Universal Studios has announced that Resident Evil will be taking over its Las Vegas-based Horror Unleashed attraction starting this week.
From July 9th through August 30th, the Resident Evil Takeover will introduce a new interactive horror experience, with guests venturing through six zones themed around the legendary game franchise. It will include puzzles, series characters, and “epic battles against the undead.”
The first Zone, “Arrival,” begins with a battered “Welcome to Raccoon City” sign and flashing emergency lights as a T-Virus outbreak spreads. “Zone 2: Mission” has participants report to the Raccoon Police Department (RPD) and engage with interactive puzzles, while “Zone 3: Infection” is a quarantined Raccoon City area full of zombies.
“Zone 4: Combat” introduces Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Leon S. Kennedy to the fray. Here, after battles “between heroic characters, surrounding zombies and notorious villains” have ended, guests can take photos and interact with the characters. “Zone 5: Escape” is the final stretch, and “Zone 6: Aftermath” is “where the story continues beyond survival.”
Once the experience ends, participants will be directed to the Umbrella Underground Laboratory dining area. According to the Discover Universal blog, guests can enjoy a Resident Evil-themed menu “beneath cold lights and humming lab equipment,” which includes the following:
- Jill Sandwich: Brioche, hickory smoked bacon, bibb lettuce, heirloom tomato chutney, avocado mousse, and black garlic aioli served on a medical-grade surgical tray.
- The Sewer Special: Beer-battered cod, cajun fries, house tartar, and lemon sofrito served on a medical-grade surgical tray.
- Brain Freeze: Ube gelato, mango gelee, chocolate feuilletine, raspberry sauce, coco nibs, and chocolate shard served in a souvenir beaker
- The Umbrella: Tequila, pineapple thai chili syrup, lime juice, grapefruit soda, garnished with a “rotten” pineapple and umbrella
The blog features an interview with Universal Horror Unleashed entertainment director Del Wynegar and producer Kevin Katan, who shared some additional details of the experience – such as the inclusion of iconic enemies Chainsaw Man and Nemesis.
As guests enter the RPD, they are assigned roles of RPD, STARS, or BSAA members. Participants who repeat the experience “can choose to be assigned to a new faction for a different mission experience,” and can “encounter different heroes in the combat zone each time.”
Guests are also encouraged to seek clues throughout the experience that might help them “figure out a secret code to share with a bartender to unlock a secret drink menu.
“We have an amazing team here, and they’re all very excited about getting involved,” Katan said. “Maybe there’s a code that gets you a discount in the retail shop — little things like that. We want to really embrace that everyone in the building is part of this experience.”
Access to the Resident Evil Takeover is included in tickets to Universal Horror Unleashed, which are available to purchase as three different tiers ranging from $29 to $89. The attraction’s four haunted houses will operate as normal during the limited-time event.
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Written by Reece Heather
A veteran Zelda Universe editor and First-class journalism graduate, Reece emerged with a Nintendo 64 and a lifelong obsession after a narrow escape from Santa’s Naughty List in 1998. Outside of games, he’s reading Punisher comics, being bossed around by his cocker spaniel, and cornering innocent bystanders to rant about the importance of game preservation.
