With the launch of Resident Evil 5 Henry Northmore looks at why it’s a great time to be a fan of digital terror
Silent Hill: Homecoming PSIt/Xhox fihtl rKrmamr, 0... Silent Hill has; always been one of the most disturbing} titles on the rrtarket. relying on t)f§\,’t’fil()i()(_)l(;{ti iolts rather than lust action, While perhaps not the most satisfying of the series (that honour goes to Silent Hill (”i this rs still one of the creeprest games out there.
House of the Dead: Overkill Wll (Sega) 00.. Starting life in the arcades. House of the Dead has always been about cheap thrills. last action and all out zombie attacks. An on rails lightgun shooter, this is a gut busting. prolanrty strewn. guns hlazin'. grindhouse actroner.
FEAR 2: Project Origin
PC’PSS Xbox ($60 (Warner Brosl O... Admittedly not as good (or scaryl as the original. this first person shooter favours lrantrc action over atmosphere. It's a top notch shooter With a decent horror theme tagged on.
Dead Space
PC, PSBIXbox 360 (EA) .0000 Sun/ival horror, but wrth a set-ti twrst. Dark and claustrophobic rt revels in its cramped spacecraft setting with zero grav and decompressron adding to the puzzle element. Taking cues from Alien, The Thing and Event Horizon as gibberrng creatures leap from the all pervaswe blackness.
Out of Afric
Henry Northmore talks to Capcom, the development team behind the latest instalment of the massive Resident Evil franchise
ideogames have delved into
the world of horror for a
good number of years. Ilium/mg (iron/til. 'I'lrr’ Sir/ferrite. .lr'rit'lm. Alone in I/lt‘ Dark and many more have fought for the crown. but Reside/II Ift'i/ is the daddy of them all. On its launch back in I‘)‘)h it was one of the titles that helped sell the Play Station. lts adult themes. creepy set pieces and hordes of /ombics proved gaming wasn‘t kids stuff any more.
Now on it’s filth official instalment (there have been a multitude of off shoots such as ('m/i': \i'rorrii‘u. “HUI .-tim. ()uI/rrr'u/t and Survivor released under the Resident livi/ bannerl the action moves to Africa. (‘hl‘is Redfield returns from the original Resident lit'i/ teaming up with a new partner Sheva .-\|omar as the t'mbrella ('orporation's bio- terrorism infects a new continent.
t'nder the guidance of co- producers .lun 'l‘akeuchi and Masachicka Kawata. (‘apcom have ensured the story elements are as important as the action. They are justifiably proud of the immersive \VUI'ILI they Iltt\e c‘l'CtttL‘tI. ‘\\'L‘II. apart from the stunning visuals. gameplay. huge dedicated following and consistency in quality.~ explains Leo Tan.
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(‘apcom‘s l'K PR Manager. when asked about Res/(lent livil's enduring popularity. 'I‘d say it’s probably the level of care that goes into the character design and the amount of research that‘s done for every aspect of the game. Iiach character is miition—captured from professional actors. each back story is thoroughly fleshed out and maintained throughout the series and each enviromnent is based on a real-world locationf
Resident Iit'i/ has created its own gruesome mythology. Its popularity has spawned three big screen adaptations starring Milla Jovovich (w ith part four on the way in 2mm. alongside a series of comics and novels. It‘s certainly one of the most successful videogarne franchises that has managed to spread its infection even to the non-garner community. And while the films may have taken some flak from the critics through the years. the games
‘EACH CHARACTER
IS MOTION- CAPTURED BY PROFESSIONAL ACTORS'
have been reliably first- rate.
While it may not have invented the survival horror genre. Res Iz'vi/ certainly cemented it as one of the most popular in gaming. Helping to introduce genuine terror into the world of the home console. ”People really do like being afraid. whether it‘s games. books or films. It's definitely something primal in each of us.’ says Tan. ‘for ‘ something which shouldn‘t be L enjoyable. it has broad appeal.‘
Stepping up to the next gen consoles for the first time with improved graphics and playability, not only is this a new setting with new adversaries. monsters. weapons and the usual creeping dread you‘ve come to expect from the series. this latest helping of horror also has a few new tricks up its sleeve. ‘Residen! [ivil 5 introduces co-op play for the first time.‘ adds Tan. ‘It‘s a huge innovation for a series that has thrived on solitary fear.’
Resident Evil 5 (Capcom) is available on PS3 and Xbox 360 from 13 Mar
5—19 Mar 2009 TH. LIST 13