Overall Score: 4.5/5 Stars
With viral fanfare, storied developer Capcom released the trailer for Resident Evil 6 on January 19, 2012. The sixth entry within the primary canon of the legendary series promised to be action-packed, adrenaline-pumped, and stuffed with the usual storyline intrigue and biohazardous goings-on. Would it prove to be a worthy entry in the iconic survival-horror franchise? Fair warning: This review will contain minor spoilers.
The Resident Evil titles have made a habit out of shifting back and forth between intertwining plotlines, with different games sporting different controllable protagonists, pouring on thick layers of plot twists, relationship dynamics, and perhaps some general vagueness along the way. With RE6, the curious decision is made to feature two protagonists that had before always been in separate individual games: Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy.
The events depicted take place ten years after the original occurrences in Raccoon City, as were shown in the very first Resident Evil game. In the opening, Kennedy is forced to confront the President of the United States, who now generally appears to be in a zombie-like, “infected” state. A shot is fired.
Meanwhile, in Asia, Chris Redfield is part of a task force being assigned to contain a situation quickly growing out of control. In a dense, urban area, lit with neon like a Hong Kong or Tokyo locale, thousands upon thousands of people are undergoing symptoms similar to those seen in previous outbreaks of the T-Virus.
As introduced in Resident Evil 4 and furthered in Resident Evil 5, a more action-oriented gameplay is used, which still resonates with long-time fans as a stark departed from the originating titles. An over-the-shoulder view persists throughout, a red laser sight is utilized for targeting, and play proceeds at a clip that varies between frantic gunfights, tense “boss” monster battles, and atmospheric creep.
Much like its seasonal release-timing counterpart from the year prior, Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii, Resident Evil 6 has plenty to offer canon fanboys and fangirls in the way of winks, nods, and previous-installment references. Before all is finished, beasts will crash through glass, a helicopter pilot will die, a prominent human character will transform into something hideous, a rocket launcher will be used in a key sequence, devil dogs will emerge from the shadows, and the red-dress figure of a certain feminine figure will emerge into the happenings. You can almost hear the hulking villain chant “S.T.A.R.S.” or feel the now-deceased characterization of Wesker still having a hand in affairs. One thing remains sure: The word “umbrella” is still treated with a hallowed hush.
Even the voice acting seems to ooze a throwback swagger, with some spotty quality and woodenness at moments. With all seriousness, though: There is plenty of new-school flavor for players as well. Motorcycle interplay brings a Yakuza beat to the party, the big bads now seem to have a more distinctive fusion with technology, a unique twist is placed on two-protagonist “escort mission” mode, extras abound, and even seasoned veterans of the mold will find it difficult to predict all the leaps taken in the story progression, although two or three may elicit a groan.
A casual escalation of paramilitary presence has been long forming in the RE canonization, and perhaps comes to a head in 6 as the player is faced with extra-gritty, human-on-human, alleyway firefights featuring heavy automatic weapons. Muscle-bound Chris can manage those just fine in Asia, as Leon gets some new toys to play with too. Yet for fans of his knifeplay, no need for disappointment, as more QuickTime action is subtly strung in a key portion.
The cutscenes are crisp, sharp, and thoroughly run the gamut from dark to dangerous, scheming to spectacular, and violent to visceral. The proud tradition of grotesque creatures and vicious deaths continues. Resident Evil 6 overtly pushes the envelope for its visuals, nicely rounding up the action-game checklist: Huge explosions, slow motion scenes, booming gunfire, light glinting off blades, vehicular crashes, and pleasantly billowy smoke effects.
One notable aspect of RE6 is the sexuality. By now, it is no secret that a subset of females fans find Leon Kennedy to be an appealing mark, for whatever reason, and Capcom alludes to this known tidbit in a few instances. But whereas prior adventures have always been more tongue-in-cheek about the sensuality of the female characters, from Ashley Graham’s schoolgirl outfit to Jill Valentine’s deadly skirt-voice combo, this edition seems to take a more overt angle and bump up the pure sex appeal a notch. Expect a couple eyebrow-raising shots.
Capcom has long been famed for the production value of their sound. The effects here are great, if not expectedly standard: Guns boom, monsters growl, victims scream, men grunt, blood spurt, bones crunch, and we are even treated to some rolling thunder. However, what may be most impressive is the music, with background compositions that flesh out a range fully fast-paced to drawn-out madness. Resident Evil stills holds the market on the art of using just a couple instruments and a few long, high notes to create tension. The strings, piano, and percussion do not leave anything on the table, with craftsmanship for miles; at least, maybe, for those who dig such haunts.
The eventual intersection between Chris and Leon provides the prelude for what may be the most momentous turning point of the game, but those two are far from the only actors on the stage, even from the canonical repertoire. The debate may be fair to have, as to whether the insistent homages and revisits are merely products of inevitability or over-intentionality.
It might not serve best as the focal point, but such thoughts have to be met head-on when dealing with the sixth part of any sort of tale. Nonetheless: For newcomers, there is plenty to have fun with, and the nuances missed will only leave a minor tinge of failed connection. For old-timers, the formula should stir up a fond familiarity; at least, that is, of the prior few occasions.
In a franchise that stands startlingly close to the brink of sequel fatigue, especially amid a couple portable-exclusive entries that were not warmly met by all adherents, Resident Evil 6 actually strike a decent balance: Yes, it heavily relies on the attraction of its known ingredients. The key is that it still does so with such undeniable flair and brutally simplistic fun, all while posing a semblance of a story, that little ground is found for complaint without painting broad strokes against the entirety proper.
The verdict: Four and a half stars out of five rating, 9 out of 10 score, potential nightmares, definite play value. Those who never liked Resident Evil will not like this one, those who love the whole will find room in their hearts for this new breed, and a few will shrug it off, while a nuanced fewer will finally decide that this is where they break from their RE allegiance. Meanwhile, as the saying goes: Haters gonna hate.
Oh, and the six-player co-op? Amazing.