Interviews

Capcom's Leo Tan answers 13 frightening Resi-related questions...

Hi Leo. You're Capcom's PR guru – what does that involve?

Obtaining top coverage for all of our titles, attending shows such as E3 & Tokyo Games Show plus trips to our development HQ in Osaka to get a sneak peak at what our incredibly talented teams will be bringing you in years to come.

And what have you been working on with Resident Evil 5?

Demoing the game to the press, recording gameplay footage for TV shows, working with our partners at Sony and Microsoft, basically anything to ensure the game is in the public eye.

In the GAME office, we often shout out 'MIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE' when things go wrong. Which is, of course, from Resi 4. What's your favourite Resi quote?

I'm going to have to go back to the original game and the immortal line 'Barry, where's Barry?'

Any choice lines from Resident Evil 5 we could get an advanced preview of?

As you can imagine, Wesker has some suitably Machiavellian lines, but I don't want to spoil them for you.

Resident Evil 5 is quite a different experience from the old Resident Evils. How would you describe the shift, and what was the thinking behind it?

With RE4 the team definitely placed a greater emphasis on action and this has been further expanded on in RE5. The first Resident Evil game was released in 1996 and in the intervening years not much was changed as new titles were added to the series yet other games had come along and brought with them quicker and more action based gameplay. So with RE4 the team realised it was time for radical overhaul.

Co-op play is of course the big new feature in Resident Evil 5. What's that going to bring to the formula?

The need to think about someone else. Sure you had to look after Ashley for part of the game in RE4, but Resident Evil has traditionally been a selfish experience. Now it is a case of if Sheva or Chris dies it is GAME OVER, so the tension is now increased as you are reliant on your partner being there for you. In terms of gameplay, the addition of co-op has allowed the development team to create new action and puzzle elements that require two people to complete them. But don't worry, if you are not able to play RE5 online, in single player AI controlled Sheva will watch your back.

Some fans are worried that Resi 5 will lose that famous 'Survival Horror' feeling of isolated terror. What's your response to that?

Having participated in the online testing for the game I can tell you that partnering with someone on the other side of the world where communication is limited to head set chat certainly is tense, especially when you have reached critical health and are shouting for Sheva to get to you before time runs out.

Aiming whilst stood still. Seems a controversial decision. What was the thinking?

While other games offer the ability to run & gun, RE5 has stuck to the formula of taking aim and making your shot count as this is one of the key features that has been prevalent throughout all Resident Evil titles and is something that really adds to the tension.

The enemies in Resident Evil 5 aren't your run-of-the-mill zombies. What are they?

It's true to say that the enemies are not the traditional shuffling, arms out-stretched, groaning zombies. They are far quicker, more intelligent which is in keeping with the faster paced gameplay. Naturally RE5 will also include many traditional boss enemies, immense and grotesque aberrations of nature, to test players' gaming skills.

Are proper zombies (if you'll excuse the pun) dead now, as far as being included in future Resi games goes?

I think it is unlikely, but if you are a fan of the this type of enemy then you can always check out Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop.

Any future Downloadable Content lined up for Resident Evil 5?

It is certainly something that the team is considering, but I can't confirm anything right now.

We've got the Resident Evil back-catalogue and an in-depth History article on the website. Which of the old Resi's is regarded the highest in Capcom HQ, and which is your fave?

If you ask the R&D guys at Capcom then it you'll always get a different answer as everyone has their own personal favourite. For me, it has to be Code Veronica.

Lastly, back to the Resi 4 quotes - can you compare insect life to humans, do you think?

I think Leon was probably right on that one.

He always is. Thanks Leo.

Interview by: Mark 'MIIIIIIIIKE' Scott
Interview Published: 26.02.09