Review: Resident Evil 6

Released in the fall of 2012, Resident Evil 6 is the much-maligned sequel to the divisive action video game Resident Evil 5. The game assembles a large playable cast, allowing gamers to choose from Resident Evil favourites like Chris Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy as well as newcomers like Helena Harper and Jake Muller. It reinvents the gameplay expected of a Resident Evil game and becomes what the producers at Capcom have called 'dramatic horror.'

The storyline of Resident Evil 6 is interwoven between four campaigns and tells the narratives of seven playable characters -- Leon and his new partner Helena investigate an outbreak in a small American town, BSAA agent Piers Nivens attempts to get veteran Chris Redfield back into action, NSA Agent Sherry Birkin joins forces with the mercenary Jake Muller against Neo-Umbrella, and Ada Wong solves a mystery concerning her stolen identity. This fractured storytelling creates an uneven narrative and leaves many with the impression that some campaigns are better than others. Leon and Helena's campaign stands the strongest. It is moody with haunting atmospheres and blends action with horror flawlessly. Helena makes for a captivating character and her involvement feels necessary. Likewise, Jake and Sherry's campaign has its moments of brilliance and the chemistry between the characters is palpable. The variety in settings is interesting and their campaign's Big Bad harkens back to the relentless Mr. X and Nemesis from previous instalments. Ada's narrative, meanwhile, serves as the linchpin of Resident Evil 6 and fills in all the holes left by the other campaigns. It mixes stealth with non-stop action to create a fun spy-fi adventure. Unfortunately, Chris and Piers' campaign comes across as dull and unnecessary. Piers is an eye-roll worthy creation who feels like a poor substitute for Jill Valentine and Chris is about as tolerable as a case of chicken pox. Chris' chapters would have been the ideal place to address what happens to Resident Evil icon Jill Valentine but the writers chose to leave that thread untouched. As such, it leaves the player feeling like Chris' campaign should have been scrapped in favour of expanding the other three.

Resident Evil 6's gameplay is hit-and-miss. While the expansion of melee moves feels like an improvement, the alterations made to the inventory and healing system feel unnecessary especially since they were perfectly functional in the previous instalment. Still, the usage of skills is an interesting development allowing for players to customize and tailor their experience to their personal play styles. The game also makes heavy usage of quick time events wherein the player must press certain buttons within a select amount of time or run from an unstoppable force. This can make for an exhilarating experience but at the same time will leave many wanting to rip out their hair given the difficult for certain QTEs. The fan-favourite Mercenaries mode also seems somehow harder than it should be but perhaps this is largely a result of the changes made in the gameplay and the significant imbalance in character inventories in that some characters have weapons that require time and precision that players really aren't afforded when playing The Mercenaries.

Overall, Resident Evil 6 can be an enjoyable experience and will surely be fun for most gamers. Obviously it has its share of flaws that will frustrate most. The decision to feature Chris Redfield once again is mind-numbingly idiotic when one considers the fact that his sister Claire hasn't been playable in a main game since 2000's Resident Evil Code: Veronica and since Jill Valentine offered more dramatic potential given what she went through during the events of Resident Evil 5. Claire and Jill's absence is felt so profoundly largely because the campaigns are so heavily focused on the narratives of the men despite the fact that the women from the franchise have larger fanbases. Furthermore, some of the changes in gameplay seem a little illogical and awkward while The Mercenaries mode doesn't feel as satisfying as it did in Resident Evil 5. Nevertheless, the game should be praised for taking risks and for the tremendously effective campaign given to Leon and Helena as well as giving Ada Wong the attention she deserves. It most certainly won't please all fans of the iconic zombie smasher franchise but when nitpicks are set aside it can be a satisfying jaunt into the world of Resident Evil.

Grade: B (Sorry Capcom! It would have easily been an A- had Chris' campaign been about Claire or Jill!)