Review
Played on: PlayStation 4Released: 2016
Originally released: 2012
I gave up my first try of Resident Evil 6, back on the Xbox 360. After the excellent, albeit lower budget, RE: Revelations, which returned to horror, I just couldn't get excited about an action focused RE again. Being close to home of the wonderful Gears of War games on the 360, RE6 just felt like a cheap and inferior, b-market, third person shooter.
Although some of this feeling has gone unchanged four years later, my low expectations helped me get through it this time around. I didn't leave early and played through the whole thing, even though it ran out of steam before it even reached halfway.
This version of RE6 is, typical Capcom, cheap remaster of the original 2012 release. The resolution is increased from, whatever, rough looking 600p or 720p it used to be, to a full 1080p. It also increases the field of view for a wider shot of the action and the framerate is boosted up to a solid 60fps for both the PS4 and XB1. There's strangely no mention of it being an actual upgrade with words like "HD" or "remaster" in its title.
Kind of a re-release which, which undeservedly wants your money yet again, upgrading the bare minimum. Like many other, high profile, remasters this generation. That said, its the version to go for if you have a PS4 or Xbox One and never played the original. PC gamers will find nothing new here.
Let's take a closer look!
RE6 attempts the impossible task of continuing a bloated RE story arch, spanning over many titles. At this point in time, I've lost the plot years ago. There are, of course, familiar characters that return. Leon, Ada and Chris are the most prominent ones, as does Leon's little helper, Sherry Birkin, from Resident Evil 2. She's an adult now and the reunion with Leon is a nice touch RE veterans, dating all the back to 1998!
Leon and Ada's relationship, however, is the never-ending distanced love/hate story. Where Leon wants Ada, ever since RE2, and Ada being super busy, consistently leaving in a hurry. It's so ridiculous at this point, it's becoming a farce. Capcom need to tone down the "too cool for school" attitude between the two of them, and for the love of all abandoned mansions, cut Leon's stupid 90's hair fringe.
The story spans many locations through its five campaigns(!), which again are revisited several times from other characters points of view. Each campaign, except Ada's, is played with two main characters. Either together with a friend, local or online coop, or together with an A.I. controlled character. These couple’s plots cross each other's, numerous times, throughout the playthrough, with some alterations of routes to them.
It helps with the continuity of the many location changes throughout the confusing plot, but it also feels like an extremely padded out lifespan. It's a game that easily could have been half its length, at least. Luckily, each opening level is unique for each campaign.
The story never succeeds in creating a relaxed dynamic between each duo of characters, sadly. Perhaps Sherry and Jake's is the best one, but I would've preferred more interesting conversations and funnier banter between them all. The way Leon never let's go of saying Helena for every damn sentence instead of just "hey you, help me out here" sounds so forced and unnatural. It feels like the script was translated directly over from overly formal Japanese. As far as RE dialogue goes, it does fine.
This being an action game, I really didn't mind having an extra A.I. character tag along with me. It helped keep a conversation going in the dialogue and someone to help me out quickly if I was hit to the grown with low health. The singleplayer campaign of Ada though, helps build another kind of atmosphere. Allowing the player to feel lonely and vulnerable, especially the submarine level at the beginning stands out as unique compared to the rest.
It should, perhaps, have been possible to play each campaign solo, but then again it would change most of the gameplay dynamic. Make no mistake, there's never, ever, a creepy moment. Resident without the Evil once again, or the residence for that matter, just like RE4 & RE5.
Although, I'm ranting on about its negatives, RE6 isn't completely terrible. Sure, it's a bad RE title and an average third person shooter, at best. If you're like me, with a special place in your heart for the slower paced and scary RE style, then RE6 will never fulfill this. Accepting this, before even trying to play RE6 is important, same goes for RE4 and RE5 too. As an action game with nasty monsters and dark environments, especially if you can play it coop, it works as brainless fun.
There're always new enemies to fight and the game keeps it at a steady pace without long tedious sections without anything happening. Some areas are clearly more fun than others, but overall, it's a fine b-game action fest. Albeit, with a little clunky controls and unsatisfying hit detection if you're used to higher quality third person shooters. The cover mechanic, however, is some of the most shit I've seen in a long time.
RE6 loses its focus on delivering quality when it goes overboard on aiming at quantity. It sounds strange to complain about too content, but with its five campaigns and seven(!) playable, main characters, RE6 is going overboard. Repetition kicks in rapidly after a couple of campaigns.
Areas you traverse feel like barren backdrops and empty rooms. Offering, at most, a few item crates to smash here and there. The constant movement from A to B lowers the levels to nothing but eye-candy, with no familiarisation of your surroundings ever taking place.
I began my new playthrough of RE6 thinking I'd hate it again but lowered my expectations and enjoyed slightly this time around. I went in expecting a new Capcom, action b-game, and left the hope of anything Evil in Residences at the door, and you know what? It worked. Kind of.
The crossing character story arch's, the run and gun gameplay and the original locations brings RE6 together as a fine bargain bin shooter for a low price. While it's length will most likely test your patience, at least playing through two of the campaigns should be sufficient for some entertainment at a low asking price.
An extremely average third person shooter with a budget one would expect far more from.
