One of the things that makes Capcom such an amazing developer, in my opinion, is that it possesses an open-mindedness not often shared by fellow Japanese studios. Capcom seems unafraid to blend Western and Eastern thinking to create games with worldwide appeal, and with Resident Evil 5, the company is borrowing from the best -- including 2007's amazing FPS BioShock.

In a recent interview with CVG, RE5 producer Masachika Kawata discussed the team's Western influences:

Have you or any of your team particularly enjoyed any western games recently? Have any games influenced your ideas for Resi 5?

Kawata: Bioshock. It's a classic game which really utilized the next gen power very well. The world is very strong and very believable, and the whole game was quite inspiring.

Kawata also touched upon the racism "controversy" that once surrounded the game's African setting, explaining once again that the decision was not rooted in the team's social or political leanings:

Kawata: We chose Africa because we're extending the storyline logically. Following the tradition of the Resident Evil franchise, you'll remember from Code Veronica - the Progenitor virus comes from Africa so we wanted to go back to the root of where the virus originated. For the people who think it's racist... well, we can't please everyone. We're in the entertainment business - we're not here to state our political opinion or anything like that. It's unfortunate that some people felt that way.

Check out the full interview if you're looking forward to Resident Evil 5, as it is sure to have a lot more of interest for you. Personally, I am going to dream of RE5 ending in a massive Andrew Ryan/Albert Wesker showdown.