Capcom takes us back in time with the freshly announced Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

In news that should surprise absolutely no one, Capcom has announced that a new Resident Evil game is on the way for the PS3 and Xbox 360, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City.

Resident Evil represents big dollars for Capcom. The games consistently do well, the movie may assault your brain but they have grossed big money at the box office, and the property is among the best received of the publisher’s library. Plus, beyond the games and the movies, the franchise has spawned novels, comics, toys, clothes, and even a sporty watch collection for the jet setting zombie killing crowd on the go. In other words, Capcom will continue to nurture the property forever, as long as it keeps bringing in the dough.

Rumors about Resident Evil 6 have claimed that the next title in the franchise would actually be a reboot. While this new title is not that proposed reboot, it does take you back in time to the halcyon days in Raccoon City, where the livin’ was easy. Minus all the things that wanted to kill you, of course.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is a third-person team based shooter set during the events of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. For those that skipped those titles, the game takes place in the quarantined metropolis of Raccoon City during a zombie outbreak. The evil Umbrella Corporation responsible for the outbreak has sent in its private Special Forces teams to help with the containment and to complete certain objectives, which has piqued the interest of the government. The result is a three-way battle between Umbrella, the US government and the zombies/creatures.

You play as members of the Umbrella Special Forces, either solo, or with three other people in a co-op setting. As you play through, you will witness the events of RE 2 and RE 3, but from a different perspective. In the original games, things did not exactly go well for the city, but you will have the chance to rewrite history and change the events that led to Raccoon City’s removal from the map.

Capcom also promises several online competitive multiplayer game modes. Beyond that, details are still scarce but expect more info to come soon. No release date has yet been suggested.