While not inherently bad, Resident Evil 6 falls somewhat short of being another highlight in the franchise.
In the years leading up to and following the end of Resident Evil 5, the Umbrella Corporation met its demise, Raccoon City got wiped off the map, Albert Wesker was finally put to rest, and G-virus has been fully neutralized. However, a new form of biological threat known as the C-virus begins creeping up in the stratosphere; far stronger and deadlier than last year's model, and possessing the frightening capacity of being an airborne strain, leaving no one to chance. The city of Lianshang in China is caught up in a viral outbreak and completely decimated through nightmarish mutations. A new enemy known as the J'avo arises from the woodwork---a highly evolved form of zombie smart enough to brandish weapons and drive vehicles, and can shapeshift into horrifying new forms to suit a situation. With all this occurring at a rapid rate, the world is united by a common fear---there may be no hope left. Or is there? One final struggle begins as three familiar heroes and three newcomers band together against all possible odds to put a stop to the C-Virus, call out the man responsible for unleashing it, and terminate him with extreme Resident Evil prejudice.
I kicked things off with the Leon and Helena campaign; by far the closest to the classic Resident Evil framework. Leon S. Kennedy is in full form here---right down to his panultimate "boy-band groupie" hairstyle which still makes him look awesome even in advanced age. Helena Harper is Leon's new partner and fellow Special Agent blessed with raw talent, a killer body and personal demons. There is quite a bit of exploration involved, but the path is generally a linear one with few forks in the road and a visual compass that directs the player exactly where they need to go next. In some ways, this sort of hand-holding compromises the uncertainty of exploring a strange environment, which was one of the more thrilling aspects of the franchise. Still, the world of Resident Evil 6 itself is pretty creepy with all the dreary trappings of a horror-based atmosphere. My absolute favorite area to visit is the fictional city of Lianshang based in China. This is not simply because the Asian part of me appreciates the striking level of authenticity of a faux Hong Kong, but it is also due in large part to the unsettling, cruel aftermath of its destruction wrought by the C-Virus. The attention to detail is arguably one of the game's finer points, returning to familiar dark territory from the sun-bleached sands of Resident Evil 5. And everything looks absolutely gorgeous. Enemies are deliciously morbid and revolting by design, behaving in erratic, disgusting ways and reacting appropriately to being struck or shot at (thanks to the wonders of the Havok engine). And some of them change right before your eyes into horrific forms that defy the laws of nature, DNA and human reasoning.
The Jake and Sherry campaign isn't quite like the Leon/Helena portion, but holds its own more or less. The relationship between Jake Muller and Sherry Birkin is an interesting one as they're both the son and daughter of Resident Evil's most notorious villains; Albert Wesker and William Birkin. But, like night and day, the two couldn't be more different. Jake is a hard-edged, anti-social freelance mercenary with money on his mind. Sherry, former Resident Evil 2 victim, is a newly-christened government agent who reminds me an awful lot like Rebecca Chambers; tough on the outside, vulnerable on the inside. In this particular campaign, there were a lot of Quick Time Events that broke up the subsequent flow of the game, prompting timed button presses at opportune moments or forcing the player to wriggle the analog stick like Superman on speed dial. They're quite a joy to look at from time to time and done very well. And you'd better get used to them because cinematic cutscenes and QTEs generally make up at least 75% of the entire Resident Evil 6 experience. There's nothing bad about QTEs, but I felt as though Resident Evil 6 overemphasized these elements for the sake of production values rather than effective gameplay, resulting in the game feeling more like an interactive movie that would have proffered on a DVD instead of a $60 game disc. To the game's credit, the story and cutscenes are fantastic with strong voice acting across the board and pretty good dialogue, giving each character a sense of believability.
The third campaign I explored was the one involving Chris Redfield and Piers Nivans---two BSAA soldiers on a mission. Chris has undergone the most dramatic change here in Resident Evil 6 since Resident Evil 5. Following a horrific event that resulted in the deaths of the men under his command, Chris has been reduced to a drunken stupor, heavily absorbing his demons in a pool of alcohol. A heavy binge inherently destroys his memory, forcing fellow BSAA agent Piers Nivans to snap him out of his funk and convince the legendary zombie hunter to concentrate on the greater task at hand. I can confirm that Chris' campaign shares a stark, unapologetic similarity to the Call of Duty and Battlefield military shooters. Most of this campaign takes place in a gritty urban war-torn landscape before it hits familiar dark territory, making it feel as if you're playing Modern Warfare. The comparisons have been pointed out numerous times before, and theoretically it makes some sense seeing how Chris and Piers are, in effect, military soldiers battling bio-terrorism and B.O.W.s (Bio-Organic Weapons) all over the globe. But the military shooter component becomes a serious issue for a game like Resident Evil. The cover system handles far worse here than it does in Operation Raccoon City, and becomes problematic enough to get you killed during the most obvious life-or-death situations. If Chris' campaign was going to blatantly model itself after a typical third-person shooter, Capcom should have at least given some thought as to what made games like Call of Duty and Battlefield work so well and less of how to interpret a Resident Evil dynamic within its framework. In milder terms, the campaign is a mess of contradictions, and fails somewhat miserably at piggybacking other third-person shooters.
All of the campaigns, including an unlockable fourth involving Ada Wong, intersect with one another at specific points. There's no dynamic climax where every character gets together for a final showdown with the game's less-than-memorable villain, but our heroes do run into each other, pursuing their own individual campaigns all the while. I like both the tension and the happy reunion that occurs between specific characters, especially Leon and Sherry, whom haven't seen one another since the events of Resident Evil 2. This is also one of few (if only) opportunities for four players to get together and party up against the onslaught of the C-Virus, as Resident Evil 6 encourages cooperative gameplay; a boon first introduced in Resident Evil 5. In Resident Evil 6, it handles as well as you'd expect it to if you are so inclined into braving the depths of evil with a buddy in tow. If you don't have a friend to play with, the AI isn't quite as stupid as it was in Operation Raccoon City, but often at times, they may get stuck behind a wall or a locked door at the worst possible moment where you need their help in getting through an obstacle that requires two people.
Furthermore, apart from the campaign portions, Resident Evil 6 brings back the mercenaries mode, where you and/or a friend kill as many enemies as possible within a given time limit and score kill chains for leaderboard standings. You can even revisit campaigns you've cleared to search for serpent coins that unlock a host of bonuses including character dossiers, retrospectives of events from past Resident Evil games and viewable figurines. They're tough to find, but a keen eye and steady observation ensures success. It's also a fun diversion from the rigors of zombie shooting, destined to keep you busy long after you've completed the game.
Critical reception of Resident Evil 6 has been decidedly mixed, but my take on it is, after finally having the erstwhile opportunity to sit down and play it on my PS3, I can say with the utmost certainty that it really isn't as horrible or inherently bad as most reviewers have judged it to be. But, I can't in good faith proudly proclaim Resident Evil 6 to be a highlight of the series when it doesn't really feel like Resident Evil at all. Based on my own personal experiences, the game holds its weight against my expectations of an above-average product, but it falls dreadfully short of being a worthy successor to the brilliant Resident Evil 4 -- much less the entirety of the franchise. Its lofty ambitions, 600 member development team and eagerness to showcase as many gameplay styles as humanly possible drags the whole thing down a few pegs, but if you can take Resident Evil 6 for what it is, whether you're a fan or not, you'll find a fairly competent game that, in spite of its setbacks, covers most of the bases. Just don't expect it to be the Resident Evil that many of you enjoyed and loved in the past.