Capcom shook up the gaming world Tuesday with its big reveal of Resident Evil 3, and with it, a much welcome surprise was handed to fans in the form of Project Resistance also being revealed as an additional game within Resident Evil 3. If a player purchases Resident Evil 3, they will have at their disposal the entire online multiplayer game, now officially named Resident Evil Resistance.
Resident Evil Resistance is an asymmetrical multiplayer game, popularized by other titles such as Dead by Daylight. It is a fairly new genre among online games, which perhaps most notably ascertained its foothold with the game Evolve was released in 2015.
In asymmetrical multiplayer games, players normally take the role of two different types of forces and fight each other using completely different styles of gameplay and tactics. Resident Evil Resistance takes on the trending 4v1 type of asymmetrical multiplayer game, where one player takes on the role of a force or forces posing a disproportionately high amount of power and abilities, while the other four players work as a team to defeat the all-powerful player.
Based on previous content available and from the way Capcom has worded the inclusion of Resident Evil Resistance in the RE3 trailer, "Resident Evil 3 also includes the online game: Resident Evil Resistance,"Â there's the possibility that this may be much more than just a Resident Evil 3Â multiplayer game mode. Rather, it sounds as if Resident Evil Resistance is a full featured stand-alone multiplayer game, which could hopefully be very large in size and and amount of content. If that is the case, it remains to be seen whether Resident Evil Resistance could also be purchased or obtained separately, if a consumer may not want to purchase Resident Evil 3Â for whatever reason.
Originally known as Project Resistance, Resident Evil Resistance was confirmed by Capcom in August, when photos of the game leaked. AestheticGamer, who has a solid track record for leaking accurate news on Resident Evil games, suggested in August that it could be a standalone title or come with Resident Evil 3. It appears both speculations may be correct after all. On September 9, Capcom released a trailer for the game known then as Project Resistance, before Resident Evil 3's trailer released a couple days ago on December 10, 2019.
It would seem odd for Capcom to first release a trailer for Project Resistance, and later on a recent beta demo for a main title's secondary game before revealing the main game. Therefore, this strongly suggests a full and comprehensive standalone game experience in Resident Evil Resistance, with plenty of replayability. Then again, it is always possible Capcom could have first announced and demoed Resident Evil Resistance in order to gauge the public's reaction for overall demand for such a game. This would allow them to make a more sound business decision as to whether it should be released to consumers as a separate game or bundled with Resident Evil 3.
In many ways, it is a welcome decision to include the game with Resident Evil 3, and a smart business move for a few reasons. First, it seems likely that there will be high amounts of sales for Resident Evil 3, given it is a remake of one of survival-horror's reigning classics. In consideration of Resident Evil 2's strong sales for its remake, there is no reason to doubt the same for a remake of Resident Evil 3. With a high number of sales, this ensures that many players will own the game.
As such, a lot of people may give Resident Evil Resistance a try, since they will already own the game. And if it proves to be a worthy online multiplayer game, there will be plenty of players to pack the servers. After all, an online multiplayer game's replayability is ultimately dictated by an active and sizable community, which will more greatly be assured with the inclusion of Resident Evil Resistance in every copy of Resident Evil 3 that is sold.
In the past, Resident Evil's multiplayer games did not fair too well and never established strong foothold with active online communities to breath life into the game's continuation and support. The most recent experiment into Capcom's foray into multiplayer Resident Evil games was in the much forgettable Resident Evil: Umbrella Corps in 2016. Unfortunately, it has, to a degree, created a negative stigma on the prospects for another Resident Evil online multiplayer game. In fact, many fans expressed much dismay and negativity over the initial revelation of Resistance back in September, resulting in a mixed overall reception.Â
Such a stigma could potentially jeopardize sales if Capcom had decided to release Resident Evil Resistance exclusively as a separate game to purchase, even if it proved to be a very solid game. With its inclusion in Resident Evil 3, it should have the playerbase it needs for a strong jump-start. This is the main ingredient for an online game's limitless replayability, life-span, and continued support for more content as it heads into the future.
Resident Evil Resistance uses the RE Engine, which is the same one that Resident Evil 2 and 3's remake use, as well as Devil May Cry 5. With that, there's a fair amount of confidence that it will play and control smoothly, as well as look visually phenomenal. Full matches in Resident Evil Resistance are approximately 10-minutes long and pits four players - the Survivors - against one player who takes on the Mastermind.
Objectives are required for the Survivor players to complete in order to make progress, while the Mastermind player attempts to jeopardize such plans by spawning and releasing many enemies at his or her disposal, which the player may then take control of. Survivors start off with a simple weapon, such as a wooden bat, and must work together to find puzzle pieces which unlock doors to enter the next area.
Weapons, ammo, and items, including Resident Evil's famous herbs, are scattered throughout the environments, and players can give each other different items they possess. Meanwhile, the Mastermind player can observe Survivors from his or her control room utilizing the security cameras to obtain an overhead view that highlights visible players. The Mastermind can place traps, enemies, take control of remote turrets, and other abilities, via the use of cards to choose from and play, which represent an array of options at his or her disposal.
It would be interesting to find out whether the cards are just the game's cosmetic style of executing abilities within the environment, or if there is a deeper element within it. It would be interesting if there are ways for the Mastermind player to obtain additional cards and build their card deck to add abilities to their arsenal through various achievements. This could include similar design to games such as Slay the Spire or SteamworldQuest, which cross genres and utilize deckbuilding card mechanisms in their combat. This could also help foster more dynamic gameplay for every session, as the stipulations change depending on what type of cards the Mastermind has in his or her deck.
Each survivor also has their own special skills, which include such traits as having stronger melee attacks or hacking computer terminals. Similar to Left 4 Dead, if a player endures enough damage, they become knocked out and another player must revive them. In the actual storyline behind the gameplay, the Mastermind player is actually in the role of Daniel Fabron or Annette Birkin, who presumably are in control of this entire mess from the safety of a control room from somewhere remote.
Capcom's Resident Evil Resistance website confirms that Annette Birkin can "call upon her own husband [William Birkin] in his mutated form" to use against players. He was the main villain in Resident Evil 2. Daniel, on the other hand, is a fixer for Umbrella, and his gameplay strategy depends on utilizing creature cards with "extremely high attack power" and is the only one able to control the Tyrant. This seems to suggest that the Mastermind player will have different abilities and cards to utilize, depending if they play the role of Daniel or Annette.
It seems likely that the Mastermind player will be able to utilize other iconic enemies, besides the Tyrant. In the leaked cover-art photographs from earlier in the month, there is one that stands out with the title "Z Version" on it, with the photo exclusively centered on the Nemesis. Given that the Nemesis is perhaps the most iconic villain in the entire franchise of Resident Evil, it would not be surprising if Capcom allows the Mastermind player to have the option of utilizing or unleashing the Nemesis against Survivors.
If the Nemesis is indeed an option to utilize, it is unclear if that would also suggest that the Mastermind player will have the option of taking on the role of someone else, besides Daniel or Annette. After all, it would seem that Daniel controls the Tyrant while Annette controls the monstrosity that is William Birkin, her husband. It would only make sense that the Nemesis also has his own controller or master assigned to him.
With the release date just around the corner for Resident Evil 3, and presumably Resident Evil Resistance, we will not have to wait long to enjoy what may perhaps be the first smash hit among Resident Evil multiplayer games as servers hopefully with various playable characters like Martin Sandwich fill up on April 3, 2020.
Resident Evil Resistance is included in Resident Evil 3, and both games are set for release on April 3, 2020 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
