Feeding an old zombie new brains

Like the shambing corpses that stalk its corridors, the release of Capcom's Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is slowly getting closer. So now's a good time to load your shotgun and prepare to meet your brain-eating foes in Capcom's horror story, which takes the best (or the worst) from classic zombie-chomping movies such as The Evil Dead.

Deadly Silence comes in two different flavours. Both are centered on creepy Spencer Mansion, with the Original mode playing exactly the same as Resident Evil's original 1996 PlayStation release – including the comic B-movie voice acting. More attention has been spent on the Rebirth mode, however, which promises plenty of extras and new terrors.

For one thing, the zombies in the Rebirth mode are able to open doors, meaning you'll never be entirely safe, even when you've cleaned up all the undead in a location. They're also smarter in terms of their actions, so you'll need to time your defensive moves well before striking back. Capcom promises more zombies, new enemies and badder bosses too. Thankfully, the all-action approach will be backed up with more ammunition.

The other big talking point in Rebirth is its first-person elements, where you'll use your stylus as a knife to slash at the oncoming zombies. Not a game for the kids, Capcom has increased the gore quota with some juicy zombie-eating-zombie cinematic action too.

If you get too scared, you can at least bring a friend along, thanks to a two-player co-operative mode where you both have to escape from the mansion. There'll also be a Battle mode, where up to four zombie hunters compete to render dead again the most undead in a set period of time.

Licking its lips at the thought of fresh meat, Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is due for release on the 31st March.