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BIOHAZARD The Umbrella Chronicles Official Guidebook
(バイオハザード アンブレラ・クロニクルズ 公式ガイドブック) |
Released: 01/03/2008
Softcover: 271 Publisher: CAPCOM Official Books, Enterbrain ISBN-10: 4757739540 ISBN-13: 9784757739543 |
Special Interview (p.002-007)
[Developer Interview]
Producer Masachika Kawata X Director Yasuhiro Seto
A CHRONICLE THAT PUNCTUATES BIO HISTORY
The genre of the latest "BIOHAZARD" game, titled as the chronicles of the Umbrella Corporation, is a gun shooter game. It's also said to depict the collapse of Umbrella Corp., which had remained a missing link. We explored the background to this ambitious work that attempts to summarize BIO's history.
Yasuhiro Seto
Director, born 1969, 38-years-old. Graduated from Hosei University, Faculty of Sociology. Joined CAPCOM in 1993. After working on "Street Fighter II", "BEAT DOWN", and "Clock Tower 3", he became director of "BIOHAZARD UMBRELLA CHRONICLES."
Masachika Kawata
Producer, born 1970, 37-years-old. Graduated from Osaka University of Arts. Majored in CG Design at the Department of Design, Faculty of Art, then joined CAPCOM as a designer in 1995. After making his debut with "Yosuke Ide's New Real Mahjong", he was later involved in production of "Rockman 8", "Dino Crisis", "Onimusha", "BIOHAZARD 3", "biohazard" (GC ver.), etc.
Ever since the first BIOHAZARD shocked the world with its debut in 1996, many follow-ups have been made. Today it has even become Hollywood movies, so BIO is no longer just CAPCOM's nor is it in the hands of its creator Shinji Mikami. BIOHAZARD UMBRELLA CHRONICLES (hereafter "UC") is a project which attempts to consolidate this ever-expanding history. This attempt evokes the work of researchers attempting to extract the truth from an ancient history that has become muddled with a mishmash of theories, presenting an unexpected historical view. Producer Masachika Kawata had this to say.
"It's been more than 10 years since the first BIO came out, but if you ask me how much the scenario has progressed in that time, I'd say it hasn't actually gone that far since Raccoon's destruction. We suddenly jump forward with "4" then again with "5", but we need to fill in the gaps. One of the reasons we wanted to do this project was because we wanted to recap past events."
The initial intention was to release a festival game featuring many characters from BIO. As Kawata and director Yasuhiro Seto worked out the project, it shifted to its current form. Seto, a passionate fan of the original BIO, and Kawata, who's been involved in the BIO series for a long time, discussed what sort of work should be done to please fans of this series. The outcome was changing course from the "festival way". By the time they decided on the direction of maintaining the conventional worldview, not even the hardware had been decided.
"When we looked into the newly announced Wii, we thought it might be better suited for BIO than we'd expected, so we decided to try it out. There was also the fact we wanted to have know-how on the Wii", says Kawata.
The lack of machine power was a challenge. However, improving the graphics wasn't a top priority for UC, but rather the aim and desire were to create a BIO game able to take advantage of the Wii machine's unique characteristics and devices.
As a result, the graphics are excellent and their concerns over the lack of machine power were unfounded, but the feeling of control provided by the Wii was even more vital for UC.
The control system of "1" was regarded as a fear factor due to difficulty in moving the player, and Mikami had always wished to change that control system. This wish led to the adoption of a first-person perspective in "4", and with the Wii controller, UC underwent an even more drastic change.
This game truly marks a milestone in the BIO series, resolving long-standing issues not only in the story but also in the control system. That's what UC is.
In "1", the game's cinematic presentation and sense of terror were achieved by eliminating as much information as possible from the game's progression, such as the health gauges and scores. As the series progressed, the game design has become more user friendly, and UC's especially easy to grasp, becoming, as Kawata puts it, "a BIO that's a game-game."
"It wasn't like that at first. In fact we also tried removing as much information as possible from the screen", said Seto, with Kawata adding, "It was more stylized. I wished the game screen could be composed without displaying any gauges at all", remembering the early days of development.
However, "That was the concept we started with but we still couldn't figure it out (laughs). Creating something stylish wasn't as simple as I imagined." (Kawata)
Bullet info isn't displayed unless you're shooting and the screen shakes to inform you that you've taken damage-- such an avant-garde creation of "a game with no visual info" transformed into a pop game with visible gauges.
At the development site there's a spirit of "making games that are as user friendly as possible." The "CAPCOM mindset" led them to revise the content and improve the game's quality. Seto says, "We wanted to make the game as easy to grasp as possible, but also satisfying. The result's easier to understand."
The reason for sticking with the gun-shooting system was that it was also a genre suited to the Wii, but the staff had a hard time adapting the controls to the novel controller.
"The screen and controls were difficult on the Wii. We were aiming for something simple and easy to understand at once, so it was difficult to achieve that. Until now you couldn't use a gun and a knife at the same time in BIO. So we envisioned something where you could defend and attack at the same time, but it was also difficult to control, and it's hard to use both hands at the same time. Plus, you're chasing the sights. Even if you bring what the creator wants to do directly to the machine, it's something that's thought up in the mind, so it doesn't fit the body. We need to work on cutting down those things and organizing them. The Wii in particular required a great deal of trial and error. There were also external factors such as the range of motion sensor (3D accelerometer) recognition, for example. We had a tough time with the knife. The speed and direction of swinging the knife varies completely from person to person. That's why we kept it very simple for this game."
I asked Seto "Did you measure the acceleration and direction of the knife swinging?" This was Seto's reply.
"I hadn't looked at it at all. I only see it as an essence to some extent. Of course, I made an internal (program) look at it. But it came down to a choice between strictly looking to see whether it's hard to launch an attack while swinging, or attack easily but go over the top, so we went with the easy way out."
The reason they could put their heart and soul into these offensive and defensive measures is that they've made the movement automatic, but it seems the production side were concerned about whether this was a restriction on gameplay, and during the interview Kawata was asked this question.
"How do you feel about the forced movement, did you feel negatively about it initially?"
The forced movement isn't the same as the usual gun-shooting experience in arcade games. Rather than being forced to walk, it's more like playing a standard BIO game and taking shortcuts where you have to hurry. And since there are a large number of enemies and items in place, you can't take them all down or pick them up while passing through an area, so you devise strategies like using hand grenades. In other words, you don't play without thinking. The lack of movement isn't a negative factor, as the game involves thinking and savoring while aiming. Seto explained.
"Key to the game, I think, is the weapon switching. You can freely choose which you want to use. There are also grenades. I think the ability to destroy things is also important."
Kawata half-seriously asked "You can destroy the whole mansion can't ya?", but there were still limitations, the specs limiting them to destroying lights and other objects placed on surfaces, as is currently the case. Even if total destruction's not possible however, adopting the act of destruction is meaningful.
"Since you can't move we wanted to focus on the act of shooting a gun and make the game even more fun by having some sort of reaction when the player shoots. The "destruction" is a big part of the reason the game doesn't feel like you're forced to walk around. It's not directly related to the game, but the fact it reacts gives meaning to shooting a gun." (Seto)
"Our desired aim was to reveal items through destruction and tie them into the gameplay. There are no enemies, but we wanted you to look for things. People who aren't familiar with gun shooters don't fire until an enemy appears, but in this game, we want the player to actively shoot. That's why we've provided a large number of bullets. I think players can play by destroying things, or play by destroying the mansion for the sake of relieving stress." (Kawata)
Another characteristic of UC is there are few puzzle-solving or other puzzle elements, which are points that interrupt the flow of the game. This allows the player to concentrate on the action of destroying objects and defeating enemies, which keeps the game moving at a brisk pace and provides an exhilarating experience. Kawata explained.
"We wanted to deliberately exclude puzzle elements from the game as much as we could. Also, one of the reasons we removed movement was to create a camera that had a sense of realism. It may be partially ego on part of a creator, but we selfishly chose to leave it there. Another reason's that Zombies become a weak enemy if you can shoot them while moving. Therefore, in order to take advantage of the Zombies' good qualities, we decided it'd be better to remove the freedom of movement to some degree. I heard that when making "4," the Zombies were so easy to kill with that system they were replaced with the Ganados, enemies that move quickly and can attack from a distance. When playing with two players, we also thought it'd be easier for them to play together if they had less freedom of movement as well. I think it's just like Spider-Man (The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man™ The Ride) at USJ (Universal Studios Japan)."
Players are in a constant state of tension as they face off against countless Zombies, find numerous items, then try to use those items appropriately. It's exhausting to play after an hour. It's a game that requires adequate breaks. This is the reason there are screens displaying the elapsed time in the midst of it. Since each chapter's long, there are checkpoints.
While UC's a general summary of the period prior to "4" in terms of story, "2" and "CODE:Veronica" are outside UC's general framework. Kawata explained the reasoning for this.
"Wesker's the main character behind the scenes, but in "2" we don't see much of Wesker, you know. Also since Leon played an active role in "4", we wanted to compel different players, so this time "2" doesn't appear. "Veronica" was simply set in Antarctica. This time around our policy was to basically deal with inside of Raccoon then do the newly created sections as well. As Wesker's very popular on overseas websites we wanted to make more use of the character. So we had the intention of making Wesker's own BIO this time. That's where the Umbrella in the title came from. We put together the scenario by discussing what to do with Wesker's story."
Seto added further.
"When we decided to make something chronicle-like we thought it'd still be a good idea to tell that story through Wesker. We didn't intend to leave out "2" from the beginning. But this time the whole thing's certainly a vast volume. We're narrating the story of Umbrella in a single work. Accordingly we couldn't tell the whole story in there, so we started with the story of "0", picking out only the most vital parts and arranging them so the story would flow smoothly. When we took the story as a whole we still had to rearrange and drop some parts. Those ended up being "2" and "Veronica."
Although it's called Chronicles, there are only a few years between Raccoon's destruction and Umbrella's collapse. "2" and "3" were settings with concurrently overlapping events, so it'd be unbalanced to concentrate too much on Raccoon. Basically, the structure's composed of "0", "1", and "3" followed by reaching the final stage.
As the back cover of the product manual shows Jill Valentine in each of the "1", "3", and Russian stages all rolled into one, it conveys the intention of unifying each title, with their disparate game designs, and not making UC a bonus chapter but rather a new game that follows the main story's worldview.
"The worldview's thoroughly one and the same as well. It differs slightly from the actual scenarios however. If it were the same game people would say why not just play the old ones. What we're proposing this time around is that if Chris and Jill had worked together, instead of independently like in the original, it'd be like this. In a situation like that, I think they'd normally operate in a two-person cell (a pair of two people)" says Kawata.
Seto also mentioned experiencing the story's interactive and variable nature.
"I think BIO had a significant impact when Mikami-san's "1" was first released. Your comrades could die, like Rebecca. For me I think that was a unique story not found in the subsequent BIO games. There wasn't a predetermined storyline but rather lots of things like Barry dying and so on. The message was it's the player's choice. In that sense, I didn't pay very much attention to consistency in the story, instead I wrote the story this time based on wondering what would've happened if Chris and Jill had worked together. The only thing I cared about was keeping the beginning and ending the same (like in the originals). In other words once the story's started, Richard dies no matter what you do (in the PS version of "1", he always dies), something like that (laughs). I didn't want to change the beginning and ending, even in the sense of showing a full BIO world called Chronicles for the sake of overall consistency. Well, the main story in UC doesn't depict Richard's death. If you look at the remake, I think the character of Richard gets eaten by something and dies."
"Video games are entertainment and comprehensive art at the same time, but UC was fun in terms of gameplay, satisfying with audio and visually adequate," Kawata had to say when I told him my impressions of UC.
"Fun to look at and fun to play was a phrase Mikami always used to say. We paid a lot of attention not just to UC's graphical quality, but we also thought that by making the camera a subjective viewpoint, it'd be advantageous in having Zombies coming up close to the camera. There's also Wesker's evil segments. I reckon we were able to show him being as black-hearted on the outside as he is on the inside as well. Seto worked very hard to make those sections enjoyable. Likewise it's still comprehensive in my view, as mentioned earlier. Um, not just in the game's systems, but also the visuals as well as the audio, I guess. I wonder how much enjoyment we brought to the overall experience."
Naming the movie director who contributed to the project's visual side, Seto said, "The director in charge of the videos, Hidekazu Gondoh, did a fantastic job." Gondoh is a freelance director who has also filmed several scenes in the BIO series. Praising him, Kawata said, "He's both steady and innovative in terms of visuals. He's a very talented creator."
How's the audio in contrast to the visuals you might wonder. Just as "1" attracted attention with its novelty of conveying Zombies using only the sound of their footsteps, UC also tried to elaborate on the audio aspect, but when Kawata said it could've been done better, Seto interrupted as follows. "We could've done a bit more with the terror of sound, like coming up right behind you. But then we'd have needed a 5.1 channel (surround sound) and that's difficult to achieve. So it's hard to tell if they're behind you. I feel voices have potential to yield fresh gameplay, you know." Kawata elaborated on the use of voices.
"This time the characters aren't shown from a subjective viewpoint so it's hard to tell who you're controlling. So we decided to have them talking to each other all the time. I think that's something new that hasn't been done in BIO up until now. In terms of audio I sensed we could take on more challenges this time around, so if we have the opportunity to do so in the future, I'd like to make it even more amazing."
Seto continued.
"We used the voices in order to convey info, for example on how you need to defeat some guy now. But of course it's certainly tough, controlling language. It's all about talking about a boss' weak point now or something like that, but I think of those as hints. At parts where you have to beat armor to even move on, Billy will say, "That armor's in the way" and the like. We recorded that at the very last minute though, just before completion. That's how we treated it. Also, there's HUNK's segment. Various voices come through on crossed lines. We wanted to convey what was going on in the world around him even though it's essentially merely a reflection of his own surroundings."
The music was composed by Masafumi Takada of Grasshopper Manufacture. He says there was a time he didn't sleep for three days due to production of "NO MORE HEROES" which is scheduled to release on December 6th. Takada was born in 1970, in the same generation as Kawata and Seto. From the 70s to 90s, avant-garde music was flourishing and he was apparently influenced by contemporary music derived from punk and new wave. This sense of style adorns the radical looks of UC.
Kawata and Seto's concern for their staff as managers is evident in the way they loudly proclaim the merits of Gondoh and Takada. After telling us everything, Seto concluded the interview with these words.
"The people involved in BIO have changed, in a variety of circumstances, but I think we mutually respect each other's content, and in my view we're the sort of company that holds onto that kind of thing."
It's a little emotional to imagine this UC is the result of a collective respect that remains behind.
[Developer Interview]
Producer Masachika Kawata X Director Yasuhiro Seto
A CHRONICLE THAT PUNCTUATES BIO HISTORY
The genre of the latest "BIOHAZARD" game, titled as the chronicles of the Umbrella Corporation, is a gun shooter game. It's also said to depict the collapse of Umbrella Corp., which had remained a missing link. We explored the background to this ambitious work that attempts to summarize BIO's history.
Yasuhiro Seto
Director, born 1969, 38-years-old. Graduated from Hosei University, Faculty of Sociology. Joined CAPCOM in 1993. After working on "Street Fighter II", "BEAT DOWN", and "Clock Tower 3", he became director of "BIOHAZARD UMBRELLA CHRONICLES."
Masachika Kawata
Producer, born 1970, 37-years-old. Graduated from Osaka University of Arts. Majored in CG Design at the Department of Design, Faculty of Art, then joined CAPCOM as a designer in 1995. After making his debut with "Yosuke Ide's New Real Mahjong", he was later involved in production of "Rockman 8", "Dino Crisis", "Onimusha", "BIOHAZARD 3", "biohazard" (GC ver.), etc.
Ever since the first BIOHAZARD shocked the world with its debut in 1996, many follow-ups have been made. Today it has even become Hollywood movies, so BIO is no longer just CAPCOM's nor is it in the hands of its creator Shinji Mikami. BIOHAZARD UMBRELLA CHRONICLES (hereafter "UC") is a project which attempts to consolidate this ever-expanding history. This attempt evokes the work of researchers attempting to extract the truth from an ancient history that has become muddled with a mishmash of theories, presenting an unexpected historical view. Producer Masachika Kawata had this to say.
"It's been more than 10 years since the first BIO came out, but if you ask me how much the scenario has progressed in that time, I'd say it hasn't actually gone that far since Raccoon's destruction. We suddenly jump forward with "4" then again with "5", but we need to fill in the gaps. One of the reasons we wanted to do this project was because we wanted to recap past events."
The initial intention was to release a festival game featuring many characters from BIO. As Kawata and director Yasuhiro Seto worked out the project, it shifted to its current form. Seto, a passionate fan of the original BIO, and Kawata, who's been involved in the BIO series for a long time, discussed what sort of work should be done to please fans of this series. The outcome was changing course from the "festival way". By the time they decided on the direction of maintaining the conventional worldview, not even the hardware had been decided.
"When we looked into the newly announced Wii, we thought it might be better suited for BIO than we'd expected, so we decided to try it out. There was also the fact we wanted to have know-how on the Wii", says Kawata.
The lack of machine power was a challenge. However, improving the graphics wasn't a top priority for UC, but rather the aim and desire were to create a BIO game able to take advantage of the Wii machine's unique characteristics and devices.
As a result, the graphics are excellent and their concerns over the lack of machine power were unfounded, but the feeling of control provided by the Wii was even more vital for UC.
The control system of "1" was regarded as a fear factor due to difficulty in moving the player, and Mikami had always wished to change that control system. This wish led to the adoption of a first-person perspective in "4", and with the Wii controller, UC underwent an even more drastic change.
This game truly marks a milestone in the BIO series, resolving long-standing issues not only in the story but also in the control system. That's what UC is.
In "1", the game's cinematic presentation and sense of terror were achieved by eliminating as much information as possible from the game's progression, such as the health gauges and scores. As the series progressed, the game design has become more user friendly, and UC's especially easy to grasp, becoming, as Kawata puts it, "a BIO that's a game-game."
"It wasn't like that at first. In fact we also tried removing as much information as possible from the screen", said Seto, with Kawata adding, "It was more stylized. I wished the game screen could be composed without displaying any gauges at all", remembering the early days of development.
However, "That was the concept we started with but we still couldn't figure it out (laughs). Creating something stylish wasn't as simple as I imagined." (Kawata)
Bullet info isn't displayed unless you're shooting and the screen shakes to inform you that you've taken damage-- such an avant-garde creation of "a game with no visual info" transformed into a pop game with visible gauges.
At the development site there's a spirit of "making games that are as user friendly as possible." The "CAPCOM mindset" led them to revise the content and improve the game's quality. Seto says, "We wanted to make the game as easy to grasp as possible, but also satisfying. The result's easier to understand."
The reason for sticking with the gun-shooting system was that it was also a genre suited to the Wii, but the staff had a hard time adapting the controls to the novel controller.
"The screen and controls were difficult on the Wii. We were aiming for something simple and easy to understand at once, so it was difficult to achieve that. Until now you couldn't use a gun and a knife at the same time in BIO. So we envisioned something where you could defend and attack at the same time, but it was also difficult to control, and it's hard to use both hands at the same time. Plus, you're chasing the sights. Even if you bring what the creator wants to do directly to the machine, it's something that's thought up in the mind, so it doesn't fit the body. We need to work on cutting down those things and organizing them. The Wii in particular required a great deal of trial and error. There were also external factors such as the range of motion sensor (3D accelerometer) recognition, for example. We had a tough time with the knife. The speed and direction of swinging the knife varies completely from person to person. That's why we kept it very simple for this game."
I asked Seto "Did you measure the acceleration and direction of the knife swinging?" This was Seto's reply.
"I hadn't looked at it at all. I only see it as an essence to some extent. Of course, I made an internal (program) look at it. But it came down to a choice between strictly looking to see whether it's hard to launch an attack while swinging, or attack easily but go over the top, so we went with the easy way out."
The reason they could put their heart and soul into these offensive and defensive measures is that they've made the movement automatic, but it seems the production side were concerned about whether this was a restriction on gameplay, and during the interview Kawata was asked this question.
"How do you feel about the forced movement, did you feel negatively about it initially?"
The forced movement isn't the same as the usual gun-shooting experience in arcade games. Rather than being forced to walk, it's more like playing a standard BIO game and taking shortcuts where you have to hurry. And since there are a large number of enemies and items in place, you can't take them all down or pick them up while passing through an area, so you devise strategies like using hand grenades. In other words, you don't play without thinking. The lack of movement isn't a negative factor, as the game involves thinking and savoring while aiming. Seto explained.
"Key to the game, I think, is the weapon switching. You can freely choose which you want to use. There are also grenades. I think the ability to destroy things is also important."
Kawata half-seriously asked "You can destroy the whole mansion can't ya?", but there were still limitations, the specs limiting them to destroying lights and other objects placed on surfaces, as is currently the case. Even if total destruction's not possible however, adopting the act of destruction is meaningful.
"Since you can't move we wanted to focus on the act of shooting a gun and make the game even more fun by having some sort of reaction when the player shoots. The "destruction" is a big part of the reason the game doesn't feel like you're forced to walk around. It's not directly related to the game, but the fact it reacts gives meaning to shooting a gun." (Seto)
"Our desired aim was to reveal items through destruction and tie them into the gameplay. There are no enemies, but we wanted you to look for things. People who aren't familiar with gun shooters don't fire until an enemy appears, but in this game, we want the player to actively shoot. That's why we've provided a large number of bullets. I think players can play by destroying things, or play by destroying the mansion for the sake of relieving stress." (Kawata)
Another characteristic of UC is there are few puzzle-solving or other puzzle elements, which are points that interrupt the flow of the game. This allows the player to concentrate on the action of destroying objects and defeating enemies, which keeps the game moving at a brisk pace and provides an exhilarating experience. Kawata explained.
"We wanted to deliberately exclude puzzle elements from the game as much as we could. Also, one of the reasons we removed movement was to create a camera that had a sense of realism. It may be partially ego on part of a creator, but we selfishly chose to leave it there. Another reason's that Zombies become a weak enemy if you can shoot them while moving. Therefore, in order to take advantage of the Zombies' good qualities, we decided it'd be better to remove the freedom of movement to some degree. I heard that when making "4," the Zombies were so easy to kill with that system they were replaced with the Ganados, enemies that move quickly and can attack from a distance. When playing with two players, we also thought it'd be easier for them to play together if they had less freedom of movement as well. I think it's just like Spider-Man (The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man™ The Ride) at USJ (Universal Studios Japan)."
Players are in a constant state of tension as they face off against countless Zombies, find numerous items, then try to use those items appropriately. It's exhausting to play after an hour. It's a game that requires adequate breaks. This is the reason there are screens displaying the elapsed time in the midst of it. Since each chapter's long, there are checkpoints.
While UC's a general summary of the period prior to "4" in terms of story, "2" and "CODE:Veronica" are outside UC's general framework. Kawata explained the reasoning for this.
"Wesker's the main character behind the scenes, but in "2" we don't see much of Wesker, you know. Also since Leon played an active role in "4", we wanted to compel different players, so this time "2" doesn't appear. "Veronica" was simply set in Antarctica. This time around our policy was to basically deal with inside of Raccoon then do the newly created sections as well. As Wesker's very popular on overseas websites we wanted to make more use of the character. So we had the intention of making Wesker's own BIO this time. That's where the Umbrella in the title came from. We put together the scenario by discussing what to do with Wesker's story."
Seto added further.
"When we decided to make something chronicle-like we thought it'd still be a good idea to tell that story through Wesker. We didn't intend to leave out "2" from the beginning. But this time the whole thing's certainly a vast volume. We're narrating the story of Umbrella in a single work. Accordingly we couldn't tell the whole story in there, so we started with the story of "0", picking out only the most vital parts and arranging them so the story would flow smoothly. When we took the story as a whole we still had to rearrange and drop some parts. Those ended up being "2" and "Veronica."
Although it's called Chronicles, there are only a few years between Raccoon's destruction and Umbrella's collapse. "2" and "3" were settings with concurrently overlapping events, so it'd be unbalanced to concentrate too much on Raccoon. Basically, the structure's composed of "0", "1", and "3" followed by reaching the final stage.
As the back cover of the product manual shows Jill Valentine in each of the "1", "3", and Russian stages all rolled into one, it conveys the intention of unifying each title, with their disparate game designs, and not making UC a bonus chapter but rather a new game that follows the main story's worldview.
"The worldview's thoroughly one and the same as well. It differs slightly from the actual scenarios however. If it were the same game people would say why not just play the old ones. What we're proposing this time around is that if Chris and Jill had worked together, instead of independently like in the original, it'd be like this. In a situation like that, I think they'd normally operate in a two-person cell (a pair of two people)" says Kawata.
Seto also mentioned experiencing the story's interactive and variable nature.
"I think BIO had a significant impact when Mikami-san's "1" was first released. Your comrades could die, like Rebecca. For me I think that was a unique story not found in the subsequent BIO games. There wasn't a predetermined storyline but rather lots of things like Barry dying and so on. The message was it's the player's choice. In that sense, I didn't pay very much attention to consistency in the story, instead I wrote the story this time based on wondering what would've happened if Chris and Jill had worked together. The only thing I cared about was keeping the beginning and ending the same (like in the originals). In other words once the story's started, Richard dies no matter what you do (in the PS version of "1", he always dies), something like that (laughs). I didn't want to change the beginning and ending, even in the sense of showing a full BIO world called Chronicles for the sake of overall consistency. Well, the main story in UC doesn't depict Richard's death. If you look at the remake, I think the character of Richard gets eaten by something and dies."
"Video games are entertainment and comprehensive art at the same time, but UC was fun in terms of gameplay, satisfying with audio and visually adequate," Kawata had to say when I told him my impressions of UC.
"Fun to look at and fun to play was a phrase Mikami always used to say. We paid a lot of attention not just to UC's graphical quality, but we also thought that by making the camera a subjective viewpoint, it'd be advantageous in having Zombies coming up close to the camera. There's also Wesker's evil segments. I reckon we were able to show him being as black-hearted on the outside as he is on the inside as well. Seto worked very hard to make those sections enjoyable. Likewise it's still comprehensive in my view, as mentioned earlier. Um, not just in the game's systems, but also the visuals as well as the audio, I guess. I wonder how much enjoyment we brought to the overall experience."
Naming the movie director who contributed to the project's visual side, Seto said, "The director in charge of the videos, Hidekazu Gondoh, did a fantastic job." Gondoh is a freelance director who has also filmed several scenes in the BIO series. Praising him, Kawata said, "He's both steady and innovative in terms of visuals. He's a very talented creator."
How's the audio in contrast to the visuals you might wonder. Just as "1" attracted attention with its novelty of conveying Zombies using only the sound of their footsteps, UC also tried to elaborate on the audio aspect, but when Kawata said it could've been done better, Seto interrupted as follows. "We could've done a bit more with the terror of sound, like coming up right behind you. But then we'd have needed a 5.1 channel (surround sound) and that's difficult to achieve. So it's hard to tell if they're behind you. I feel voices have potential to yield fresh gameplay, you know." Kawata elaborated on the use of voices.
"This time the characters aren't shown from a subjective viewpoint so it's hard to tell who you're controlling. So we decided to have them talking to each other all the time. I think that's something new that hasn't been done in BIO up until now. In terms of audio I sensed we could take on more challenges this time around, so if we have the opportunity to do so in the future, I'd like to make it even more amazing."
Seto continued.
"We used the voices in order to convey info, for example on how you need to defeat some guy now. But of course it's certainly tough, controlling language. It's all about talking about a boss' weak point now or something like that, but I think of those as hints. At parts where you have to beat armor to even move on, Billy will say, "That armor's in the way" and the like. We recorded that at the very last minute though, just before completion. That's how we treated it. Also, there's HUNK's segment. Various voices come through on crossed lines. We wanted to convey what was going on in the world around him even though it's essentially merely a reflection of his own surroundings."
The music was composed by Masafumi Takada of Grasshopper Manufacture. He says there was a time he didn't sleep for three days due to production of "NO MORE HEROES" which is scheduled to release on December 6th. Takada was born in 1970, in the same generation as Kawata and Seto. From the 70s to 90s, avant-garde music was flourishing and he was apparently influenced by contemporary music derived from punk and new wave. This sense of style adorns the radical looks of UC.
Kawata and Seto's concern for their staff as managers is evident in the way they loudly proclaim the merits of Gondoh and Takada. After telling us everything, Seto concluded the interview with these words.
"The people involved in BIO have changed, in a variety of circumstances, but I think we mutually respect each other's content, and in my view we're the sort of company that holds onto that kind of thing."
It's a little emotional to imagine this UC is the result of a collective respect that remains behind.
Section 3
Enemy
Zombie (p.035)
A human whose genetic structure has been altered by infection with the t-Virus. They're called Zombies because they've lost their intelligence and their skin's decayed, making them look like living corpses. Driven by hunger and coming into contact with other living creatures, they're little more than vessels for the virus, spreading the infection.
Crimson Head (p.037)
A state in which Zombies have become much more ferocious due to a mutant strain of the t-Virus. The virus reconstructs the inactive Zombie bodily tissues, causing the body to revive as a reddish Crimson Head. They attack with sharp blade-like claws and agile mobility.
Cerberus (p.038)
A biological weapon created by administering the t-Virus to a Doberman breed dog. Although its epidermis is severely decomposed, its running ability and endurance are greatly enhanced, and when it finds prey, they attack in waves. They escaped into the Raccoon forest zone and caused numerous bizarre incidents.
Crow (p.039)
A wild crow infected with the t-Virus. Despite there being no change in its appearance, it attacks living creatures with no hesitation and is unfazed by gunfire, indicating its unusual ferocity. Due to its ability to fly, it's an extremely dangerous carrier of the virus for secondary infections.
Bat (p.040)
A bat that became ferocious as a result of secondary infection with the t-Virus. It has a habit of striking humans with its body. Other than being berserk, they're the same as ordinary bats living in Raccoon Forest, but there's a high possibility they can transmit the virus through their bites.
Leech (p.041)
A blood-sucking leech with a body length of 20cm. Created by Dr. Marcus, it has undergone dramatic evolutionary changes unseen in annelids. They prey systematically on the human body by swarming, and when they attach to the human body, they use their large mouths to gouge flesh, so a human attacked by a swarm will die within minutes.
Large Roach (p.042)
Cockroaches that live in the sewer system grew massive under the influence of the t-Virus. Their body length's nearly 40cm and their numbers are exploding, aided by the high vitality the species innately possesses. They have a habit of biting at prey's soft parts, easily targeting their carotid artery.
Mimicry Marcus (p.043)
A creature composed of countless amalgamated Leeches which mimic the appearance of Dr. Marcus prior to his death. When mimicking a human body, the Leeches secrete a highly adhesive fluid from their skin to bind them tightly together. When a foreign hostile or prey approaches, the Leeches break their mimicry and assume an offensive stance. An eerie and formidable enemy.
Queen Leech First Form (p.044)
The apex of the mutant leeches. Normally it imitates Dr. Marcus, but when it breaks its mimicry, it metamorphoses into a deformed shape. Since it has spent a long time absorbing Dr. Marcus' DNA after invading his corpse, when it mimics, even its thoughts and personality become those of Dr. Marcus himself.
Hunter (p.045)
A combat model B.O.W. created by crossing a fertilized human egg with DNA from a reptile or other organism through the power of the virus. It's extremely aggressive, with large claws. It has the ability to understand and carry out simple commands as well as hunt down foes utilizing its agility and leaping ability.
Licker (p.046)
A mutation of a Zombie, the result of further invasion of the t-Virus. Its long tongue's so impressive it was named "Licker." Its athletic ability and instantaneous force far exceed those of Zombies. It's sensitive to sound and when it locates prey, it stretches its tongue like a spear.
Nemesis (p.047)
A B.O.W. created by implanting the parasitic organism "Nemesis" into the Tyrant. This parasite's characteristics give it the intelligence to steadily execute orders with judgment to use weapons. The coat covering its entire body is bulletproof and bomb-proof, and also serves to suppress any violent outbursts.
Adder (p.048)
A small wild venomous snake that mutated and became more aggressive as a result of secondary infection with the t-Virus. Its fertility has also changed with its numbers increasing abnormally. Its hemorrhagic venom has been strengthened by the virus and the possibility of viral infection is not to be underestimated.
Baby Spider (p.049)
A newborn spider infected with the t-Virus and turned ferocious. Individually they're weak, but they act in countless groups and if caught off guard, they can cover with their entire bodies instantly. Despite their small size, they have fangs with a risk of infecting with the virus.
Web Spinner (p.050)
An early experimental arthropod-based B.O.W. Due to its enormous size, it doesn't nest, hunting with a highly acidic venom. Its maneuverability to crawl on exterior walls and ceilings exhibited its potential as a bioweapon, but it couldn't be controlled to a significant degree, so research was terminated.
Black Tiger
One of the discarded Web Spinners mutated and became even larger and more aggressive. It's easily distinguished from the Web Spinner since its entire body took on a black tinge. Its ability to build nests seems to have been restored, so it lurks in the depths of its nest waiting for large prey to wander in.
Wasp (p.051)
A bee that was secondarily infected by preying on t-Virus infected insects. The influence of the virus causes them to grow huge. They sometimes build nests and socialize in groups, and quickly attack in swarms. They have a venomous stinger on their tails that injects the virus along with their venom.
Neptune (p.052)
A B.O.W. based on the great white shark. It was developed to verify if the t-Virus could adapt to other organisms besides terrestrial creatures. The virus has minimal effect on the primitive fish species of sharks however, and the B.O.W.'s not as sophisticated as a bioweapon.
Chimera (p.053)
A bioweapon created by incorporating fly genes into human genes. It inherits the characteristics of a fly and can crawl on walls, with sharp claws. It's as intelligent as a fly with countless maggots inside its body. Its visage instinctively terrifies humans.
Ivy (p.054)
Its official name's "Plant 43." It was created based on data from Plant 42 which was accidentally generated in the mansion. It walks by itself and captures prey by freely manipulating two snake-like vines. From its head-like buds, it shoots a digestive enzyme solution that inflicts fatal wounds on prey.
Eliminator (p.055)
A bioweapon developed based on a large simian. Due to its intelligent mammalian background, it excels in the ability to carry out orders. Under the virus' influence, its musculature has developed to the point of breaking through its outer skin, and it pounces on prey with a ferocious aggressive impulse arising from a sense of hunger.
Stinger (p.056)
A bioweapon created by injecting a scorpion with the t-Virus, growing to a gigantic size at an astonishing speed. Under the influence of the virus, its scissors are hard enough to cut through steel and its exoskeleton's durable enough to absorb damage from bullets. Its movements are sluggish though and it's imperfect as a weapon.
Infected Bat (p.058)
Among bats infected with the t-Virus, this creature's the only one with a special mutation, one that demonstrates the effect of the t-Virus in enlarging highly compatible individuals. It has a wingspan of up to 3m. In order to ensure its prey's capture, it sometimes uses sound waves to call its companions.
Proto Tyrant (p.060)
The Arklay Laboratory's goal was to realize a B.O.W. that emphasized combat capabilities, based on tough adult males. However the Proto Tyrant was discarded since it failed to develop the intelligence necessary to execute orders. After being disposed of, it resurrected and went on a rampage.
Queen Leech Second Form (p.062)
A final form that transitioned from the Queen Leech's first form which commands and directs countless hordes of Leeches, after sensing a threat to its life it ingested and absorbed surrounding mutant leeches to grow massive in size. It no longer walks on two legs but its speed has increased.
Ivan (p.064)
A derivative model of the Tyrant T-103. Customized by Sergei as his personal escort, it has been improved to be able to operate in manners more familiar with human society. In addition to the T-103's trademark protective coat, it regularly wears custom-made sunglasses with a built-in HMD.
Yawn (p.066)
After the escape of a venomous snake that had been a B.O.W. test subject, the t-Virus' influence caused it to undergo astonishingly abnormal growth. It became the owner of the mansion and began to eat researchers. The name "Yawn" comes from the way it opens its jaws, which looks like it's "yawning."
Plant 42 (p.068)
A giant plant created accidentally as a result of a t-Virus outbreak. Its bizarre ecology caught the attention of a researcher, who monitored it. The plant's main body is immobile, but it extends and wraps its tentacle-like tendrils around prey, ensnaring them to suck their blood.
Tyrant (p.070)
The ultimate bioweapon realized by the Arklay Laboratory. As a result of accumulated studies based on the Proto Tyrant, the research would reach its final stage with the creation of this "T-002." All the design requirements had been met, the only thing left to do was conduct a field test.
Lisa Trevor (p.072)
A monster that had been imprisoned for nearly 30 years and survived human experimentation. As a consequence of being administered all kinds of experimental viruses, it acquired immortality and was the catalyst for Birkin's discovery of "G." Despite being disposed of many times, it failed to die and still wanders around the mansion wearing restraints.
Grave Digger (p.074)
An arthropod that has grown abnormally large under the influence of the leaked t-Virus. It digs freely in the ground and when it senses prey on the surface, it suddenly rises to the surface launching a surprise attack. It looks like a giant earthworm with jaws that can chew concrete as well as digestion capabilities that enable it to easily swallow a person whole.
Nemesis Second Form / Flame Resistant (p.076)
The secretion from "Nemesis" regenerated its body after falling into an inactive state due to flames, transforming it into a unique form. The shape of its body has partially changed with its right arm having produced a tentacle capable of expanding and contracting at will. Its tentacles have the strength to shatter walls and floors.
Tyrant R/Reborn (p.078)
A Tyrant from the "Outbreak" series. Its skin's hard as a rock and its hands are abnormally large with sharp claws. It has physical abilities no one would ever expect from its appearance, capable of moving so fast it's impossible to follow with the eyes.
T-A.L.O.S. First Form (p.080)
Based on the Tyrant, a chip wirelessly connected to a computer was implanted in its brain to perfectly control its movements. Its body surface is enshrouded in a special alloy armor that dramatically enhances its survivability against missiles and firearms, while at the same time preventing the t-Virus from going out of control.
T-A.L.O.S. Second Form (p.082)
Once Talos was freed from computer control after its last breath, the t-Virus tissue circulating within its body was unleashed and started to go out-of-control. The activity of the t-Virus caused Talos to evolve at a rapid rate, reborn in a new form breaking through its own body.
Ivan A&B (p.084)
The Ivan that Wesker previously encountered wore orange sunglasses, but Sergei created a new Ivan wearing blue sunglasses. The two Ivan's thoughts are in sync with each other, allowing them to work in perfect coordination to perform their maneuvers flawlessly.
Monster Sergei (p.086)
A state in which Sergei became a monster by activating a virus he injected himself with. The tentacles binding his arms have fused into a single thick tentacle. The tip of the tentacle transformed into vicious claws he can manipulate to move and attack at will.
Enemy
Zombie (p.035)
A human whose genetic structure has been altered by infection with the t-Virus. They're called Zombies because they've lost their intelligence and their skin's decayed, making them look like living corpses. Driven by hunger and coming into contact with other living creatures, they're little more than vessels for the virus, spreading the infection.
Crimson Head (p.037)
A state in which Zombies have become much more ferocious due to a mutant strain of the t-Virus. The virus reconstructs the inactive Zombie bodily tissues, causing the body to revive as a reddish Crimson Head. They attack with sharp blade-like claws and agile mobility.
Cerberus (p.038)
A biological weapon created by administering the t-Virus to a Doberman breed dog. Although its epidermis is severely decomposed, its running ability and endurance are greatly enhanced, and when it finds prey, they attack in waves. They escaped into the Raccoon forest zone and caused numerous bizarre incidents.
Crow (p.039)
A wild crow infected with the t-Virus. Despite there being no change in its appearance, it attacks living creatures with no hesitation and is unfazed by gunfire, indicating its unusual ferocity. Due to its ability to fly, it's an extremely dangerous carrier of the virus for secondary infections.
Bat (p.040)
A bat that became ferocious as a result of secondary infection with the t-Virus. It has a habit of striking humans with its body. Other than being berserk, they're the same as ordinary bats living in Raccoon Forest, but there's a high possibility they can transmit the virus through their bites.
Leech (p.041)
A blood-sucking leech with a body length of 20cm. Created by Dr. Marcus, it has undergone dramatic evolutionary changes unseen in annelids. They prey systematically on the human body by swarming, and when they attach to the human body, they use their large mouths to gouge flesh, so a human attacked by a swarm will die within minutes.
Large Roach (p.042)
Cockroaches that live in the sewer system grew massive under the influence of the t-Virus. Their body length's nearly 40cm and their numbers are exploding, aided by the high vitality the species innately possesses. They have a habit of biting at prey's soft parts, easily targeting their carotid artery.
Mimicry Marcus (p.043)
A creature composed of countless amalgamated Leeches which mimic the appearance of Dr. Marcus prior to his death. When mimicking a human body, the Leeches secrete a highly adhesive fluid from their skin to bind them tightly together. When a foreign hostile or prey approaches, the Leeches break their mimicry and assume an offensive stance. An eerie and formidable enemy.
Queen Leech First Form (p.044)
The apex of the mutant leeches. Normally it imitates Dr. Marcus, but when it breaks its mimicry, it metamorphoses into a deformed shape. Since it has spent a long time absorbing Dr. Marcus' DNA after invading his corpse, when it mimics, even its thoughts and personality become those of Dr. Marcus himself.
Hunter (p.045)
A combat model B.O.W. created by crossing a fertilized human egg with DNA from a reptile or other organism through the power of the virus. It's extremely aggressive, with large claws. It has the ability to understand and carry out simple commands as well as hunt down foes utilizing its agility and leaping ability.
Licker (p.046)
A mutation of a Zombie, the result of further invasion of the t-Virus. Its long tongue's so impressive it was named "Licker." Its athletic ability and instantaneous force far exceed those of Zombies. It's sensitive to sound and when it locates prey, it stretches its tongue like a spear.
Nemesis (p.047)
A B.O.W. created by implanting the parasitic organism "Nemesis" into the Tyrant. This parasite's characteristics give it the intelligence to steadily execute orders with judgment to use weapons. The coat covering its entire body is bulletproof and bomb-proof, and also serves to suppress any violent outbursts.
Adder (p.048)
A small wild venomous snake that mutated and became more aggressive as a result of secondary infection with the t-Virus. Its fertility has also changed with its numbers increasing abnormally. Its hemorrhagic venom has been strengthened by the virus and the possibility of viral infection is not to be underestimated.
Baby Spider (p.049)
A newborn spider infected with the t-Virus and turned ferocious. Individually they're weak, but they act in countless groups and if caught off guard, they can cover with their entire bodies instantly. Despite their small size, they have fangs with a risk of infecting with the virus.
Web Spinner (p.050)
An early experimental arthropod-based B.O.W. Due to its enormous size, it doesn't nest, hunting with a highly acidic venom. Its maneuverability to crawl on exterior walls and ceilings exhibited its potential as a bioweapon, but it couldn't be controlled to a significant degree, so research was terminated.
Black Tiger
One of the discarded Web Spinners mutated and became even larger and more aggressive. It's easily distinguished from the Web Spinner since its entire body took on a black tinge. Its ability to build nests seems to have been restored, so it lurks in the depths of its nest waiting for large prey to wander in.
Wasp (p.051)
A bee that was secondarily infected by preying on t-Virus infected insects. The influence of the virus causes them to grow huge. They sometimes build nests and socialize in groups, and quickly attack in swarms. They have a venomous stinger on their tails that injects the virus along with their venom.
Neptune (p.052)
A B.O.W. based on the great white shark. It was developed to verify if the t-Virus could adapt to other organisms besides terrestrial creatures. The virus has minimal effect on the primitive fish species of sharks however, and the B.O.W.'s not as sophisticated as a bioweapon.
Chimera (p.053)
A bioweapon created by incorporating fly genes into human genes. It inherits the characteristics of a fly and can crawl on walls, with sharp claws. It's as intelligent as a fly with countless maggots inside its body. Its visage instinctively terrifies humans.
Ivy (p.054)
Its official name's "Plant 43." It was created based on data from Plant 42 which was accidentally generated in the mansion. It walks by itself and captures prey by freely manipulating two snake-like vines. From its head-like buds, it shoots a digestive enzyme solution that inflicts fatal wounds on prey.
Eliminator (p.055)
A bioweapon developed based on a large simian. Due to its intelligent mammalian background, it excels in the ability to carry out orders. Under the virus' influence, its musculature has developed to the point of breaking through its outer skin, and it pounces on prey with a ferocious aggressive impulse arising from a sense of hunger.
Stinger (p.056)
A bioweapon created by injecting a scorpion with the t-Virus, growing to a gigantic size at an astonishing speed. Under the influence of the virus, its scissors are hard enough to cut through steel and its exoskeleton's durable enough to absorb damage from bullets. Its movements are sluggish though and it's imperfect as a weapon.
Infected Bat (p.058)
Among bats infected with the t-Virus, this creature's the only one with a special mutation, one that demonstrates the effect of the t-Virus in enlarging highly compatible individuals. It has a wingspan of up to 3m. In order to ensure its prey's capture, it sometimes uses sound waves to call its companions.
Proto Tyrant (p.060)
The Arklay Laboratory's goal was to realize a B.O.W. that emphasized combat capabilities, based on tough adult males. However the Proto Tyrant was discarded since it failed to develop the intelligence necessary to execute orders. After being disposed of, it resurrected and went on a rampage.
Queen Leech Second Form (p.062)
A final form that transitioned from the Queen Leech's first form which commands and directs countless hordes of Leeches, after sensing a threat to its life it ingested and absorbed surrounding mutant leeches to grow massive in size. It no longer walks on two legs but its speed has increased.
Ivan (p.064)
A derivative model of the Tyrant T-103. Customized by Sergei as his personal escort, it has been improved to be able to operate in manners more familiar with human society. In addition to the T-103's trademark protective coat, it regularly wears custom-made sunglasses with a built-in HMD.
Yawn (p.066)
After the escape of a venomous snake that had been a B.O.W. test subject, the t-Virus' influence caused it to undergo astonishingly abnormal growth. It became the owner of the mansion and began to eat researchers. The name "Yawn" comes from the way it opens its jaws, which looks like it's "yawning."
Plant 42 (p.068)
A giant plant created accidentally as a result of a t-Virus outbreak. Its bizarre ecology caught the attention of a researcher, who monitored it. The plant's main body is immobile, but it extends and wraps its tentacle-like tendrils around prey, ensnaring them to suck their blood.
Tyrant (p.070)
The ultimate bioweapon realized by the Arklay Laboratory. As a result of accumulated studies based on the Proto Tyrant, the research would reach its final stage with the creation of this "T-002." All the design requirements had been met, the only thing left to do was conduct a field test.
Lisa Trevor (p.072)
A monster that had been imprisoned for nearly 30 years and survived human experimentation. As a consequence of being administered all kinds of experimental viruses, it acquired immortality and was the catalyst for Birkin's discovery of "G." Despite being disposed of many times, it failed to die and still wanders around the mansion wearing restraints.
Grave Digger (p.074)
An arthropod that has grown abnormally large under the influence of the leaked t-Virus. It digs freely in the ground and when it senses prey on the surface, it suddenly rises to the surface launching a surprise attack. It looks like a giant earthworm with jaws that can chew concrete as well as digestion capabilities that enable it to easily swallow a person whole.
Nemesis Second Form / Flame Resistant (p.076)
The secretion from "Nemesis" regenerated its body after falling into an inactive state due to flames, transforming it into a unique form. The shape of its body has partially changed with its right arm having produced a tentacle capable of expanding and contracting at will. Its tentacles have the strength to shatter walls and floors.
Tyrant R/Reborn (p.078)
A Tyrant from the "Outbreak" series. Its skin's hard as a rock and its hands are abnormally large with sharp claws. It has physical abilities no one would ever expect from its appearance, capable of moving so fast it's impossible to follow with the eyes.
T-A.L.O.S. First Form (p.080)
Based on the Tyrant, a chip wirelessly connected to a computer was implanted in its brain to perfectly control its movements. Its body surface is enshrouded in a special alloy armor that dramatically enhances its survivability against missiles and firearms, while at the same time preventing the t-Virus from going out of control.
T-A.L.O.S. Second Form (p.082)
Once Talos was freed from computer control after its last breath, the t-Virus tissue circulating within its body was unleashed and started to go out-of-control. The activity of the t-Virus caused Talos to evolve at a rapid rate, reborn in a new form breaking through its own body.
Ivan A&B (p.084)
The Ivan that Wesker previously encountered wore orange sunglasses, but Sergei created a new Ivan wearing blue sunglasses. The two Ivan's thoughts are in sync with each other, allowing them to work in perfect coordination to perform their maneuvers flawlessly.
Monster Sergei (p.086)
A state in which Sergei became a monster by activating a virus he injected himself with. The tentacles binding his arms have fused into a single thick tentacle. The tip of the tentacle transformed into vicious claws he can manipulate to move and attack at will.
Section 4
Scenario
[Ecliptic Express Incident]
--After 10:00 p.m. on July 23rd 1998
S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team is dispatched to the Arklay Mountains to investigate bizarre cases, but engine trouble forces them to make an emergency landing in Raccoon Forest. On the way, they find a ruined military jeep and learn two MPs (Military Police) are dead and Billy Coen, a convict on death row, is on the run. The captain Enrico disperses the team members to begin investigating. On her first mission, Rebecca discovers a halted train.
Rebecca gets on the train and is cornered in a critical situation by passengers who were supposed to be dead. However, it's Billy, the prisoner, who comes to her rescue in that predicament. Despite her suspicions about him, they now take on the form of a joint struggle to survive this hell.
[Beginnings]
--1988
Ten years have passed since Albert Wesker assassinated James Marcus, the director of the executive training school. A plan is formulated to investigate and repurpose the abandoned executive training school. Wesker and William Birkin, the two men in charge of the project, intend to transport personnel and equipment to the training school in two batches, but the resurrected Marcus unleashes the t-Virus, creating a biohazard in the Arklay Mountains area. The two men, sensing the situation, activate equipment around the entire training school, and Wesker, having given up on Umbrella, attempts to escape from the training school.
[Mansion Incident]
--July 24th 1998, Night
A day passes with no communications from S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team, which went to investigate bizarre cases. Ordered to search the area, S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team was dispatched to Raccoon Forest. They landed in Raccoon Forest after spotting the wreckage of Bravo Team's helicopter from the air, but were attacked by Cerberus in the forest and fled to a mansion. That mansion however was the feigned guise of an Umbrella laboratory. Umbrella's spy, Wesker, lures them into the mansion in order to obtain live combat data on B.O.W.'s (Bio Organic Weapons) versus trained humans.
[Nightmare]
--July 24th 1998
On her first mission, Rebecca goes to investigate the Arklay Mountains, working together with Billy Coen, a death row inmate she met while investigating the train, and succeeding in defeating "James Marcus," the man responsible for the biohazard. After escaping the executive training school, the duo part ways in the morning hoping for each other's safety, then Rebecca heads for the mansion where Bravo Team's main force were investigating.
However, the mansion's interior is a lair of monsters infected by the t-Virus. Rebecca's plagued by nightmares but meets up with Bravo Team officer Richard.
[Raccoon City Destruction Incident]
--Early Autumn 1998
Two months have passed since that hellish Mansion Incident. Jill, Chris, and Barry take a long vacation and begin operating separately in order to uncover Umbrella's ambitions, while Jill remains alone in the city to investigate Umbrella's research facility.
However, on September 23rd a biohazard outbreak occurred throughout Raccoon City. On the 26th the same month, Umbrella's private unit the U.B.C.S. was deployed to fight a horde of Zombies in the city center, along with the Raccoon Police Department (R.P.D.) which fought back to rescue citizens, but they're almost completely wiped out before long.
Then at noon on September 28th--
Jill decides to escape the city. But she still doesn't know Umbrella has deployed a new B.O.W. in the middle of the night...
[Death's Door]
--September 29-30th 1998
Ada Wong, a female spy. On Wesker's orders, she infiltrated Raccoon City to obtain the G-Virus created by William Birkin. There she met rookie R.P.D. officer Leon S. Kennedy. She identified herself as a civilian searching for her boyfriend, an Umbrella Corp. employee, and joined forces with Leon. As the two continued working together, trust developed between them, then in the Umbrella Underground Laboratory she even attempted to hunt Leon down after he received the G-Virus, but she put her feelings before the mission and defended Leon, sustaining severe injuries in the process.
--October 1st 1998
She regains consciousness despite being at death's door and attempts to escape from the city in a life or death gamble.
[The 4th Survivor]
--September 20th 1998
HUNK's a member of the Umbrella Security Service Alpha Team. Under orders from Umbrella, he and his teammates infiltrate Umbrella's Raccoon City underground research facility and attack Dr. William Birkin in order to retrieve a sample of the G-Virus in Dr. Birkin's possession. However, Dr. Birkin injects the G-Virus into his own body. He turns into a bioweapon, "G," and strikes back at the team. Alpha Team's almost completely wiped out. At this time, the t-Virus leaks into the sewers, triggering a biohazard in Raccoon City.
HUNK narrowly survives.
--September 30th
Undeterred, he scrambled and succeeded in recovering the G-Virus sample Leon had thrown away. He escapes Raccoon City to complete his mission.
[Umbrella's End]
It has already been five years since Raccoon City was destroyed. The US Government issued a business suspension order against Umbrella over Raccoon City's annihilation. Displeased with that, Umbrella took the case to trial and Lord Spencer, the leader of Umbrella, took full advantage of his money to assemble the most formidable defense counsel. They prepared witnesses for perjury and tilted public sentiment toward a government conspiracy theory.
The government side argued based mainly on the testimonies of survivors, but evidence was destroyed as a result of the Sterilization Strategy, and government officials refused to testify for fear of having their own crimes exposed, leading to a protracted trial.
--February 18th 2003, 04:20 PM
Chris and Jill catch wind of the fact Umbrella's Russian branch is manufacturing a new model of Bio Organic Weapon (B.O.W.), and together with a local private anti-biohazard unit, they set out to the factory of nightmares.
[Dark Heir]
--February 18th 2003, 2:50 PM
Wesker becomes aware in advance that Chris and Jill, along with a local anti-biohazard unit, were going to attack Umbrella's Russian branch. He takes advantage of this chaos and makes his move.
Now fully accustomed to his powers as a superhuman, he ventures into the Russian branch alone. He's determined to destroy Umbrella, as well as settle the score with his nemesis Sergei who repeatedly interfered with his plans in "Beginnings" and "Mansion Incident."
Never taking off his black sunglasses, the dark heir sets out with ambition in his heart.
Scenario
[Ecliptic Express Incident]
--After 10:00 p.m. on July 23rd 1998
S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team is dispatched to the Arklay Mountains to investigate bizarre cases, but engine trouble forces them to make an emergency landing in Raccoon Forest. On the way, they find a ruined military jeep and learn two MPs (Military Police) are dead and Billy Coen, a convict on death row, is on the run. The captain Enrico disperses the team members to begin investigating. On her first mission, Rebecca discovers a halted train.
Rebecca gets on the train and is cornered in a critical situation by passengers who were supposed to be dead. However, it's Billy, the prisoner, who comes to her rescue in that predicament. Despite her suspicions about him, they now take on the form of a joint struggle to survive this hell.
[Beginnings]
--1988
Ten years have passed since Albert Wesker assassinated James Marcus, the director of the executive training school. A plan is formulated to investigate and repurpose the abandoned executive training school. Wesker and William Birkin, the two men in charge of the project, intend to transport personnel and equipment to the training school in two batches, but the resurrected Marcus unleashes the t-Virus, creating a biohazard in the Arklay Mountains area. The two men, sensing the situation, activate equipment around the entire training school, and Wesker, having given up on Umbrella, attempts to escape from the training school.
[Mansion Incident]
--July 24th 1998, Night
A day passes with no communications from S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team, which went to investigate bizarre cases. Ordered to search the area, S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team was dispatched to Raccoon Forest. They landed in Raccoon Forest after spotting the wreckage of Bravo Team's helicopter from the air, but were attacked by Cerberus in the forest and fled to a mansion. That mansion however was the feigned guise of an Umbrella laboratory. Umbrella's spy, Wesker, lures them into the mansion in order to obtain live combat data on B.O.W.'s (Bio Organic Weapons) versus trained humans.
[Nightmare]
--July 24th 1998
On her first mission, Rebecca goes to investigate the Arklay Mountains, working together with Billy Coen, a death row inmate she met while investigating the train, and succeeding in defeating "James Marcus," the man responsible for the biohazard. After escaping the executive training school, the duo part ways in the morning hoping for each other's safety, then Rebecca heads for the mansion where Bravo Team's main force were investigating.
However, the mansion's interior is a lair of monsters infected by the t-Virus. Rebecca's plagued by nightmares but meets up with Bravo Team officer Richard.
[Raccoon City Destruction Incident]
--Early Autumn 1998
Two months have passed since that hellish Mansion Incident. Jill, Chris, and Barry take a long vacation and begin operating separately in order to uncover Umbrella's ambitions, while Jill remains alone in the city to investigate Umbrella's research facility.
However, on September 23rd a biohazard outbreak occurred throughout Raccoon City. On the 26th the same month, Umbrella's private unit the U.B.C.S. was deployed to fight a horde of Zombies in the city center, along with the Raccoon Police Department (R.P.D.) which fought back to rescue citizens, but they're almost completely wiped out before long.
Then at noon on September 28th--
Jill decides to escape the city. But she still doesn't know Umbrella has deployed a new B.O.W. in the middle of the night...
[Death's Door]
--September 29-30th 1998
Ada Wong, a female spy. On Wesker's orders, she infiltrated Raccoon City to obtain the G-Virus created by William Birkin. There she met rookie R.P.D. officer Leon S. Kennedy. She identified herself as a civilian searching for her boyfriend, an Umbrella Corp. employee, and joined forces with Leon. As the two continued working together, trust developed between them, then in the Umbrella Underground Laboratory she even attempted to hunt Leon down after he received the G-Virus, but she put her feelings before the mission and defended Leon, sustaining severe injuries in the process.
--October 1st 1998
She regains consciousness despite being at death's door and attempts to escape from the city in a life or death gamble.
[The 4th Survivor]
--September 20th 1998
HUNK's a member of the Umbrella Security Service Alpha Team. Under orders from Umbrella, he and his teammates infiltrate Umbrella's Raccoon City underground research facility and attack Dr. William Birkin in order to retrieve a sample of the G-Virus in Dr. Birkin's possession. However, Dr. Birkin injects the G-Virus into his own body. He turns into a bioweapon, "G," and strikes back at the team. Alpha Team's almost completely wiped out. At this time, the t-Virus leaks into the sewers, triggering a biohazard in Raccoon City.
HUNK narrowly survives.
--September 30th
Undeterred, he scrambled and succeeded in recovering the G-Virus sample Leon had thrown away. He escapes Raccoon City to complete his mission.
[Umbrella's End]
It has already been five years since Raccoon City was destroyed. The US Government issued a business suspension order against Umbrella over Raccoon City's annihilation. Displeased with that, Umbrella took the case to trial and Lord Spencer, the leader of Umbrella, took full advantage of his money to assemble the most formidable defense counsel. They prepared witnesses for perjury and tilted public sentiment toward a government conspiracy theory.
The government side argued based mainly on the testimonies of survivors, but evidence was destroyed as a result of the Sterilization Strategy, and government officials refused to testify for fear of having their own crimes exposed, leading to a protracted trial.
--February 18th 2003, 04:20 PM
Chris and Jill catch wind of the fact Umbrella's Russian branch is manufacturing a new model of Bio Organic Weapon (B.O.W.), and together with a local private anti-biohazard unit, they set out to the factory of nightmares.
[Dark Heir]
--February 18th 2003, 2:50 PM
Wesker becomes aware in advance that Chris and Jill, along with a local anti-biohazard unit, were going to attack Umbrella's Russian branch. He takes advantage of this chaos and makes his move.
Now fully accustomed to his powers as a superhuman, he ventures into the Russian branch alone. He's determined to destroy Umbrella, as well as settle the score with his nemesis Sergei who repeatedly interfered with his plans in "Beginnings" and "Mansion Incident."
Never taking off his black sunglasses, the dark heir sets out with ambition in his heart.