For years, fans have been clamoring for a horrifying Resident Evil game. Ever since Resident Evil 4 rebooted the franchise and took it in a more action/horror direction, the series has continued to lean more and more heavily on action rather than scares. With Resident Evil 6, Capcom promises even more action, but with the added doses of horror and zombies fans have been asking for since 2005. This isn't just Capcom's biggest and most ambitious project to date—with three separate campaigns set all over the world, local and online multiplayer, and a team of over 600 people working on it—this is arguably one of the biggest projects of this generation. Here's everything you need to know about it.
Resident Evil 6 takes place in 2013, where President Adam Benford has just revealed the true cause of the Raccoon City incident to the American people. Unfortunately, a bio-terrorist attack transforms the President into one of the all-too-familiar undead, forcing Leon Kennedy to put him down. At the same time, Chris Redfield is in China fighting bio-terrorists who plan on turning the city into a wasteland brimming with the undead. Under constant threat of attacks, with no country safe, the world is united by a common fear that there is no hope left.
One of the most exciting things about this game is its three separate campaigns, set in America, China, Russia, and more. They start in different places and can be played in any order. This is similar to Resident Evil 2, which had Leon's campaign on one disc and Claire Redfield's on the other. Leon's story takes place in Tall Oaks, a fictional U.S. city that's very reminiscent of Raccoon City. He and his partner Elena must fight to survive in an outbreak that's eerily like the one that started it all fifteen years ago. Ingrid Hunnigan will also return in a supportive role much like she was in Resident Evil 4.
Chris' story begins in China, where he and his partner Piers Nivan are trying to protect Lanshiang from bio-terrorists. Whereas Leon's campaign is focuses more on tension and horror, Chris' story is similar to the action and gunplay of Resident Evil 5.The final campaign centers on a mercenary named Jake Muller and his partner Sherry Birkin, daughter of William Birkin, who was responsible for creating the G-Virus for the Umbrella Corporation in Resident Evil 2. It was just revealed at Capcom's annual Captivate event that Jake is the son of Albert Wesker, and judging from his vicious melee skills the first trailer showcased, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
The idea of being Wesker's son would usually bring with it a ton of baggage, but because Jake was abandoned when he was very young, he never actually knew his father. Jake is central to the story, and a part of that is his immunity to the new C-Virus that's currently making its rounds all over the world. His blood is key to saving the world from total extinction, and because of this he's priority one for a lot of dangerous people and creatures.
Each campaign will play very differently, but the underlying controls and combat have been completely overhauled. You'll no longer need to stand still to shoot, because now you can strafe, and each character will have several unique abilities to help them dispatch the numerous enemies that will be thrown their way. Capcom's finally taken notes from the leaders of the third-person action genre, including Gears of War. The confidence of being overpowered because you have a rocket launcher, two different machine guns, and a wheelbarrow's worth of grenades is gone. Now you're fighting against hordes of enemies, and the ammo and weapons are more scarce.
While there are plenty of big changes and additions to the series in Resident Evil 6, there are few minor tweaks as well. The combat for one has been more finely tuned. You'll have more hand-to-hand abilities, firing from the ground, and a new cover system. The health system has also been tweaked so you can distill herbs into tablets that offer varying bonuses.
Like any good Resident Evil game, you'll come across some brand new enemies over the course of the three campaigns. This time around they're called the J'avo, and they're the product of the new C-Virus that gives them the terrifying ability to mutate randomly. Think of this as a more intimidating version of Resident Evil 4's Ganados or Resident Evil 5's Majini, because now they can adapt to the wounds you inflict on them. Blow off a zombie's arm and it can regenerate and form a blade, forcing you to quickly adapt as well. The basic enemies can also wield and throw melee weapons, and they can spawn from pods that can explode randomly, introducing new enemies to the fight.
Capcom may have found a clever way to make Resident Evil 6 the game everyone wants it to be. If you want a more horrifying experience, there's a story for you; if you want a more adrenaline-filled gun fest, there's a story for you as well. This is easily the most content-heavy Resident Evil to date, and there's a very good chance it'll manage the impressive feat of pleasing everyone. We won't know for sure until the game releases this October.
By
Adam Dodd
Contributing Writer @ cheatcc.com
