As Resident Evil mainstay Leon S. Kennedy's partner in Resident Evil 6, former CIA agent Helena Harper proves she's got what it takes to survive a zombie outbreak. Characterized as emotional yet able to perform under pressure, Helena off-sets Leon's cool demeanour and acts as a figure the gamer can invest in during the game's narrative. As any number of gamers would agree, it's not easy to be introduced into a beloved franchise as a new character but Helena takes that in stride in order to become one of the stand-outs in Resident Evil 6.
In a franchise where women reign supreme as badass zombie hunters, Helena Harper holds her own. She's somewhere in the middle between Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield. She's a skilled marksman whose stamina and agility are quite remarkable like Jill but isn't quite as seasoned and indulges in her emotions much like Claire. Though she receives second-billing in Leon's campaign, it can be argued that she is the true star as his narrative relies on Helena's in order to progress. Unfortunately, very little is revealed about Helena in-game and it is through the unlockable files that the gamer learns of her backstory. This is mildly inconvenient especially for those who may have to do a second or third play-through in order to find these files.
In "The Mercenaries" mode separate from the main game wherein the goal is to eliminate as many zombies and monsters as you can before the timer runs out, Helena is unlocked upon achieving a B-rank on the Urban Chaos stage. She's presented as a mid-level character whose primary weapon is the Picador handgun and her secondary is the Hydra shotgun. The best strategy for Helena remains in utilizing her handgun in order to rack up a combo and using it smartly so as not to run out of ammo -- this means using it to set up melee attacks. Though shotguns in general prove to be powerful weapons within the Resident Evil franchise, Helena gets stuck with the less-than-stellar Hydra. Though it may pack a little bit of power, it only carries three shells at a time and has a slow reload speed. This could prove deadly should she need to reload when a horde of zombies approaches. As such, the Hydra functions best in a capacity where she'll have enough room to reload without being interrupted or attacked. Helena's alternate outfit can be selected upon achieving an A-rank with Helena's default on any stage. This is a slight upgrade from her default outfit. Her primary weapon is the Ammo Box 50 which functions like a machine gun but has the power of a handgun. Maddeningly, Helena is once again short-changed with her secondary. Her Sniper Rifle may be powerful but it is inconvenient due to the fact that there is an animation that prevents her from moving very far following each shot so there's a frustrating delay between shots. As such, this could mean the difference between taking down an enemy and getting pounced on. This means that Helena must either consistently keep her distance while using it or she must use quick shots which will eat up her energy. Thankfully, the rest of Helena's inventory makes up for it. In addition to the red herb and first-aid spray for healing purposes, she has three incendiary grenades which provide instant kills for most enemies. Unfortunately (or fortunately for some), Helena's alternate costume is best categorized as a 'sexy cop' and clashes horribly against her characterization. Surely a stylish suit not unlike Sheva Alomar's wouldn't have been a stretch for a woman who used to work for the CIA.
Helena Harper is a welcome introduction to Resident Evil. She's smart, capable and allows the gamer to invest in her due to her loyalty and passion. She's also proven herself to be quite the fashionista as both her canon costumes in the game are quite stylish and functional. Though she may not be top tier among those available in "The Mercenaries," she can be utilized effectively to achieve the same high scores that the more advantageously stocked characters can. Helena has a long way to go before she can be placed on the same level as icons Jill Valentine or Claire Redfield but she has a promising future should she ever crop up in any future games. Hopefully she won't share the same fate as the oft-forgotten Rebecca Chambers or Sheva Alomar.
Grade: B+
No comments:
Post a Comment