I remember all the hate Resident Evil 5 got for being nothing more than Resident Evil 4.5. It’s right up there with the poop talk Resident Evil: Code Veronica got for having antiquated gameplay. Now, with Resident Evil 6, we have a game that’s almost a collector’s edition of last four Resident Evils; with Leon’s campaign we have a new Resident Evil 4; with Chris we return to the combat-heavy action of Resident Evil 5; Jake’s story is Resident Evil: Nemesis with an Uncharted twist; and finally, Ada’s campaign has the isolation and tension of Resident Evil: Code Veronica.
On paper that sounds amazing, a massive game that has character and story threads we’ve been invested in for years. The ambition and vision of this game is well appreciated, but of course ambition doesn’t always equal quality.
Let me get to the bad. The controls have a VERY steep learning curve, the mechanics of this game are all over the place. It feels like an old school Resident Evil, Heavy Rain, and Gears of War, and there lies the problem. Those control schemes clash. Button/joystick prompt jumps on screen, quick-time events are everywhere, and the shooting feels awkward and clunky. The instant comfort of better designed games aren’t here. Halo says ‘hi.’
Being that there are four campaigns, one could make the argument that the game shows you how to play as you play, however that’s putting it politely. With no manual and no legitimate tutorial and a bombardment of ‘new’ systems of play, sometimes the real survival horror is figuring out how to get from point A to point B; it’s 2012, there is no excuse. And speaking of survival horror, Resident Evil has now become a horror action series. The days of high tension and claustrophobic terror of Resident Evil are gone. The one and only real survival horror Resident Evil was the original, and what this game lacks in horror it makes up for in atmosphere.
That said, I really enjoyed the variety in the narrative and in the separation of that narrative. Resident Evil 6 is the Pulp Fiction of video games story telling. There is no ‘main’ character, just a common thread, a common goal, and as a fan of the franchise it worked for me. Seeing Chris, Lean, Ada and (the all grown up hotness of) Sherry was a thrill. So from a storytelling standpoint RE 6 is what you’d want from this series. Yes, the story’s ridiculous, the monster designs are even more absurd, but it’s honestly where the series has been going since Resident Evil 2.
Now for the really good: this game looks remarkable. In particular, the cinematics rival most CGI films. The gameplay graphics are also stunning. Not the best looking game I’ve ever seen (Crysis 2, Uncharted 3 and Gear of War 3 FTW), but always a pleasure to look at. The China levels in particular are extraordinary, wow! Every Resident Evil game has a space on the ‘look how cool games look now’ shelf, and Resident Evil 6 is no different.
This is not the best Resident Evil game, but it’s by far from the worst. I can honestly see this game as better than RE 5, but not to the level of RE 4. The nostalgia of those wonderful Resident Evil games from the original PlayStation (Resident Evil 1, 2 and 3), Sega Dreamcast (RE: Code Veronica) and the Nintendo Gamecube (Resident Evil: Remake, Resident Evil 0 and 4) should not cloud the enjoyment of Resident Evil 6. Yes the series has changed, yes it’s not the same game we played long ago, however, when you don’t change or challenge your franchise it’s very easy to fall into the Madden and Call of Duty caveat of same game new skin.
Resident Evil 6 is a new game and maybe Capcom, the developer, didn’t go far enough. Why have a game feature an interesting but ultimately hollow online experience and why have quick time events and not use Kinect and PS Move. If you’re gonna go for it don’t half ass it?
I’m a fan of this franchise, so take my review with a grain of salt. Resident Evil 6 is flawed in it’s execution but ultimately an experience worth playing. 7.5/10