Resident Evil 6 Review
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: PS3, Xbox360, PC
Release Date: Out Now.
CAPCOM’s Resident Evil franchise was once hailed as one of the best survival horror series on the market has over the last few years undergone a transition from its survival horror roots to more of an action styled gameplay which has caused quite a stir among its veteran fans who claim the series has moved away from its roots and forgotten what made it great.
The removal of zombies from the fourth and fifth instalments caused some fans to question the direction the series was taking. The newest edition to the series, Resident Evil 6 hit stores worldwide on the 2nd of October and after Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City released earlier this year receiving a generally poor reception. Fans were left to wonder would CAPCOM be able to deliver with Resident Evil 6 or had the series days been numbered.
Capcom has taken a lot of the criticisms levelled at the series and have gone all out to try their best to please everyone with this instalment. For starters, zombies are back. These zombies bring back the classic nostalgia of the days in Raccoon city with the exception that they are a lot more dangerous, zombies can move faster, sprint short distances in an attempt to tackle you to the ground and some may carry melee weapons or firearms which they clumsily try to use. The game itself is comprised of four separate stories each with their own backdrop, lead characters and endings but all of which intertwine like a puzzle to give the player the overall experience and story of Resident Evil 6.
The game has seven protagonists, veterans Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield. Newcomers Helena Harper, Piers Nivans and Jake Muller along with the return of Sherry Birkin whose last appearance was in Resident Evil 2. A seventh secret protagonist and story is available once all three main campaigns have been completed.
The game’s greatest strengths lie in how each campaign is different and gives players a unique experience. Leon and Helena’s campaign is more survival horror based for the fans who wanted the classic Resident Evil feel. Fans of the newer more action orientated approach will enjoy Chris and Piers campaign although it still contains various horror elements to try maintaining a balance in atmosphere throughout. Jake and Sherry’s campaign takes in a more dramatic story involving high speed chases, dramatic fights but also take huge inspiration from Resident Evil 3 in that the two are being constantly pursued by the Ustanak monster similar to how Jill Valentine was chased relentlessly by the Nemesis character. The final secret campaign which I do not wish to spoil for anyone is a very puzzle and stealth orientated one also giving it its own different feel to the other stories with some subtle intrigue.
The stories also are not all one linear pathway to the same end boss. Each campaign has its own locations, specific enemies and encounters and although there is intersecting points where protagonists meet each campaign is still left feeling very original along with each story individual story drawing in the player in to its ultimate outcome and how it all fits into the grand scale of the Resident Evil 6 storyline. Long time fans will see a number of references to the older titles and it is nice to see CAPCOM putting in subtle little references for its older fanbase.
In terms of gameplay, the lighting for this game is completely different to that of Resident Evil 5’s bright and well lit environments, this time around is more a homage to the earlier Resident Evil titles in a dark and gloomy backdrop. The environments are stunning and each unique from desolate war torn battlefields to a spooky zombie infested college campus to dungeons, underground labs and more. Every location in the game is well done and unique in its own ways. The characters are visually stunning and partner AI has been improved upon greatly meaning single player is a lot more fun and your partner is actually more of a help than a hindrance. Controls are smoother in Resident Evil 6 and moving about is a lot easier than in Resident Evil 5.
The game introduces some new mechanics including the ability to shoot and move at the same time, despite Resident Evil: ORC having a similar mechanic this is the first canon game for it to be introduced to. The game introduces a roll or dodge mechanic in order to avoid incoming enemy attacks along with melee attacking in terms of kicking and melee combos in order to push back an incoming enemy if you are reloading. There is also the reversal mechanic with which if an incoming enemy tries to strike the player with a melee weapon if the player times the enemy’s attack correctly and presses the appropriate button for the reversal he or she will initiate and automatic dodge and retaliation attack which will severely hurt the enemy. Various vehicles are usable throughout the game including snowmobiles, cars and helicopters to name a few.
Of course Resident Evil 6 is not perfect and there are faults within the game, quick time events are used in the game which is fun to begin with but are overused over the course of the game and are more of an annoyance to take part in than fun by the end. The intersecting points in the game where various characters meet up are a great experience the first time you play through them and maybe even the second time. But it does feel a tad monotonous after awhile seeing the same part play out over again when you are playing one of the characters you came across in your last play through for a co op moment. This is a minor issue and the overall experience of the co operative moments heavily outweighs the negative. One of the biggest problems I had come across in the game Is at times ( especially during Chris’ campaign) there are moments when there are fixed camera angles and it is very frustrating trying to target enemies or see their positions when the camera is focused elsewhere.
Overall: Resident Evil 6 is a very well executed game that tries to blend horror, action, drama with interconnecting storylines. Some issues exist within the game but CAPCOM have worked hard to ensure this game is thoroughly enjoyable and with the return of the ‘Mercenaries mode’ extra game mode and the new ‘Agent Hunt’ mode in which you play as a monster, joining a random players online campaign and trying to track them down and eliminate them, these add to its replay value. CAPCOM have also announced more modes to be announced as DLC for the Mercenaries mode giving more longevity to the games already impressively long campaign total time, on average taking between 20 to 22 hours to complete all four campaigns. With the game already outselling Resident Evil 5’s sale numbers in its first week it has received a more welcome reception from fans and is worth checking out
SCORE 8.5/10
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