Resident Evil 5 is probably one of the most expected titles for the beginning of next year, if not for the entire 2009. It promises to bring back the same eerie atmosphere that the horror survival shooter got us accustomed to and to take the series to new heights, in terms of realism, graphics and gameplay.

We've already heard people from the development team talk about various features of the upcoming game, set for a release in March next year, like the fact that the action of the game would be placed in the daytime, or the fact that the graphics would be taken to new heights, in order to portray a more realistic image of the African setting of the future title. But now, it seems that Capcom, the company behind it, has a special treat in store for all of the fans who can hardly wait to play this game, namely a Demo of the eagerly anticipated title.

This demo will be launched next week, on the Live Marketplace of the Xbox 360, and it promises to showcase the most interesting new aspects of the future game, which is the co-op mode. This was reported by a popular Japanese game magazine, Famitsu, which adds that the Japanese Xbox 360 users will get the chance to play in two stages, in both single or co-op mode on December 5. Although this might sound like it will only be released in the Land of the Rising Sun, if you take into account previous “exclusivity” attempts on Microsoft’s part, other territories might get the chance to receive this demo at around the same time.

In other Resident Evil related news, the magazine reports that the launch date for Japan has been pushed up, and so, Japanese fans will receive the game on March 5, with those in other territories like North America or Europe getting their hands on it in the middle of the month. Also, as a special token of appreciation to its native country, Japan, Capcom announced that a special Limited Edition of Resident Evil 5, or Biohazard 5, as it is known locally, would be available for customers. This will consist of a 32-page art book in full color and with staff commentary, a special shoulder or waist strap that will resemble the one used by the characters in the game, and a 2 GB USB stick, shaped like an antivirus capsule, as found in the game. All of these items, together with the title will cost 12,800 yen, which roughly translates into 128 dollars.

Some very interesting pieces of news, which are sure to make all the fans of the horror franchise very excited, especially the Japanese ones. Let's just hope that the non-Japanese crowd will also get the chance to experience the demo in the following week.