Real Talk By: Ms. Throwback

Resident Evil has always been a series close to my heart. It’s the franchise that made me realize video games were grand indeed. They could be something bigger and greater, and whether you consider yourself a Resident Evil “fan” or a Silent Hill “fan” all of us can agree that the first Resident Evil games were breakthroughs. A horrifically good story line, coupled with intense puzzles and repulsive enemies have always been at the heart of the series. Resident Evil 4 was a complete game changer, in not only its genre, but in shooting games period, with the “fourth person” view, where the player’s character is seen on-screen over the shoulder and just above the waist. Not many games in history have hit this standard of expertise so the question is, did they do it again? Does RE6 stand up against its own, or better yet, does it change the world of gaming? Let Ms. Throwback hit you with the information.

Starting out, you will be blown away with amazing environments and visuals. It’s clear  that Capcom brought out the big guns when it came to level design. Drifting through the streets on your motorcycle, manhandling the snowing terrain, wading your way through the underground, or navigating through buildings.  Nothing is spared when it comes to visuals and environments. Capcom has made the large range of environments possible in this game due to the incredible story line that goes with it. There are four campaigns that converge on each other at the same time, and while this has been done in games before, never like this. The mystery and suspense of the story line connect tightly with the character campaign that you are completing. Without Capcom’s great attention to the details of the environment this game would’ve been lost in the wind before it even started, thankfully they got it right, not just right but spot on.

The enemy design in the game is more appealing than ever before, by more appealing of course I mean more gorishly intense. Some of the boss battles are downright frightening. Just like other RE games, the enemies pose for a true challenge and never stop attempting to bring you into the demonic presents that consumes them. Many of the bosses are rigorously intense, and each of the enemies are unique in their strategy making for an overall experience that was truly amazing except…

There are shootouts… Lots, and lots of shootouts. Somehow in the midst of all my amazing entertainment I realized that this turned from the classic RE vibe to Mass Effect. Since when were the characters in the Resident Evil games professional gunman (or woman)? I mean yeah, some of them were cops, in really sexy outfits. I’m just wondering when they got their military training? We aren’t just talking about a few hoards of zombies here and there, or even a stream of bloody headshots. We are talking about dodging and gun battling room after room of enemies. I get it, this game is supposed to be about the zombie world takeover but still, the classic RE feel is lost because it seems like it’s trying to keep up with every other shooter on the market, instead of keeping a place for itself. If you forget how RE if suppose to feel go pick up RE 2 or 3. There are points in the game where it is just quiet creepy noises and there aren’t enemies for a good 15 minutes or so and then BAM! you’re hit in the face with a licker at your backside. That doesn’t happen in this game, and it’s an extreme turn off.

Also keeping with the trend of the times Capcom decided that using a leveling system in the game would be a positive. How could this ever be good for a resident evil game? It can’t, that’s the answer. Part of the fun and frustration of getting through a RE game was making it to the next merchant to upgrade your weapons and items due to the small amount of inventory you could carry at any one time. It was realistic, and exciting. “whacha buyin?” does anyone remember that? just play an hour of RE4 and you’ll be totally disgusted with the decision to get rid of the merchants in RE6. Resident Evil without a merchant is barely a Resident Evil game. They’ve been there since the beginning of the series and what do we have in its place? what replaces the amazing merchant hiding in the shadows to sell you his under the counter black market crafts. A menu screen, with a level system and it’s pretty disappointing.

Regardless of these two major disappointments there are more good things than bad. The rest of the menu system is set in an easy to use and understand interface. The layout is gorgeous and it is a huge help throughout the game. Puzzles come back with ambition too, and there is no shortage of them in Ada’s campaign. I think this is the part of the game I enjoyed the most as it was a throwback to the old-school feel of Resident Evil and it was done well. Many of the puzzles were just as frustrating as they used to be, and it’s a good thing because they present an intriguing challenge to the player and become a large aspect of what you need to achieve.

The campaigns are also a fresh addition to the game, Leon keeps with the most classic vibe, Chris brings us a more militarized feel, Jake keeps us on an edge of your seat adventure experience, and eventually you’ll unlock Ada’s story, which was my favorite. It features stealth and puzzlement. What all of this means to the player is a game that has something for everyone and keeps our interest, even through the bouts of shootouts. The game is defiantly jam-packed with content and earns a little piece of my heart for being well worth the price.

Overall there is a great experience to be had with RE6. Unfortunately some of it is lost with the seemingly pointless shootouts that occur at random and for lengthy amounts of time. I have to blame the movie series for taking a toll on the Resident Evil series in part. It seems Capcom has been caught up by the success of its franchise too much to remember what made it great to begin with. Next time we can hope they continue with the formula that always worked for Resident Evil. In the meantime however, this is a game that can be appreciated in its own right. If it didn’t have the Resident Evil name and expectation connected with it, the game would be a great title, and there is still a freshness to it that can be appreciated.

Resident Evil 6 Gets:

Out of five

What’s Legit?

+ Story Line

+ Visuals

+ Environment

+ Campaign Design

+ Music and Sound

What’s Perpetrating?

– No more merchants

– Endless Shootouts

– Camera

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