Metapreview: Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
by Ben Gilbert 
on Apr 13th 2011 1:15PM
That's right, folks, a roundup of previews. We're gonna be straight with you and outright say it -- we burn too easily! Our skin is delicate
and important to us, and as such, we couldn't make it to Capcom's Miami-based press event last week to play, among other things,
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. But these folks all did and they ... well, they sorta like it:
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GamesRadar: "The focus on shooting, special abilities and co-op interaction is decidedly atypical for the RE universe; there's no conserving ammo, no turning with your tail between your legs, just balls-out violence against a sea of shambling undead. Yes, that does mean you can move and shoot at the same time, something even the action-heavy RE5 didn't support."
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Eurogamer: "Capcom's idea was to create a dark, gritty shooter with smooth controls and a focus on multiplayer. It's not about fear any more ... The result is a fast-paced co-operative and competitive shooter ... It's impossible to overstate how different REORC feels compared to other Resident Evil games, even Resi 5. That is to say it feels like a third-person shooter, a SOCOM game. Your targeting reticule darts about the screen like a bee disturbed from its hive. Your character covers ground quickly with a simple click of the left thumb stick. Turning, the simple act of changing direction, feels responsive. From cover you can blind fire, lob grenades or pop in and out for deadly accurate shooting. And, shock horror, you can move and shoot."
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IGN: "The game revisits one of the most iconic eras of the franchise, taking place entirely during Resident Evils 2 and 3, and specifically focusing on events in Raccoon City itself. While we've seen prequels (Resident Evil Zero) before, this time around players can actually change the storylines of previous games, even killing some of the series' biggest icons like Leon Kennedy. That immediately places Raccoon City in a bit of an 'alternate timeline' territory, though the game's producer told us new details about the Resident Evil world would be revealed. "
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MTV Multiplayer blog: "I came away from Raccoon City with the impression that there was still a lot of work to be done. At present, it doesn't feel like much more than a reskinned SOCOM with zombies. If you're not a big fan of SOCOM, you're probably going to experience the same problems in RE:RC, namely the stilted controls and loose aiming mechanics."
