On Shacknews is some new information on Resident Evil 5. Citing the now-removed preview on GamesRadar, the game will feature drop-in, drop-out online cooperative play throughout the entirety of its campaign.

The preview further stated that when another player is not present, the game will couple the player with an AI controlled buddy. The game will separate the duo at points and include more open areas than its predecessors.

For the first time in the series, a cover system will be present, allowing players to “lock to a wall and fire around the corner.” There will also be a dodging mechanic similar to the one seen in God Hand.

Additionally, the game has been confirmed to feature the Mercenaries mini-game, a challenge mode first introduced in Resident Evil 3.

Capcom is under fire from two individual groups concerning two of its games: the seemingly innocent Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure and Resident Evil 5.

Apparently, Zack & Wiki contained an audio sample of an Islamic religious phrase “Allahu Akbar,” which when translated to English turns out to “God is great”. The sample was used during a scene where several monsters were circling a pole in what appears to be a sacred dance, then pause to fill up skulls with soup from an oversized pot.

The company received several complaints about the audio sample, including one from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). It has since then removed the phrase from the game. “We appreciated Capcom’s willingness to address Muslim concerns and applaud the company’s swift and appropriate actions,” said CAIR communications coordinator Amina Rubin.

Meanwhile, Resident Evil 5 has come under fire for what seems to be racist undertones present in the recently released E3 trailer. The video depicted the main character - a white man - attacking black zombies in what seems to be an African town. It is not known if Capcom will remove the setting from the game as of yet, but it has attracted strong criticism from black and African groups.

The first screenshots from Resident Evil 5 have been released, and god damn, they are gorgeous! Check them out in full high-resolution detail:

Japan’s premier source of gaming news, Famitsu, had an interview with Capcom producer Jun Takeuchi, who is working on Resident Evil 5, where he stated that the highly anticipated survival horror game should not be expected before 2008.

He had more to say: apparently, the game will make use of a unique temperature system, where heat and cold weather will be part of the game’s mechanic, affecting the surroundings and the overall gameplay. Takeuchi also said that the game will make use of full hair modeling, and that he is targeting a 60 fps framerate, despite all the graphical niceties.