Biohazard Operation Raccoon City

Description

Biohazard: Operation Raccoon City (known internationally as Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City) was a spin‑off entry in Capcom’s survival horror franchise. Unlike the mainline titles, it adopted a team‑based third‑person shooter format, emphasising cooperative play and competitive online modes. The game was co‑developed by Capcom and Canadian studio Slant Six Games, best known for the SOCOM series, and was designed to appeal to players of tactical shooters while expanding the Biohazard brand.

The story unfolds in parallel with the events of Biohazard 2 and Biohazard 3: Last Escape, but diverges from established canon. Players control members of Umbrella’s Security Service (U.S.S.) “Wolfpack” unit, tasked with destroying evidence of Umbrella’s involvement in the T‑virus outbreak and eliminating survivors. Opposing them is the U.S. government’s Spec Ops team, deployed to recover data and protect civilians. This creates a three‑way conflict between Umbrella operatives, government forces, and the infected hordes overrunning Raccoon City.

The campaign allows players to experience missions from both perspectives, with six playable U.S.S. characters, each with unique abilities such as cloaking, explosives expertise, or medical support. Familiar Resident Evil figures including Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, Ada Wong, and Nemesis appear during the story, though the game permits alternate outcomes, such as the option to kill Leon, underscoring its “what‑if” framing.

Gameplay emphasises cover‑based shooting, squad tactics, and class abilities, with up to four‑player online co‑op. Competitive multiplayer modes pit Umbrella and Spec Ops teams against each other while contending with zombies and Bio‑Organic Weapons (B.O.W.s) as environmental threats. This hybrid of PvP and PvE was intended to differentiate the title from conventional shooters.

While it had a good concept and multiplayer potential, its weak AI, repetitive mission design, and technical shortcomings saw it do poorly. Fans also didn’t really take to the shift away from the survival horror tone of the main series. Despite this, the game sold strongly, surpassing 2 million copies worldwide, reflecting the enduring appeal of the series’ brand.