Capcom's First Showcase Wasn't Bad At All
In the absence of E3, Capcom decided to take matters into their own hands. That’s right folks, the creators of such hits as Street Fighter, Resident Evil and Monster Hunter decided the best course of action was to have their own digital showcase. What’s even better is, it wasn’t too bad at all, especially if you are a fan of Resident Evil or Monster Hunter. You can catch everything shown, along with some new trailers and screens below.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
For Monster Hunter fans a good healthy chunk of the Sunbreak expansion for Monster Hunter Rise was shown off. Showcasing a returning, but updated, jungle location, the footage also featured new monsters, moves and four-player co-op action. Honestly, it looks like a whole bunch more Monster Hunter, but when it is as good as it is in Rise, that isn’t really a bad thing.
The other big news was there is a demo, now available on both the Switch and PC (Via Steam). You can really get a taste of the action with some high-level monsters, tutorials for new players, 4-player co-op and unlimited play time all available in the demo. It is a great way for people sitting on the fence to get a feel for a game franchise that can be daunting looking in from the outside. Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is releasing on June 30.
ExoPrimal
Exoprimal is a unique-looking title that Capcom has finally shown off with a decent-length gameplay trailer. Looking like a cross between Vanquish, Left 4 Dead and Capcom’s own Lost Planet, Exoprimal seems to be quite the intense ride.
I am loving the general chaos that the game is vibing and the over-the-top nature of both the weaponry and the exosuits themselves. It promises a lot of customisation and tailoring to personal preferences. If I have one concern, it is how it will all play. Everything looks so bombastic that it may be hard to actually control what is going on.
That being said, if things turn out, Capcom could be onto their next big IP and considering the roll they have been on of late, there is every chance of that happening when it is released sometime next year.
Resident Evil Village: Gold Edition
Perhaps the biggest and most impressive showing of the whole event, it is clear that Capcom are not done with Resident Evil 8. First off they showed a brand new story expansion called Shadows of Rose, which is played in third person (which is also coming to the main game for people that have completed it) and features the daughter of the main game protagonist Ethan as the lead. It looks to dive into some more psychological horror, which promises to be just as tense as Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies.
We were then shown the Mercenaries mode which focuses on action rather than fear. Players can take control of Chris Redfield, Heisenberg, and the big lass herself, Lady Dimitrescu and go on a tear through undead nasties and things that go bump in the night.
Finally the long delayed (and frankly a bit worrying) multiplayer RE spinoff RE: Verse is releasing in conjunction with the DLC and will be available for free for all Village players. All of this good stuff is coming on the 28th of October this year with a PSVR 2 port of the main game coming at a later date.
Resident Evil 4 - Remake
The Resident Evil 4 remake got a little more time in the sun after being revealed at the Sony State of Play event last week and it is looking just as good. The action seems to have updated rather nicely and it seems that Capcom has once again been able to capture the feel of the original game while updating the mechanics for the modern era.
The developers spoke about how they have redesigned the enemies to ensure players are feeling the sense of dread portrayed by the original release and promise a host of improvements that go beyond graphical updates. I guess we will find out when it releases on the 24th of March, 2023
Resident Evil 2, 3 and 7 Next Gen upgrades
The last thing Capcom had to show off was PS5/Xbox Series upgrades to Resident Evil 2 remake, Resident Evil 3 remake and Resident Evil 7. These upgrades include ray-tracing, 4K graphics, 3D audio and if you have a PS5, haptics.
What’s even better is, the upgrades are free on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X if you own the games already. It is a nice move by Capcom and sure to get existing players to dive back in as well as convince those who have them in their library and are yet to give them a shot (ok it’s me) a reason to do so. These free updates are available right now so what are you waiting for?
In all, for a first showcase, it was a pretty good one. Getting a look at Exoprimal as long as the Monster Hunter and Resident Evil love was a real treat. In all, I hope Capcom keeps doing these events. Their games deserve the attention and it is a great way to keep eager fans happy and informed. Oh, there were a couple of bonus trailers thrown into the show, as well as the show itself, which you can see below. Don’t say we don’t look after you.
