Resident Evil 5 is a distant memory and there's no sign of Resident Evil 6 on the horizon, so Capcom is taking its iconic survival horror franchise in an entirely new direction. Not only will you take a trip to the past, you'll also be able to change the course of history. With Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City , you not only take control of Umbrella Corporation operatives, but you can actually battle with the iconic hero Leon Kennedy – and kill him.

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Capcom's producers are describing Operation Raccoon City as a "new direction" for the Resident Evil franchise, moving the series back to its darker, more twisted roots. What's notable about this attempt is that the series is shifting to squad-oriented gameplay. You take the role of one of four Umbrella operatives, each with a particular area of expertise (medic, stealth, surveillance and heavy assault). Your team, which can be controlled by other players in co-op mode, must then not only attempt to protect Umbrella's interests from the meddlesome authorities, but fend off zombies, Hunters and other creatures.Story matters a great deal in the Resident Evil universe, and here's yet another area where Operation Raccoon City deviates from the norm. 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.What's important to note about all of this is that the game is still very early in development. At Capcom's event we had a brief demonstration of the single-player concept, and only hands-on time with the multiplayer component. Capcom was careful to stress that much was being tweaked and developed.Capcom is giving "Winter 2011" as the broad time frame for release, but in an interview with IGN, Resident Evil producer Masachika Kwata stated he "hoped" the game would be out by then. In other words, a slide to 2012 could certainly happen.Former SOCOM developer Slant Six is working on Raccoon City, continuing Capcom's trend of working alongside Western developers on major franchises.Prepare for some significant changes. Though Operation Raccoon City is supposed to get back to the series' roots, it's doing things very differently to get there. The blockbuster sensibilities of the last two games are being scaled back for a more twisted, grittier approach. That doesn't mean the action is necessarily being toned down though, as the controls make confrontation and battle much faster. The difference between Operation Raccoon City and the past several years of Resident Evil development is night and day. Those of us who can recall efforts prior to that – or even the remake of Resident Evil for the GameCube – will have a good sense of the atmosphere. Just keep in mind handling your character is completely different.This might come as a surprise, but the controls for Resident Evil are indeed changing. Players can not only use two analog sticks to aim, strafe and look, but can aim down-scope and duck behind cover. Being able to move and shoot simultaneously has finally been added to the series as well. Character movement is much faster than in previous RE games, giving Raccoon City a more intense, action-oriented pace.The changes in controls would seem to contradict Capcom's claims that it is seeking a darker, more horror-based tone for this game. The publisher promised that the final product isn't all about action, and indeed segments we witnessed did seem to take a break from the carnage for story-based segments. It remains to be seen if Capcom and Slant Six can actually manage to do something that is not only different for the franchise and its last two installments, but retain the series' trademark ideas. Too much of a departure will certainly alienate many.Co-op and versus modes will be included in the game. We were able to go hands-on with a point-based, four-on-four multiplayer game. Expect hands-on impressions soon. For now we can tell you that the game plays exceptionally well for something that will struggle to arrive in time for 2011. We noticed a few odd things, like the inability to jump down from ledges, but the core gameplay is appropriately energetic and the world is uniquely Resident Evil. There's nothing like seeing a Hunter jump into the middle of your firefight. Your tactics will completely change – and will usually involve running away.