It seems like Capcom's upcoming Resident Evil 5 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360) will feature more than just your usual mob of zombies in the latest iteration of the survival horror series. UK magazine Xbox World 360, a sister publication of GamesRadar, wrote a preview of RE5 and revealed some very interesting features that will make it in the game.

The preview mentioned that an unknown female mercenary will be accompanying Chris Redfield throughout his zombie-filled adventure. It's possible that these might be one of the two new female characters recently featured in Famitsu (the one whom some sources assume to be Claire Redfield).

Gamers will have the option of being able to control this second character in scenes with Chris, which will also be possible via online co-op play. This seamless "jump in and jump out" design gives a new spin to the series, especially for those of you who wished the RE series had a regular co-op feature.

Other interesting elements that will be sneaked into the game include the return of the Mercenaries mini-game from Resident Evil 4. Also, the new title will include the very popular "cover system" used in many action games nowadays, as well as the ability to duck and dodge using the right analog stick.

Similar to what Jun Takeuchi previously mentioned last month, Resident Evil 5 will be set in Africa. In addition to that, the game will also feature the return of some characters from the previous iterations like Albert Wesker and Sherry Birkin - complete with playable flashbacks to boot.

Sadly, it seems as if Resident Evil 5 won't be released anytime soon. The preview ended by saying that the game will be released in 2009. While there have already been speculations that it will be released by this year, we all hope that we won't have to wait another year just to get our hands on it.

Buy: [Resident Evil 5 (PS3)]
Buy: [Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360)]