Other than a less oxymoronic title the Final Fantasy series has never wanted for much. Following the series’ inception in 1987 the game has had a large following that only grew with its introduction to the west in 1990. Since those early days, the series has branched into genres beyond the Japanese role-playing game to include tactical role-playing, action role-playing, fighting and massively-multiplayer-online role-playing – to say nothing of licensed extensions into movies and anime.

With a wealth of enjoyable games under their belt and a franchise that had kept abreast of gaming innovation, it was once with baited breath that fans awaited the first instalment of the series on the latest consoles. When Final Fantasy XIII launched in 2010 it was met with a lukewarm response from critics and fans alike; frequently panned as a 40-hour corridor that led to cut scenes played out by an lacklustre cast, many where surprised when the announcement came that XIII would be receiving a direct sequel.

The decision to create such a sequel is uncommon for the series. Beyond recurring plot elements, themes, character names and mechanics, the series usually recounts a different series of events with each outing. But Final Fantasy XIII-2 has also been considered an attempt to make amends for the shortcomings of its predecessor. As such, many hoped that this sequel would take what positives there were in XIII and expand on them while continuing to evolve what was once a much-admired series.

 

Capcom is prepared to acknowledge that Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City will have a polarising effect on fans of the series. It's about to cast off the shackles of the genre it helped to popularise and instead fully embrace the third-person shooting it has trended towards in recent years.

Far from an irrevocable change of course however, Capcom suggests that SOCOM developer Slant 6’s output should be considered in isolation. Resident Evil: Revelations for 3DS is available now, and Capcom has just announced Resident Evil 6. Due in November, it’s to be a traditional instalment that the publisher is reported to be investing in more heavily than any other product on its busy slate.

The Resident Evil series is also in some ways a victim of its own success. As demand for games in the series has remained steady, the requirement to expand the literature and find new stories has resulted in a convoluted fiction. A fast paced cooperative shooter, Operation Raccoon City takes players back to the heady heydays of Resident Evils 2 and 3, and offers a new perspective on those events by recounting the actions of a villainous Umbrella Security Services squad tasked with covering up the corporation’s involvement in the outbreak of the T-Virus.