First Look: Capcom 5

Written by Jeff Milligan  on January 31, 2003

Special: Only 5 new top of the line games over the next 12 months? What's wrong with you Capcom?

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"For the sound growth of the gaming industry." "For GameCube." These are initial thoughts of the 4th Production Studio of Capcom when deciding to develop what have become 5 of the most anticipated games for the Nintendo GameCube. The announcement of 5 new GameCube exclusives came in mid November, and has since been dubbed the "Capcom 5".

What was so unique about the announcement was that the group would not only feature 4 never before announced games, but was also to feature the very long awaited Biohazard 4. The group does a very nice job of representing a number of different genres, including platformers, action/adevtnure, and of course survival horror.

Besides Biohazard 4, the lineup also consists the following games: Killer 7, P.N.03, Dead Phoenix, and Viewtiful Joe. The rest of this article will help to clue you into just what each of these games is all about, as well as their projected released dates.

Biohazard 4 (Resident Evil 4)What is most likely the most anticipated game of the Capcom 5, the Biohazard series (Resident Evil in North America) has defined what the words "survival horror" really mean. The series was kicked off on the Playstation with Resident Evil in 1995, and since then has exploded into one of the most recognized series in gaming. Biohazard already has over a half dozen games in the series, has been featured on 9 consoles including the PC, and has won numerous awards.

We had the prequel to the series released at the end of 2002, and now we have the next sequel in the series to look forward to. Biohazard 4 takes place in the heart of the evil Umbrella corporation, and features the star of Resident Evil 2, Leon S. Kennedy as the main character. Biohazard 4 will put you closer to the mysteries of the T-Virus than ever before, as your main goal is only to survive the horrors that await within Umbrella Inc.

Biohazard 4 will also sport the realistic graphics that we saw in Biohazard 0, and will be built on a real-time engine. New characters, enemies, and an all new storyline are also in the works. Biohazard 4 will be released sometime in 2003.

Viewtiful JoeAnother one of the 5's more anticipated games, Viewtiful Joe is bringing gamers something that they've never seen before. A platform game at heart, Viewtiful Joe puts players in control of the super-hero Joe himself, who's fighting style is not only effective, but is also beautiful to view. His finesse allows him to slow down the action or speed it up using his techniques "slow" and "zoomin".

Besides the exciting action in the game, Viewtiful Joe also shows off a true comic book style of graphics. What's more is that the players will be able edit the games visual effects during gameplay. When you first look at the game you too will be exclaiming how "viewtiful" the game really is.

Being produced by game genius Hideki Kamiya (known for producing Devil May Cry and Resident Evil 2), this side-scrolling platformer should be nothing short of amazing. Viewtiful Joe has a projected release date of fall 2003.

P.N.03
So far we've seen a survival horror game and a cartoony platformer, how about we talk about P.N.03, a futuristic action game? Product Number 3 stars a sexy female soldier named Vanessa Z. Schneider. Wielding a very powerful laser-gun, Vanessa is a mech-killing machine who is destined to avenge her dark past. P.N.03 takes place on a colonial settlement turned battleground due to a CAMS (Computer Arms Management System) malfunction.

Vanessa is a free-lance mercenary, hiring herself out to the highest bidder and killing any robots theat she's instructed to. Yet there's more to her existence. Vanessa's family was killed by the CAMS, and she plans to settle the score once and for all. Players must control Vanessa and guide her through the giant army of mechs that are produced, and accomplish her goal of turning CAMS into sheet metal.

P.N.03 is looking to be the first game of the Capcom 5 to be finished by Production Studio 4, with a scheduled release in spring 2003.

Dead Phoenix
"Freely fly like a bird in a world of epic proportion." These are the words of Dead Phoenix director Hiroki Kato when describing his latest game in production. Dead Phoenix puts players in control of Phoenix, a member of the Winged Clan. It's up to him to battle fearsome monsters and many other gruesome creations that inhabit the world in which he lives. The full story of the game has yet to be explained in detail, but what we do know is that the game is looking quite impressive.

As we've seen in the previous games covered, Production Studio 4 has no problems in creating some of the most breath-taking graphics ever seen in games. This is also evident in Dead Phoenix, as the game takes place in a futuristic fantasy world. However, the graphics will not be the main area of concern, as Hiroki Kato wants the games "flying like a bird" feature to be the spectacle his players will remember.

Dead Phoenix is right in the middle of the Capcom 5 in terms of release, with a planned date of Summer 2003.

Killer 7Last but certainly not least in the group is Killer 7, a stylized action/adventure game of epic proportions. Killer 7 features a hitman named Harman Smith whose mystery is surpassed only by his hatred for an underground Kingpin, Kun Ran. Killer 7 is based on the rivalry between the 2, which take them through 5 stories and 4 worlds.

Why the name Killer 7? Harman has 7 different personalities, all which must be utilized to take down Kun Ran. Each personality has different special powers that can be used, and it's up to the players to decide when and where they will be most effectively used. Kun Ran and his evil organization must be stopped, and Harman and his aliases are the only one to do it.

Killer 7 is set to be brought to North America at the end of the year. The projected release is winter 2003.

Closing Comments
There you have it, the upcoming Capcom 5, all set for release on the Nintendo GameCube. With titles spreading across just about every genre possible, there's bound to be something for every console gamer out there, no matter what your taste in games are. It's going to be an exciting year for both Capcom fans and GameCube owners alike. All of these titles are looking very promising, and with Capcom behind them, they should be all that we expect them to be, if not more.

For more information on any of the games featured above, you can visit the official web site of the Capcom 5 here.