Resident Evil 5 Alternative Edition to deliver motion controls, new episode

Confirming recent reports about a special edition of Resident Evil 5 that would contain motion control support and new content, Capcom revealed in the new issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu (viaIGN) that the new edition will be titled Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition.

Slated for release on PlayStation 3, Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition will contain the entirety of the original game, which saw release this past spring, plus support for the upcoming PlayStation Motion Controller, and a brand new side-story episode that will contain roughly two hours of new gameplay. In the episode, players will take control of Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine — the original series protagonists — in a scenario set three years before the start of Resident Evil 5. The package will also include all of the downloadable content released for the game to date.

According to IGN, the game can be played either with the PlayStation Motion Controller or the motion controls of the standard Dual Shock 3 controller. The new episode was reportedly considered for the primarily release, but put off, and eventually deemed too large to be released as a downloadable add-on for the original game. As in Resident Evil 5, players can tackle the episode alone or in online/local co-op mode with each player guiding one of the two playable characters.

As for Xbox 360 owners, they’ll reportedly be able to experience the new content in an undisclosed format, though further details were not revealed. No word yet on if PC owners can expect a new version, as well. Embedded above is the first off-camera clip of the new version, captured at the recent Tokyo Game Show in Japan.