What we know:

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is the next installment in Capcom’s long running franchise, currently in development at Canadian studio Slant Six Games.

As opposed to the first Resident Evil games, which had a distinct survival horror feel, the new title will take the series into the tactical shooter genre, showcasing the three-way battle that took place in Raccoon City, between the zombies, the U.S. Spec Ops team, and a group of mercenaries from the Umbrella Security Service.

Players will enter the combat boots of the Umbrella squad, which is tasked with eliminating any trace of the corporation’s involvement in the zombie outbreak. In between surviving the undead onslaught and avoiding the Spec Ops team, they’ll be tasked with all sorts of objectives, including some that involve the assassination of popular Resident Evil characters like Leon S. Kennedy.

Besides the single-player campaign, the Operation Raccoon City relies heavily on its online modes, with players being able to work together throughout the story and control different characters with special powers.

Then there’s the competitive multiplayer, whose modes we have already seen in a video earlier this month. Players can engage in traditional modes like Team Deathmatch, where Spec Ops members need to eliminate the USS mercenaries and vice versa, but also try out special modes centered on Resident Evil themes, like the Biohazard one.

For true fans, there’s the Heroes online mode, in which they can take control of popular characters from the Resident Evil franchise, from Leon S. Kennedy or Claire Redfield to Hunk or Ada Wong.

Why it matters:

The Resident Evil series is branching out, whether or not longtime fans want it. While we can lament that the survival horror series we know and love is no longer here, it’s better to give these games the benefit of the doubt.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is looking like a fun game that could deliver an interesting co-op-focused experience. While it won’t have the same horror vibe, seeing as how you have teammates with you, expect plenty of challenging encounters with zombies, monsters or Spec Ops soldiers throughout its adventures.