Takeuchi talks Resident Evil 5, confirms African setting

by Justin McElroy { Apr 11th 2008 at 9:50AM }

If we were making a game as hotly anticipated as Resident Evil 5, we'd hope our publisher wouldn't say anything about it until it was done. We'd just pull up in our sleek Lamborghini (which all game designers drive) throw a disc into their mail slot and go cash a check. We're too afraid of ending up like producer Jun Takeuchi who has to be pulled away from making what we can only assume is a triumph of interactive entertainment to tell us newbs how work is going. It's like we're leaning over his shoulder as he toils, our Philly cheesesteak dripping grease onto his documents.

You've seen a bit of this before, but now it's in English. So, what'd we learn from the translation? Well, apparently the graphics system is all up and running and the team is now focusing on the "game system and balance." Oh, and the game is definitely set in Africa. Plus, if you're a complete geek, there's a discussion of light that's as fascinating as anything you're likely to hear today.

Gallery: Resident Evil 5

Tags: capcom, re5, resident-evil-5

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Fernando Rocker @ Apr 11th 2008 9:56AM

My most anticipated 360 game. It's going to be good.

Co @ Apr 11th 2008 11:13AM

You know, as great as this game is going to be, I have that GTA 3 "Fill in the blank sequel" feeling about it given RE4.

Nothing can ever equal that feeling of sitting down with GTA 3 for the first time ever, and the same goes for RE4.

Shagittarius @ Apr 11th 2008 11:14AM

"You could say were creating a game about whitey and darkie".

THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Apr 11th 2008 11:23AM

Whoa shag easy you mean caucasians american skin diners vs African American African skin diners.

PSN: KillaKornbread (the shirt is a lie!) @ Apr 11th 2008 12:20PM

well shag is just saying what that offensive ass picture in the post meant. cant get mad at him for saying what was implied anyway, get mad at the writer for putting that picture anyway. i try not to get too offended about stuff like that generally but that struck a nerve.

THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Apr 11th 2008 12:23PM

im not mad at him. im simply making a snarky comment about pc terminology.lol.

J @ Apr 11th 2008 12:59PM

Co,

You have slightly tainted my hopes about this game ;) I hope you are wrong.

that guy @ Apr 11th 2008 9:56AM

My most anticipated game right now, period. Why? Because RE4 was and is the greatest game ever made.

Fosssil @ Apr 11th 2008 10:04AM

This game looks excellent; hopefully we'll get it this year!

drw13 @ Apr 11th 2008 9:58AM

Wow Mr. McElroy you seem a little angry at Takeuchi.

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Apr 11th 2008 10:03AM

Where in Africa?

Does it matter? It probably doesn't.

I'll find a way to play this game.

Rob Accomando @ Apr 11th 2008 10:09AM

I don't remember, did the Hispanic/Spanish community get in a uproar when RE4 came out?

Maybe they should change the main character in RE5 to 50 Cent to make it "ok" to be killing black zombies

riggs @ Apr 11th 2008 10:21AM

your comment lacks funny.

Fosssil @ Apr 11th 2008 10:22AM

I don't recall -- I was too busy shooting the heads off Ganados to pay much attention.

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 11th 2008 10:32AM

Rob,

I hear ya.

Co @ Apr 11th 2008 11:15AM

Rob,

If that's you in your avatar, coupled with your comment; you're a tool. lol. LOL!

Rob Accomando @ Apr 11th 2008 3:07PM

Co, who elses avatar would it be??

heckthor @ Apr 11th 2008 3:59PM

Hell No.... I still making Fun of the things the Zombies used to say... Detras de Ti Idiota... Its Freaking Funny, specially when playing Gears of War... LoL...

I Love Bowser @ Apr 13th 2008 6:47AM

Rob looks like an overweight clown.

McWeen @ Apr 11th 2008 10:10AM

Should be good.

samfish @ Apr 11th 2008 10:23AM

That picture caption just seems like it's begging to be taken out of context, given this game's history.

Zertoss @ Apr 11th 2008 10:57AM

I thought the same thing. I've got to stop hanging out on 4chan.

Or maybe it's just because I find the whole racial oversensitivity that seems to be so prevalent hilarious.

PSN: KillaKornbread (the shirt is a lie!) @ Apr 11th 2008 12:24PM

yea i dont really play resident evil so im assuming i took it out of context when i got semi-offended by it. hopefully i just took it out of context anyway.

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 11th 2008 10:25AM

It was a great interview with Takeuchi. I cannot wait for this game and to see what kind of achievements they will come up with. Its gonna be the awesome I know.

I dont know why but I really have confidence in him when he sais that their quality of work is better than other devs, Maybe because RE4 kicked so much ass on Gamecube and still to this day looks better than alot of current-gen games? Yeah thats why!

RE5 FTW!!!

Phranctoast @ Apr 11th 2008 10:47AM

RE4 to me is a demonstration as how you can completely change a game and somehow keep it true to the original and awesome all at the same time.

I'm still waiting for them to do this with the Castlevania series. So far the jump to 3D hasn't been great for those games.

comtar @ Apr 11th 2008 10:34AM

I'm tired of people knocking this game cause you are attacking Black People. If anyone sat down for five minutes and did any kind of research, maybe they'd figure out that Africa is the origin of Zombie Mythology. It comes from the beliefs of Voodoo...

"A zombie is a reanimated corpse. Stories of zombies originated in the Afro-Caribbean spiritual belief system of Vodou, which told of the dead being raised as workers by a powerful sorcerer."

So I don't know, if I spent years having to deal with the Umbrella Company and Zombies, maybe I'd go to Africa to see if maybe it isn't a coincidence. There's already been hundreds of movies and shows in the past that also indicate that anyone with advanced technology is usually seen by people without technology as a sorcerer. So maybe Chris heard about a "sorcerer" who is bringing back the dead. Lord Sadler sure looked like a sorcerer in RE4 didn't he, maybe it's some guy dressed like him.

Alot of myths have some sort of basis in truth, another example would be the myth that a Wizard named Merlon could change led into gold. How interesting is it to know that years later, when humans created the periodic table of elements, that led had one less electron then gold, meaning it could be possible to turn led into gold, if somehow you could add one electron to the led molecule.

My point is, the Resident Evil games have circled around Zombies for sometime, it's not some bizarre racist thing to be offended over. Perhaps if the Swedish were the origins of Zombie mythos then Chris Redfield would kill a lot of white chefs.

Obie @ Apr 11th 2008 10:45AM

Bork, bork, brains!

Tim The Enchanter @ Apr 11th 2008 12:07PM

Bwahahahah!!! Obie, +1 for you man

Obie @ Apr 11th 2008 10:44AM

CANNOT wait for this game!

Eric @ Apr 11th 2008 10:51AM

I will admit the first time i saw this game the first thing that pop up in my head was one white guy, shooting like a thousand of black people. I thought that someone in the black community is going to complain about that. I have no problems with this game but i mean they had to know this kind of back lash was going to come.

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Apr 11th 2008 11:00AM

Don't you mean blacklash.

Eric @ Apr 11th 2008 11:03AM

HA yes, Yes i do.

THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Apr 11th 2008 11:14AM

So the plot is i as chris will travel down river braving the dark continent and its mysteries to locate my old STARS commander Barry whos gone rouge and set himself up as some sort of zombie christ. I will then after a bit of exposition have to shuffle him loose the mortal coil? Sold. Bonus points if a zombie lion is seen chewing on the internet cable of a shack as Kietzman stares out in mild disbelief.

Yourself @ Apr 11th 2008 11:29AM

You have to save Barry from makeup? I don't remember that in Hearto Darkness.

THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Apr 11th 2008 11:37AM

no u must skin him.lol.

Yourself @ Apr 11th 2008 11:27AM

If you think about it, this game includes almost as much "black mob swarming and killing underrepresented minority" as "white individual remorselessly murdering vulgarly portrayed indigenous peoples."

Either way I can't imagine who the hell would care when this game is going to be as incredible as it's going to be. Only problem is that after playing RE4 Wii Edition for a while now, I have a ton of trouble going back and using the GCN controls, which is essentially what this will have.

THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Apr 11th 2008 12:03PM

Dont worry you wont be playing it on a Wii.

Max Headroom @ Apr 11th 2008 4:37PM

@The Wicker Man: I think you missed his point - he would *prefer* Wii controls, because they are far better than standard controls in this case.

Playing RE5 on 360/PS3 is a step up graphically, but a step back control-wise, after playing RE4 on Wii.

Jfk Aok @ Apr 11th 2008 11:27AM

I'm really excited about this game too. Who wouldn't? Even though I fear that RE6 will be RE5 with slight changes that will be RE4 with slight changes. I can go for a direct sequel from RE4 with a graphical upgrade...but after that, let's reinvent or put this series to a rest.
Not a fan of that interview either. Lots of nonsense...could be due to translation issues, but I'd rather have a over-sized perception of the genius that comes up with these games rather than the obvious reality of it all.
And personally, I think more games should be based in real places like Africa that are exotic and different rather than tokyo and gotham and "forest" and "desert" and "lava world" lol. Of course, then developers would have to leave their basements and do some research and put in some kind of effort to display culture in their games.

ssuk @ Apr 11th 2008 11:56AM

RE Code Veronica was RE3 but with slight changes, which was RE2 with minor changes, which was RE1 with minor changes...

It's common practise in the video game industry to take a pre-existing game engine and adapt it for a new game. It saves money and if the previous engine worked and was good, don't fix it, improve it.
RE5 and probably RE6 will all use a similar engine, but built upon the previous. That's assuming that RE6 will be a 3rd person shooter like RE4 and 5 are, they could go back to the RE1/2/3/0/CV days again. Although, I don't see that happening.

Jfk Aok @ Apr 11th 2008 12:16PM

@ssuk

I'm aware of all that, direct "spiritual sequels" make money... but they reinvented a series that was HIGHLY successful for 3 or more (spinoffs?) iterations because it got stale and I hope they do that after RE5. The problem is that they got it right the first time...that's double edged sword i guess.

I agree though...I believe they won't be changing "the formula" any time soon and I guess we can be thankful that they bothered to alter the game series drastically for the better once. That's one more time than many franchises.

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ Apr 11th 2008 11:49AM

In before Fox's RacistBox!

Tim The Enchanter @ Apr 11th 2008 12:12PM

I do want to play this game. Waggle or no waggle.

EMOruffino @ Apr 11th 2008 12:33PM

i give this a tip of the hat....

ThePremierAssassin @ Apr 11th 2008 12:35PM

I can't wait for this...in all honesty besides Gears of War, Mass Effect, and Lost Odyssey this was the game that finally convinced me to get a 360 over a ps3.

LiK @ Apr 11th 2008 12:35PM

i don't care whether they're white, asian, hispanic or black. they are ZOMBIES and i will kill them no matter what.

maybe i'll bump into a virtual Ludwig there.

Dac @ Apr 11th 2008 1:03PM

lol, white vs dark (not a racist but hell, even I thought Chapelle was funny)

The symbol from unbrella just little modification and u having nice swastika for low low price, of 2$ we save money!

Xantar @ Apr 11th 2008 3:16PM

You guys do realize that he's just talking about "light and darkness" because Chris' eyes have to adjust whenever he steps out of a dark place into a bright place or vice versa, right? It's nothing to do with race. It's just literally about light and darkness.

-Jad- @ Apr 11th 2008 3:05PM

This one of my most anticipated game. Look good as always... but where's my release date anyway ^__^

drun @ Apr 11th 2008 10:34PM

light and dark? you mean white and black?

I prefer RE happen in a big city, where you have a lot of buildings to run around. I dont really care about race things, but I'm not interested in that environment. RE is turning from a survival horror to pure action.