This month, the iconic Resident Evil series will celebrate its 25th anniversary. To mark this historic milestone for the series, mod developer RECM Group has decided to mark the occasion by releasing a new demo of a mod that combines Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 to create a brand new prequel story that fans of the series new and old can enjoy.
The upcoming mod, Resident Evil: During the Storm, is set to fully release this year for the Resident Evil SourceNext platform. It seeks to combine characters and settings from the series to create a brand new narrative with some interesting gameplay mechanics. During the Storm also brings the character Kevin Ryman from the Resident Evil Outbreak series into Raccoon City as the outbreak wreaks havoc on the once peaceful mountain town.
During the Storm combines areas from the original RE2 and RE3 into a tense race against time as Kevin tries to battle the zombie threat and save survivors along the way. The mod innovates on the classic Resident Evil gameplay by tweaking the classic Resident Evil style fans know and love. During the Storm is a quasi-open world in the style of Dark Souls, with many connected areas that can be used as shortcuts and for planning for optimal routes.
Players will need to plan, as During the Storm features an internal timer, meaning acting quickly can affect the narrative. Kevin's main goal is to survive and save who he can in the midst of the horrific disaster, and the campaign has numerous endings based on who he saves and who perishes. Mechanically, this seems similar to Dead Rising's clock system, which involves certain survivors dying at points in the real-time narrative.
During the Storm features tough enemies that can follow players through doors, another unique mechanic added to the classic gameplay style. The city also is planned to feature around 30 NPCs who can task the player with various side-quests as well. However, time is always ticking, and certain NPCs can die if the player takes too long to engage with them. This mechanic encourages additional playthroughs and experimentation, and it seems a perfect fit given the chaotic nature of the setting.
During the Storm also changes up the classic gameplay of the series by combining its signature inventory management with a variety of items and weapons available to Kevin. There will be many items scattered throughout the city for players to use and collect, but During the Storm focuses on strategy, so Kevin will only have a six slot inventory for the majority of the campaign. Players will have to note where important items are and pick up only what is needed at that moment.
The strategic gameplay extends to the weapons themselves. Instead of upgradable custom weapons like the original Resident Evil 2 had, During the Storm has unique weapons that can be found throughout the map. For instance, there will be multiple handguns available that all use the same ammunition, but players will also find magazines that only fit specific guns. This is another unique twist that's also fitting for a survival horror game.
Resident Evil: During the Storm is set to release fully later this year, though no concrete release date or window is available at this time. However, fans looking to celebrate this classic series' anniversary can download the demo right now and brave the zombified city. With Resident Evil Village on the way in May, plus a new Resident Evil film and television series in the works, it seems that Capcom has a lot in store for fans of this long-running franchise. However, until all of these projects see the light of day, fans can at least spend some time saving the denizens of Raccoon City once again in this new mod.
0 Comments