Umbrella Corps

Just when we thought Resident Evil was returning to its horror roots, with the surprisingly effective Revelations 2 and upcoming Resident Evil 0 remaster, Umbrella Corps was announced. Capcom's latest spin-off is a third-person competitive multiplayer shooter set in the Resident Evil universe.

For any long-time fans of the series (like myself), this couldn't be further from the kind of Resident Evil game that is wanted. Don't discount it entirely, though. While it is set in the RE universe, there won't be any RE characters involved, which at least means fan favourites can't be butchered. What Capcom is aiming for here is fast-paced action, and a way for the series to take a bite of the juicy brain that is the shooter market. Can't blame them for that, I guess.

In Umbrella Corps, gamers will go head-to-head in close-quarters environments, trying to survive in a vicious battle involving humans and zombies. One idea to come from this announcement that I think we can all get behind is the 'Brainer'. This beautiful tool, which looks similar to an extra deadly ice-pick, has multiple purposes. It can be used to instantly kill another player with a swift brain incision, to turn a zombie into an undead shield, or even quickly traverse the environment.

Players will also begin matches with something known as a Zombie Jammer. If this jammer gets damaged, all hell breaks loose, and zombies will swarm to the unfortunate player. Such a device may add a little strategy to Umbrella Corps, and I'm hoping for a few extra touches like this to flesh out the experience.

Only a few other details have been shared so far, including one game mode known as One Life Match. In this mode, it is three versus three, and players have one life and one life only. Once they've been shot in the face, stabbed in the brain, or devoured by zombies, all they can do is sit back and watch the match unfold. This will probably add another level of panic when a player realises that their Zombie Jammer is no longer working.

Am I disappointed that Capcom are spending their time on Umbrella Corps when they should be working on a core Resident Evil game that brings the series back to the forefront of horror? Sure. Will I be holding off on judgement until I see what else the game has to offer? Definitely. If I'm going to enjoy an upcoming shooter, it may as well have zombies in it.