Genre: Action, Survival Horror, 3rd-person Shooter
Available Platforms: PC, PS3, 360
Platform I played it on: PC
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
A bit of backstory is needed in this, I think. I was too young to have ever played the first 3 Resident Evil games, or more importantly, I got into gaming later in my life. Despite this, I know the general overall story of the franchise and the world, which is the reason why I never went back to play the older games myself. I started the franchise with RE4 on the PS2. I loved it and was terrified of it at the same time. But, most importantly it started a trend in my life: I have never finished a Resident Evil game by myself. A very good friend of mine and I would co-op play Resident Evil 4 every weekend or so, swopping controllers every time one of us died. He even gave me his cleared game data so I could play through the game in Leon’s awesome mafia suit and I didn’t have to worry about babysitting Ashley (I was in grade 8 guys, come on, I was a pussy). It’s one of my favourite gaming memories, getting scared together with a good friend, screaming out loud and then laughing even louder. It was a good time.
A few years later, me and a different friend who worked with me in retail did the exact same thing with RE5. Same moments, only this time the game wasn’t so scary and I was more badass (My fondest memory until the day I die will be of running out of ammo during the Wesker fight at the end in the volcano and having to resort to knifing the bastard for 15 minutes until he died. Yeah, that’s right: I KILLED WESKER WITH A KNIFE!). We had the same basic plan: play until you die then pass the controller on. We did this and managed to finish the game in a single sitting that lasted us about a whole weekend.
Then RE6 rolled around and I started hearing some bad stuff about it. I got worried. I got it for PC and called the guy who had finished 5 with me so we could continue our run into 6. But a pleasant surprise was waiting for us when we loaded up the game: it had split screen co-op (which is apparently in 5 as well but I guess we missed it?). Now even when I game on PC, I use a Xbox 360 controller because a mouse and keyboard weird me out and I find it hard to play that way (Yes guys, even FPS’s, oh the humanity). So me and my friend split-screened RE6 through all 4 storylines, me on the 360 controller and my friend on mouse and keyboard. It was the best experience ever. And it also put to rest all the apprehension I had had because of people saying how shitty the game is. I found it totally awesome.
People mentioned there’s “too much ammo”? That’s a lie, although maybe the co-op made it harder since we had to do a lot of resource management and were constantly running out of ammo for everything and having to resort to each character’s ninjutsu skills. Moreover, the way the game changes when you’re playing co-op is just amazing, splitting the two of you up and having you coordinate in order to survive. Overall, I just found it to be an enjoyable and sometimes truly amazing game. The storyline is a bit convoluted, but then again, when hasn’t it been? I feel the criticism the game gets is unnecessary, unwarranted and blown way out of proportion.
Leon’s campaign is perhaps the most laid-back of them all, and that’s saying something because it’s still intense and when shit pops off, ooooh boy does it pop to the fullest. It actually felt like the weakest one to me to be honest. The villain character is just totally stupid (and apparently is immune to pain since he just keeps on coming no matter what you do to him) and the rest of the story is pretty lacklustre, although still interesting enough to keep me going. Leon felt more like a footnote to the overall plot than someone who actually actively influenced or participated in it, which is a major let down. It was still a fun experience though, and I’m glad his enemies are radically different and behave different to the others you encounter in the game.
Chris’s story is the most insane and action-packed, full of moments that could put big budget action movies to shame, as well as having the hardest final boss I’ve ever fought in my life. His storyline is more of a personal vendetta and seeing all the horrible stuff steadily piling on top of him as you progress, making him more aggressive, frantic and agitated is interesting. While his story was perhaps the worst handled, it had a lot of interesting elements and ideas and his character the most changed from how he was in previous installments. I just have one question though, where the hell is Sheva?
Of all the campaign’s, I liked Jake’s the best, mainly because his arc seemed to be the best written and the characters are interesting, Jake and Sherry both offering something refreshing and new to their story and the Resident Evil world and lore in general. It was the most fun to play as well, with some really interesting and diverse levels, like a huge icy mountain that my friend and I got stuck in for like half an hour trying to find a way to our last objective. It was a nice surprise to play through and didn’t disappoint. It was a bit weird to see this newcomer somehow manage to be better than the series veterans he shares a game with, but still, it’s a pleasant surprise and I hope Jake and Sherry stick around and stay awesome for the inevitable sequels in years to come.
Ada’s was just added fluff, but still a much needed perspective to clear up some unanswered questions from the others’ campaigns. Her lack of a dedicated partner made co-oping it a bit of a challenge, since Ada was the only one who could interact with objects and complete objectives. The stealth focus was also a nice touch, making the game very tense and keeping you on your toes.
Overall, I loved the game. The experience was amazing when played co-op with a friend. We had fun and that’s what matters in the end isn’t it? That’s all you can ask out of a game. I really don’t see why everyone hates on this game so much.
Conclusion: 4 Ustanak’s out of a possible 5
RANDOM MUSINGS 