Last year’s complimentary multiplayer mode included for free with all copies of Resident Evil 3 may not have been the greatest, but it was certainly far more solid than many fans had expected. Capcom, after all, doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to outsourcing major online-oriented elements in the survival horror series, with titles such as Umbrella Corps and Operation Raccoon City proving to be some of the worst spinoffs to date.
Resistance was a marked improvement over either of those, no doubt, but it looks as if the studio still has yet to settle on a formula worth sticking with between mainline installments. Whether RE: Verse, a new competitive mode launching alongside Village in the spring, will prove worthy enough to serve this purpose, it’s too early to say, but early gameplay impressions and footage (which can be seen above) certainly have us more hopeful than before.
As announced during last week’s showcase, a limited closed beta for RE: Verse is currently taking place, revealing some interesting new details in the process.
Among these is confirmation that the survival-style gameplay revolves around players eliminating each other while collecting virus samples scattered about each map. How many of these you collect before being knocked off will dictate which monster your transform into, with possible outcomes ranging from a rank-and-file zombie to the fearsome Nemesis. Meanwhile, the cel-shaded aesthetic initially depicted in trailers is actually an optional extra and can be toggled off at will, so don’t let that turn you away.
For folks who were unable to make it into the initial beta wave (access was reserved for members of Capcom’s Ambassador program), it’s likely that a universally accessible option will be made available alongside a demo for Resident Evil Village in the lead up to launch on May 7th. Stay tuned for more details.