The time has finally come, fellow zombie hunters; after the long wait, the latest addition in one of the most popular survival horror series is arriving on March 20^th, and its name is Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. The game is roughly the 18^th or 19^th sequel to the 1996 game Resident Evil created by Capcom, in which an outbreak of zombies forces the player to fight for their survival. Veterans of the series have a rough idea of what to expect, despite the surprises the game has in store for players. As for any rookies out there, this is your captain speaking; please return your seats to their upright positions, as we’re experiencing some turbulence.

Raccoon City returns to the setting of Resident Evil 2 and 3 by placing the players in the center of the titular city during its own outbreak of the undead. Rather than taking control of one of the more popular protagonists from the series such as Claire Redfield or Leon Kennedy, the player will take control of a squad of commandos working for the Umbrella Corporation. In other words, you’re one of the bad guys this time around.

Along with the brand new characters, players have other surprises in store for them. A fresh batch of enemies has been created with this game in mind, including both the undead as well as the military. To compensate for the fast-paced timing of the game, the gameplay has been revised for a more tactical approach; for example, players may now run and shoot at the same time. The game also offers the chance to kill key characters from the original games, which could rewrite the entire Resident Evil timeline.

With all of these factors, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City looks to easily sell a good chunk of its copies in the first week, which bodes well for Capcom. I was fortunate enough to preorder the Limited Edition of the game back in early January, because soon afterwards the preorders were sold out on Amazon. Overall, Raccoon City appears to be a very promising game with a decent amount of money going to Capcom. If the game ultimately flops, there is always Resident Evil 6 coming out November 20^th.