Resident Evil 6 Review

Lots of Action
Gamers who love intense action in a game will feel right at home with Resident Evil 6. From the beginning through to the end, you will experience one of the most intense Resident Evil games – expect explosions, lots of chasing around, going through a turret in a plane or even a car chase! The majority of the action found in the game is controlled through quick-time events, in which you will need to be active and paying attention or you will die. By dying, you will reduce the chance of getting that coveted S rank. If you love quick-time events, you’ll enjoy the numerous instances in the game that include the feature.

Mercenaries & Agent Hunter Mode
The highly-anticipated Mercenaries mode has returned in Resident Evil 6. Through the three maps that are available in the game, the objective in Mercenaries mode in Resident Evil 6 stays the same: rack up a lot of points by killing enemies under a certain amount of time. When you achieve this, you will be rewarded with items. Unlike other Resident Evil titles, the Mercenaries mode in this game unlocks right away. It is worth noting that if you play it at the very start without playing the campaign, you will only be granted access to a limited number of maps and characters.

In addition to Mercenaries, another mode called Agent Hunter is unlocked right after you complete any of the three campaigns. In Agent Hunter mode, you will play as the enemies and your task is to hunt the main characters. Those who have played Operation Raccoon City should have a basic understanding of this concept. Just like Mercenaries, Agent Hunter mode can be played online.

Secret Ada Campaign
Once you finished all three campaigns of the three main characters in the game, I’m sure that you will be confused regarding Ada’s real objectives and may be left wondering if she’s a friend or a foe. By completing Leon, Chris and Jake’s campaign, you will unlock Ada’s campaign, where you will play the game through her perspective, detailing her every appearance in all three major campaigns. Her motives and objectives will be revealed and will tie up all the loose ends in the campaign.

NOT

Camera Issues
The biggest problem that I encountered in Resident Evil 6 are the occasional camera issues. At some point during the game, the camera will rotate at a location where you can’t move or adjust it and you will find yourself having a hard time seeing the enemy in front of you. Sometimes in a chasing segment, the camera will move at a fast speed automatically and it will keep you off track to the location you’re running towards. The camera issues are prevalent and require some adjustment on the player’s part.

Lack of Maps in Mercenaries Mode
While it’s nice to see the Mercenaries mode once again in Resident Evil 6, it’s disappointing to see that right off the bat, you only have three maps that you can pick from – that is if you beat all three campaigns as two of them are unlocked when you finish Chris or Jake’s campaign. Those who are looking for maps to play are either going to have to wait for Capcom to release more maps or simply get the Mercenaries maps pre-order codes.

More Aimed at Shooter Fans
Upon playing all three main campaigns of the game, I am saddened to see that the Resident Evil series is falling more in line with other popular shooter titles, where everything is just mindless shooting. While Leon’s campaign managed to recapture some of the scary moments from previous Resident Evil games, the shooting portions with near limitless ammo make this game more of a shooting game than an actual survival horror title. Less puzzles are present and almost all of them are no-brainers. From start to finish, you won’t have to worry about ammo as there is always more than enough.

VERDICT

Editor's Choice AwardResident Evil 6 is a great game and fans should not skip it. However, those hardcore fans hoping that Capcom will bring back the survival horror that the series was once known for will be disappointed, as two-thirds of the game is purely Call of Duty/Gears of War style action. Resident Evil 6 seems to be aiming more towards the shooter fanbase rather than the fans who originally fell in love with the series generations ago. If you’re a shooter fan, you will no doubt enjoy Resident Evil 6 due to the intense action on offer. But for long-time fans hoping for redemption, you may find the story to be the only real reason to pick up the latest entry.

[Editor’s Note: Resident Evil 6 was reviewed on the Xbox 360 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]