Resident Evil 6 was the longest demo of E3, consisting of three diverse 15 minute missions, anchored by as many protagonists, yet -- like a nice afternoon drunk -- it was all over far too soon. To get you up to speed: Leon S. Kennedy is survival horror, Chris Redfield is action horror and the new kid, Jake Muller, is somewhere in-between.
As a veteran Resident Evil fan(boy), Leon was the clear standout. With just one clip of ammo for the entire demo, it was a return to the old school scavenging, genuine survivalist Resident Evil. Chris’s mission was more like that of Resident Evil 5, as was Jake’s, with a few more scares, bigger enemies and less resources.
But hey, that’s just me. There’s something for everybody.
When is Mr. Kennedy going to get to sit back and relax? The world twice over would have been destroyed by blood-crazed man-eaters if it weren’t for him, and there’s still little in the way of an ‘atta boy. I mean, saving the president’s daughter was hell enough, but now the leader of the free world is a zombie just asking to be shot in the face. That’s the conflicting beginning of Leon’s segment in the Resident Evil 6 demo: the Jack Bauer of the zombie slaying world is forced to murder the president of the United States.
It’s going to be a long day.
I was scared of what was going to jump out around the next corner, but even more afraid to waste an unnecessary bullet.
In the quarter-hour I had with the silky-haired hero, I rekindled my passion for his rugged manliness and persistence to get the job done against the odds with nothing but what’s in his gun and some leaves to ease the pain. I was scared of what was going to jump out around the next corner, but even more afraid to waste an unnecessary bullet. Do I really need to use it? Where is the next reload going to come from? As it turns out, nowhere.
Whatever you do, when the moment comes, don’t miss.
The mere minutes I had with the only man that demands his middle initial be recognised every time his name is mentioned reminded me why he is one of my favourite video game characters. This is how I want to play Resident Evil.
However, that isn’t to say his two counterparts aren’t up to the challenge. The Jake Muller level retained plenty of scares and led to my untimely death twice; although, the first was a result of my own stupidity and lack of awareness during the transition between cut-scene and gameplay. Dead immediately. The Capcom staffers were so impressed.
Jake’s level was heavier on action than Leon’s, but just as fearsome. There were human enemies, an equally scarce ammo to enemy ratio and a culmination that echoed certain death with a giantantor boss that seemed immune to gunfire. Murdering was on the up, but so was the challenge posed by smarter enemies, making it just as terrifying and, if anything, harder than Leon’s moment to shine.
Chris’s level will resonate best with fans of Resident Evil 5. It doesn’t follow the same survivalist formula evident in the other two, but horror is arguably more prevalent than it was in 2009’s game.
The jet-setting action travels the globe, from North America to Europe and China. Each character is partnered up; although, I had little to do with my ally playing alone. Presumably their value is seen in the returning co-op mode. Elsewhere at E3, we heard that Resident Evil 6 allows for up to four players to fight together to save humanity from the clutches of the undead.
The three stories intersect through the course of the lengthy campaign, which boasts two-and-a-half times as much content as Resident Evil 5. Each can also be enjoyed on its own merits; you can play one from start to finish without looking at the others. One character doesn't need to progress to trigger an event for another.
With three intersecting but identifiably different campaigns that blend horror, survival and action in their own distinct way, Resident Evil 6 looks to be the change the series needs to put it up there with Resident Evil 4, not only as one of the best in the series, but one of the best games this generation.
By Ben Salter - Bio