Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

Platform: Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Price: $59.99 (standard edition) , $69.99 (special edition)

When Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City was announced, I was really excited for it.  Probably a little more than I had the right to be.  In retrospect, I knew very little about it.  I knew that it was 4 player co-op.  I knew it was set in the period of Resident Evil 2 and 3.  Thaaat's about it.  (Considering the fact that I go to a few conventions a year where Capcom is exhibiting, and have actually had Operation Raccoon City playable, I probably should have known more about it.) 

But still, this was something I was looking forward to.  In retrospect, I probably should have looked more into it...

If you're into the zombie part of the Resident Evil franchise, this game will probably feel more like a Resident Evil game than the last two games in the main series.  Zombies return in all their glory, along with Hunters, Lickers, Tyrants and Nemesises (Nemeses? Actually, there's only just the one).  You'll play through 7 missions (lasting about 8 or 9 hours) skirting along the edges of the events in Resident Evil 2 and 3.  I often found myself thinking "hey, I remember this" along with "hey that's not what happened!"  There's a cool nostalgia factor in revisiting the locations from the previous games but allowing more freedom in navigating the settings of the previous games highlights how much those rooms feel like game levels as opposed to real rooms.  (Why is there a giant statute holding a jar in the lobby of the police station?)

What I was most looking forward to in the game was the 4 player co-op.  I had a great time with Resident Evil 5's co-op and I was hoping for more of the same.  And for the most part it delivered, in spite of the actual gameplay.  There's nothing particularly special about the gameplay of Operation Raccoon City.  You have six character classes to choose from, but they play similarly.  Each of the classes has their own special passive and active abilities (which you purchase with the experience you gain from playing the campaign and multiplayer), which differentiates the classes a little. 

If you're planning on playing the game alone, there's good news and bad news.  The good news is the co-op AI is better than that of Resdent Evil 5.  The bad news is that it's not that much better.  I played through the campaign with a friend and two AI-controlled characters.  The AI-controlled characters would constantly run straight into tripwires, pace back and forth for no reason and generally get themselves killed.  On the bright side, you can revive them pretty easily and it doesn't hinder you.  It's more of an annoyance than anything else.  Though, your AI partners can get infected and turn into zombies themselves.  There is something really satisfying about killing your AI zombified teammate by shoving a grenade down his/her throat and then immediately reviving them. 

In addition to the campaign there are a number of different competitive multiplayer modes, all of which are Resident Evil versions of what you would find in other shooters.  The Heroes mode is fun for long time fans of the series because you can play as some of your favorite Resident Evil characters of games past. 

The Resident Evil franchise has long been separated into two classes of game, the main franchise and the spin-offs.  The main franchise games are generally worth the wait, whereas the spin-offs are what you use to satisfy your zombie craving until the next game in the main series.  Operation Raccoon City falls squarely into the spin-off category.  It's nothing special, but it'll keep you occupied until Resident Evil 6 comes out in November. 

Rating

Operation Raccoon City is a "rent".  The campaign is pretty short enough where you could complete it in a couple days.  The competitive multiplayer isn't going to be something that you'll play over and over again.  And I can't see the community for this game lasting that long...

Recommendations

Brink - In many ways, this game reminds me a lot of Brink.  I think Operation Raccoon City is a little more campaign focused than Brink is, but they both attempt the cooperative shooter campaign.