Substantial details on the upcoming Resident Evil 5 have been unveiled in the latest issue of Famitsu Weekly magazine, following an interview with the games producer, Jun Takeuchi.

Revealed during a ‘Horror Special’ this week, Takeuchi first laid to rest two years worth of speculation surrounding the games unknown protagonist, confirming the individual to be that of former Raccoon City S.T.A.R.S member, Chris Redfield. Having previously appeared in the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil Code: Veronica, Redfield now works for an organisation known as BSAA and has been dispatched to investigate a series of disturbances in the African desert.

Continuing on the games plot outline, Takeuchi went on to say that the game would take place ten years after the events of the first title, which occurred in the summer of 1998. Furthermore, details on Redfield’s past will also be covered in some form during the course of the game, including the appearance of a returning female character that is said to play a crucial role in both story and gameplay. According to Takeuchi, the character will make her debut in the full version of the E3 trailer, due out later this month.

Moving on, Takeuchi briefly touched on the games enemies, which are said to be more “human-like” than previous titles and will be neither zombies nor Los Ganados. In terms of gameplay, Resident Evil 5 will play very similar to that of its predecessor, though Takeuchi did reveal that a new feature would be introduced, marking an obvious evolution in gameplay.

Lastly, Takeuchi reiterated the importance of light sources in the game, which will play a key role in generating a tense atmosphere for the player. For example, your character enters a darkened, open room from the bright outdoors; as in real life, the game will replicate the feeling of adjusting ones eyes to new surroundings, distorting your vision for a short period. The same can be applied to wondering into a well-lit location from a dark one.

Resident Evil 5 is currently scheduled for release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 some time in 2008. The full E3 trailer can be downloaded on the PlayStation Network from July 27th.