The Resident Evil franchise is one that I’ve followed for quite a long time and Resident Evil 6 was a game that I was greatly looking forward to this year. Since 2012 has not had a plethora of good games so far, Resident Evil 6 was on my “Highly Anticipated Games of 2012″.
However, after playing it, the hype has died and the fact that this was supposed to one of the most exciting games of the year, seemed highly absurd. Many would agree when I state that Capcom seemed let the Resident Evil franchise roll down the hill with the fifth game. The newest installment further strengthens this statement.
Whats wrong with this game? A lot of things. Read on in my Resident Evil 6 review to find out more.
Well, the main thing in a survival horror zombie game are… the zombies. In Resident Evil 6, my opinion regarding the zombies varies. Some of them, especially the ones in Leon’s campaign, are the classic zombies that you’d expect. They’re scary, they’re unintelligent and the try to grab and bite you. On the other hand, the one’s in Chris’s campaign didn’t feel like zombies at all. Rather, they felt like regular soldiers. And why shouldn’t they? Whats the point of a zombie when you equip him with guns and ammunition? Yes, I understand that they’re smarter and they aren’t ‘regular’ zombies, but then you’d might as well turn this franchise into a pointless shooter. Sure, some of the bosses had a good unique design in all campaigns, but Capcom can do better than that.
Although the game still carries the tag of “Survival Horror”, it definitely didn’t feel like one. Instead, it was like a regular third person shooter. Although Leon’s campaign showcased some enigmatic, eerie areas, it still wasn’t enough to scare anyone. You do get to relive some moments of the previous games in the graveyard level as you get to kill those zombie dogs and get that nostalgic feeling, but that’s pretty much it. I recall Capcom boasting that RE6 would provide us with the “Pee-your-pants” horror that we all crave from this series. Sadly, this was a lie. A big, fat lie with a troll face on top.
The game did have a good design though. The HUD had a very futuristic look and the areas looked neat too. Character designs are all polished up and the voice acting is superb. All this draws you into a well-written narrative as you discover the origins of this latest Biohazard.
Speaking of the narrative, it is split into three separate campaigns, or four if you consider Ada’s campaign to be important. Each campaign has it’s own individual story with independent premises and conclusions. All these stories are linked together and contribute to the main story line which can only be understood if all the campaigns are experienced. Since the game play is repetitive and boring, playing through all four campaigns seems like a difficult feat.
Each campaign may have different characters, but the core game play is the same. Run, shoot, cinematic action, open a door – rinse and repeat. Sometimes, you end up wondering why you’re even playing this. A movie would have been a better idea. The cinematic actions are simply overdone, not to mention frustrating. It seems fun the first couple of levels, but then you realize that it’s the same thing over and over again, causing your thumbs to become sore with the repeated pressing. Not cool, Capcom. Couldn’t you guys have thought of something different to bring some variation to the game play?
The camera view is still the same too, in case someone was wondering. I’m not a huge fan of this camera angle, and was expecting it to be changed this time around. Some parts of the campaign would have been more fun if this angle was not present as it would give the players more freedom with the view and let them look around without the frustration of having to switch sides. Furthermore, the actions such as jumping over something, or rolling underneath an object, are still done by one single button when the option appears on screen. This is an out dated feature, without a doubt. Once again, this restricts the unrestrained freedom that the players need. Well, at least we can aim and move at the same time.
Also, melee attacks have been made easier now. The ability to perform melee attacks is completely in the hands of the players. This is the only freedom given, actually. But this destroys the balance of the game. I cleared most of the game without having to use up too much of my ammunition. Most enemies are highly vulnerable to melee attacks and don’t require a bullet to the head to achieve death. This seems nice, until you realize that the game is just too easy. You can also simply run and avoid most of the enemies, making levels even easier.
Since the game features co operative play, you have two characters in the game. Firstly, this ruins the atmosphere. Since you realize that there is another person around to help you, you do not realize the intensity of the situation and the terror that the game is trying to invoke. Playing with a friend using co operative play further makes you feel relaxed. I fail to understand the point of survival horror when you’re playing a friend though. Also, since a partner is around, some actions like opening a large door require both the characters to be present at the location, which feels quite redundant and stupid.
Well, these are just a few of the many things that cause Resident Evil 6 to fail as a proper horror game. When you play the game, you have a constant feeling that this game shouldn’t be the way it is. I guess all that hype was for naught.
If you’re a hardcore Resident Evil fan, no review can stop you from getting the game. But if you’re a sensible gamer, you should realize that Resident Evil 6 is a waste of your hard earned money. You can either skip this game, or wait for it to go on sale if you’re even mildly interested.
TechDeville gives Resident Evil 6 a 2/5.