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I figure since this is an RE Guild, it should also keep it's members updated on whats going on with the latest games. So here's some news on Outbreak File #2

There have been two scenarios that are confirmed thanks to frequent updates on the official website, One is the Raccoon Zoo, featuring all new monsters such as a zombie tigers, exotic birds, an elephant and a crocodile (which may or may not be the crocodile in Resident Evil 2).
The second scenario is the Raccoon Police Department, which early videos show has been completely remade in full 3D graphics. Not much is known of how much we will explore, nor do we know if we will visit it before Leon and Claire do on September 29th.

Other scenarios we have seen in videos show very dark and quiet corridors. It’s believed that this scenario could well the ‘A Day in Raccoon’ motel which was seen in early builds of Resident Evil Online (before the title was changed to Outbreak), but this is just pure speculation at this point.

Aside from new scenarios, the characters (stay the same) have all have been given new items which complement the items they already had in Outbreak. For example, Kevin now has a clip for his .45, Alyssa has a tazer. It’s also believed that the characters will have new ‘special moves’ to perform (videos in the website show Alyssa’s back step move, has been modified since File 1). Characters can also move and shoot at the same time, a first in the traditional style Resident Evil games.

As for a note on some of the new enemies added to this game. I have seen images of large Fleas in the subway and what appear to be a combination of Zombie and Plant...perhaps the dried husk of a human taken by a predatory plant. For images click here

Concept Artwork for File #2

Images for your viewing pleasure:
Elephant stomping some Zombies


Zombies eating the now truly dead Elephant


**All may contribute information that they gather on either RE4, Outbreak File #2 or RE: Apocalypse

This is the latest into the scenarios that you will be able to undertake in Outbreak File #2.

The 5 scenarios in order are:
Wild Things - Raccoon City Zoo and the events involving the Elephant
Underbelly - Subway system and overgrown Fleas
Flashback - Some sort of Asylum and Plants/Plant-like Zombies
Desperate Times - RPD and Zombie Cops (Perhaps the fatal bite inflicted on Marvin Branaugh will be seen)
End of the Road - Labs and of course the UBCS

Here is an article I found written by an individual who played RE4:

The E3 demo of RE 4 was playable at ECTS in London. Find out how the game compares to the rest of the series.
Written: 09/14/2004

For me, one of the most special moments in gaming occurs when you reach the end of the first hallway in Resident Evil 1. This is where a horrific cut-scene introduces the first RE zombie. He is eagerly munching on your dead buddy, but then, suddenly, he stops eating, gets up, and slowly turns his head towards you. His face looks pale, his eyes dead, and blood is dripping from his mouth.

The corresponding sequence in Resident Evil 4 isn’t quite as gory and dramatic but still highly memorable. It plays out just after Leon, the main character, gets dropped off by two secret service men on the outskirts of a strange village. The first cottage you see houses an old man who stands completely still, staring into a lit fireplace. Unaware of his evil nature, you approach him and take out a picture of the president’s daughter, whom you’re looking for. After a brief moment of silence, the man turns around quickly, and, unexpectedly, swings a hatchet at you. The cut-scene ends with an impressive evasive move, leaving the player in charge of taking the bad guy out. Unfortunately, one headshot isn’t enough.

Naturally, this episode only acts as a hint of what is to come. At this point, it is established that your enemies are much faster than regular zombies; they know how to use weapons; and they withstand quite a lot of firepower. Furthermore, you get to try out the aiming controls on an enemy for the first time. Aiming is done by holding down the R button so you enter a quasi-first-person view that enables you to use the control stick to aim instead of move. The system works a bit like the one in GoldenEye, and that’s a big step forward for the series. It’s much more sophisticated and enjoyable and seems easy to learn but difficult to master. Headshots prove to be especially difficult, mainly due to the high control stick sensitivity. Tilt the control stick slightly and your aim will be changed considerably. It definitely takes some getting used to. Also, you don’t get a reticule to help your aim, but instead your handgun is equipped with a red laser. Killing enemies from afar proves tough, since the laser becomes blurred at long distances. The accuracy of the handgun is further reduced by the fact that Leon can’t seem to hold his hand completely still. All in all, the aiming system is probably the most exciting addition to the series, providing tons of challenge for RE veterans.

Apart from aiming, the controls remain pretty much unchanged compared to the game’s predecessors. Strafing is still impossible, and having to turn your character before moving in the opposite direction still feels a bit cumbersome. A quick-turn, carried out by pressing down and B simultaneously, is possible, but using it left me somewhat disorientated because of the accompanying quick camera movement. The A button functions as a context-sensitive action button used for jumping through a window, tipping over a ladder, or even releasing a helpless wolf from the clutches of a bear trap. Holding B lets you run, and Z and Y bring up the map and status screen, respectively. Interestingly, the C-stick brings up your telescope, with which you can zoom in on strange activities taking place far away.

What follows after your initial enemy encounter is a walk through the woods. A beautiful but eerie washed out haze hangs over this area. You meet a few foes on your way and enter a couple more wooden shacks where valuable hand grenades and ammo and health supplies are found. These are contained in sealed boxes, which must be broken with a shot from your handgun or, more sensibly, a stroke with your knife.

You’re going to need all the supplies available once you reach the village, because the difficulty ramps up significantly here. The village itself looks very primitive and dusty - made up of shambling shacks and partly collapsed houses. A cattle shed, a small tower, and a church-like building can also be found. In the center is a campfire, surrounded by half a dozen evil villagers with farm tools and wheelbarrows. There are even chickens and a cow, which, thankfully, turn out to be harmless.

Instead of sneaking up on the villagers, I immediately began firing at them. This turned out to be an unwise decision, as five of them soon noticed my presence. One fearlessly sprinted towards me, while others kept back and gathered friends before making their approach together. One even threw his sickle, which was fortunately deflected by a shot from my handgun. Their behavior was quite unpredictable, which backs up on the belief that Leon isn’t dealing with traditional zombies.

I tried to take out the running villager, but he elegantly avoided my first shot with a quick sidestep. By RE standards, his agility was astounding. The next four shots hit him right in the chest, though, and so he collapsed. I shot some more foes and noticed how, oftentimes, one headshot wouldn’t do the job. Occasionally, I did get lucky, though, when their heads would splatter in fireworks of blood.

A cool feature is that enemies react differently depending on where they’re hit. Shoot one in the arm and he might drop his weapon, after which he’ll quickly go find it and pick it up. Hit his legs and he’ll jump in agony and limp afterwards.

Wanting to conserve my ammo, I decided not to go up against the other enemies. Instead, I cowardly ran away from them in hopes of shaking them off. At this point, I felt genuinely scared. The way the over-the-shoulder camera angle limits your view, forcing you to frequently turn around and have a look back, makes for a claustrophobic and panicky experience unlike any other RE game. In previous games, you often have a convenient overview of the situation due to the fixed camera positions and pre-rendered backgrounds. You know what’s going on around you. Therefore, in these games, the scariest parts tend to happen when there are no enemies in sight – when you’re all alone in a dark corridor with no clue if a vicious dog suddenly bursts through the window. Based on the demo, RE 4 doesn’t rely much on these shock effects. Instead, its thrills come from the sheer terror that sets in when five or six zombies with knives, axes, and chainsaws are chasing you around and finally force you into a corner of a small wooden shack.

That is what happened to me. There was nowhere to go and enemies continued to enter the shack. Fortunately, my inventory still contained two hand grenades. I threw them both and a spectacular explosion effect followed, lighting up the entire room. Only one foe survived but he got stabbed several times by my knife. Outside again, I decided to go look for the shotgun, but suddenly loud bells started ringing. This marked the end of the demo and made all the remaining enemies (of which there were quite a few) instinctively drop their tools and walk away slowly, almost as if hypnotized or controlled by something or someone.

Overall, the demo of RE 4 left me very impressed. Obviously, Capcom is bringing the series in a new direction – one that is more smooth and action-oriented. In the demo there are fewer puzzles, less backtracking, more (intelligent) enemies, smoother controls, faster movement, a whole new aiming system, and a complete lack of “door-opening” sequences and pre-rendered backgrounds. All these things help to create this new and exciting direction, which I find very welcome and necessary for the series.


Lasse Pallesen, European Correspondent

GameFront posts a few new details about RE4.

The important things:
You will later visit a castle where there many locked rooms, so this should be for the old RE fans who are afraid that RE4 totally changes everything.
Also, RE4 will finnish a story and for an upcoming title we can expect another big step and the beginning of a totally new story.

So RE5 already is in planning phase.

There have been multiple references to Mr. Hook from RE3.5. The area where we saw Leon infected by the "black cloud" is also listed along with the airship. Either these are just junk files put on the disc so that pertinent data are put on the edges of the CD, or (and remember Capcom never throws anything out, they used RE1 original beta content in CVX and File 2) Capcom have altered these sections so that they fit in with the current version of RE4.

Also there has been some news of a special edition of RE4. Nothing earth-shattering, pretty much the same sort of stuff you got with File 2. No need to pre-order though.

More info from the scans giving away a significant part of the plot.

"The lake monster is the creator of the parasites that plague the village. The villagers give offerings (such as dead policemen) to the lake monster, in return for the water...however, the creature also puts the parasites into the water, and shabam...the villagers are now Ganado..."

There are also interactive cutscenes in the game.

RE4 Site Update

The official RE4 site has updated with a wallpaper available for download. RE4 also appears to have won in the catgory "Game Awards Future" at the Cesa Game Awards. There are 3 pics of Kobayashi accepting the award.

FYI I think this is a load of bullshit that the PS2 has now been granted rights to RE4. Mostly because I do not like the fact that Capcom has simply decided to just double over Nintendo at the end of their contract. I'm glad for all your PS2 owners out there wanting the game, but this is just ******** ridiculous. If they're gonna do that, give us GC owners Outbreak.

Edge magazine has released a new preview of RE4. They spent most of the preview critiquing the gameplay mechanics but there were a few new things:

Items can be sold (presumably to the arms merchant) for money. Items can be "cleaned" to improve their resale value (I'm guessing this is for things like the stones and eggs we've seen). They implied that items previously bought can be resold.

There was a brief mention of the new areas. The caves will be lined with oil lamps that explode when you shoot them. They also mentioned the puzzle with finding the jewels in the cave wall after hitting a lamp.

They have confirmed a new area - the docks. This will be filled with walkways and gantries over the water. If you block their way the Ganado will simply wade across the water in their efforts to reach you, so you are constantly being pursued.