saw the debut of Chaos Legion. This week were were given a look at Network Biohazard. What\'s coming next week? In its editorial information section at the back of the issue, the magazine promises a scoop on a popular series. Could next week see the debut of Onimusha 3? Stay tuned.
-- Anoop Gantayat, Contributor
I\'m sad...where\'s the stripper with the drug problem?
Seriously, sounds cool...I hate the series, but I love this concept.
