Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City + Umbrella

Sigh... I don't even know where to begin with this game created by Slant Six Games. Why didn't Capcom handle this game on its own so that at least the players get something more fun? Anyway, before I continue on to make this a review of the latest Resident Evil spinoff (which I probably will at the end of this post anyway), I shall show off some of the images of what I got along with this game...

A really cool umbrella! We pre-ordered our copies way back in February even before the pricing of the game was announced at Qisahn.com and paid $60 in advance per copy just to guarantee ourselves the freebie that came along with the game which strives to drive fans insane. Well, considering that there's nothing special to review about the PS3 standard game packaging, I shall go on to show y'all people who don't have the umbrella how amazing a brolly can get. :P

Well first of all, walking down Orchard Road with this full length umbrella with the word "CAPCOM" printed on the fabric sleeve is like announcing to the world that you just got the latest game. But again, there's nothing much to be proud of considering that the game is *sigh~ why Capcom why?!* But nevertheless, you don't get a Capcom umbrella every day yes?

After reading the bad reviews of Resident Evil: ORC, I think I'm more excited about the free umbrella than the game itself. But you can't blame me, yes? Look at the details of the umbrella! On the shiny black handle, which I presume is made of some sort of metal, you get the game title printed on it. Furthermore, the red rubbery grip is so gorgeous as it stands out from the rest of the black umbrella.

At the end of the straight handle, the classic Umbrella logo is printed smack in the center there. Really cool, no? That gave me an inspiration. Remember those helix spiral vials you see in the first Resident Evil movie? Wouldn't it be cool if this entire handle is made of that helix spiral T-virus thingie? Idea idea eh??

Initially, when I knew that an umbrella would be given out along with the pre-orders of the game, I thought that we would be getting the classic red + white umbrellas which symbolizes the sinister company but instead of that whacky candy cane combination, we get a fully black umbrella instead. I would rather have that red + white umbrella though because it's more in-your-face. As the umbrella is way too big for me to photograph without looking professional (hee hee), I did away with a full shot of the umbrella and focused on the details instead. Don't tell me you've never seen an umbrella before, yes? Anyway, on one side of the octagon, you get the title printed nicely at the edge. It actually looks good, no?

If you think that the handle is the coolest part of the umbrella, you have yet to see the insides. It wasn't until my brother pointed out that there are faces on the underneath of the umbrella did I realize that there's more to this free rain blocker. Under certain lighting conditions, you can see characters under the umbrella - like here, you see one of the characters of the Umbrella Security Service members, Lupo. Not a very feminine name in my opinion.

On the opposite end of the same umbrella, we have Ms Claire Redfield! Weeeee!! Someone I can associate with and someone who actually has a face. Most of the new characters wear masks to hide their hideous features or whatsoever. I wonder if different umbrellas have different characters though... If that's so, anyone wants to trade? I want my Resident Evil Queen, Jill Valentine, back!!


Now, in case y'all have been living in a bat's cave or something, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is a spin off game created by Slant Six Games. So basically, they revisited the Raccoon City we all grew to love until it exploded off the map in Resident Evil 3 and showed Umbrella's side of the story through their special agents.

You play as different characters with different abilities through the campaign, fighting through zombies and other BOWs and stuff. Of course, there are different objectives to meet as well. In multi-player mode, you can work with other players via the internet to complete the campaign or fight with them in the versus mode using lead characters from the main game - like Jill, Leon, Chris, Claire, Ada, Hunk, etc.

But what's wrong with this game? Well, a lot...

MINI REVIEW OF Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

First of all, the controls are off. I mean, Resident Evil 4 and 5 feature great control schemes and I don't understand why Slant Six won't follow suit. It would be easier for players like us who are so used to those controls to get into the game immediately as opposed to fumbling through unfamiliar controls.

Furthermore, the environment, though gorgeous, is really dark in some places and that really spoils a lot of the atmosphere. I get it that they want to scare the players but scaring and making the players blind are two different things!

Plus, the zombies and monsters are way too powerful and difficult to kill. The aiming is already quite bad and trying to kill the zombies is already a hassle. Furthermore, when a whole gang gangs up on you, there's nothing much you can do other than pray or attempt to run away.

Which brings me to the running away - pressing of the L3 button of the PS controller. That's just pure unintuitive and I always fear that my analog must break because it's so weird to have to press the stick down.

Did I mention that the artificial intelligence are anything but intelligent? I've seen them walk into laser, fire, or anything that kills them. Not to mention, they are so dumb they don't heal themselves. And, they throw grenades in an empty room with no zombies whatsoever. What's up with that?!

Well, I can go on and on about what's so disappointing with this game but let's talk about some of the things I actually like...

I like the fact that the characters have abilities so that you get to experiment with different possibilites of playing the game. I also like it that the game is based on familiar locations because it invokes that sense of nostalgia. In fact, I think if the above flaws are addressed, the game would actually be really fun though.

Sigh~ Capcom. You've fallen a great deal. I wonder if a patch is even possible to salvage these problems...



Well, if you asked me whether this game is worth the money. Without the umbrella, I would say no even though I'm a huge Resident Evil fan. The game is not well polished and the annoying parts are pretty glaring, hindering the fun of the game. I would highly recommend that if you want to try this game, you either rent them or buy them when the price falls (which will definitely happen).

But if you get the umbrella from buying this game, then of course, it's worth THE UMBRELLA! :D