Resident Evil 6
A viral pandemic, conflicting ideals and corporate politics all accumulate into a diverse and compelling storyline.
Introduction
This was the last of my Resident Evil journey, at least for a while. My initial intention was to complete the first 6 games, potentially alongside any subsequent DLCs and I managed to pull that off. My journey started a while back with the original video game, followed by its subsequent sequels. At the same time, I have also just completed my Resident Evil film marathon too. I thoroughly enjoyed both the film and game series. I was initially reluctant to start the franchise and I felt like I would have to push through it all, just to play Resident Evil 7 which I heard was similar to Outlast. The gameplay and story of that game is vastly different from the initial 6 games as far as I am aware. I have completed my journey and I do not regret it. I did not feel any sort of slog and I was immersed into the varying stories, none more so than in the latest edition of the franchise I have played.
Story
A variation of the virus has turned pandemic. Major capitals have been hit with the virus and it is continuing to proliferate. It is not a worldwide hit similar to the film franchise, but is largely contained in certain but significant populations. The goal of the game is to figure out who is responsible, quarantine the infected population centres and to ultimately put an end to their schemes. There are a total of 4 different perspectives to the approach of the story, depending on the character choice.
Character
There are several significant characters. The game can be played from the perspective of 4 central characters, who all have their own opinions on similar topics throughout the game, sometimes with interests which collides their own. They include:
- Leon S. Kennedy (Matthew Mercer) — Formerly a Raccoon City cop, he attempts to investigate the origins of the virus and to unravel the subsequent conspiracy. He was previously playable in Episodes 2 & 4.
- Chris Redfield (Roger Craig Smith) — A veteran soldier and a survivor of the Spencer Mansion incident, he assists the military in conducting various missions in the affected areas and rescuing civilians. He was previously playable in Episodes 1 & 5.
- Jake Muller (Troy Baker) — A hardcore mercenary, his blood appears to possess antibodies which could combat the viral pandemic. He has to survive and reach the designated area in an effort to create a vaccine.
- Ada Wong (Courtenay Taylor) — A mysterious figure with ninja-like abilities and unknown intentions, this character maintains a persistent presence throughout the game. Her agenda is unknown. She appears to help certain characters and turn against others. She was previously playable in Episode 2 and Episode 4’s “Assignment Ada” DLC.
Each of these characters, aside from Ada Wong, have their own partners to assist them in their quest:
- Helena Harper (Laura Bailey) — Partner of Leon. The two of them were assigned to the President’s protection detail. After his death, she leads Leon to the possible ground zero of the pandemic.
- Piers Nivans (Christopher Emerson) — Partner of Chris. He initially encourages Leon to stop drinking and to go back to the line of duty. Chris views him as his successor.
- Sherry Birkin (Eden Riegel) — Survivor of Raccoon city and Partner of Jake, she is an agent of the United States. She is charged with his safe escort in an effort to isolate him and get the vaccine. She was briefly playable in Episode 2 as a child.
There is also an additional character. A Resident Evil game is not complete without a potential villain:
- Derek C. Simmons (David Lodge) —National Security Advisor of the United States. Sherry answers to him, whereas Leon suspects him as the mastermind of the pandemic and him being responsible for the death of the president. However, Chris believes Ada Wong is instead the villain.
Worldbuilding
This was a vast improvement from the previous instalment. There is a level of complexity just below its superficial story. The varying perspectives of the characters as they eventually intersect with each other from time to time gives a real sense of conflicts of interest alongside collaborations against stronger foes. It’s the most Game of Thrones-feeling Resident Evil game I have played.
In relation to the individual campaigns:
- Leon’s story leads to the unravelling of the conspiracy behind the presidential attack. His campaign was investigative and survival-orientated.
- Chris’s campaign was more action-focused and he wanted to take down the person who is responsible for everything.
- Jake’s mission is to reach a safe point to extract his blood to make the antivaccination. His campaign was also action-orientated.
- Meanwhile, Ada’s arch ties everything together in a coherent web of understanding. Her campaign was largely driven by stealth.
All of these stories happen in conjunction with each other. This means, as a player, I would recognise the various going-ons within the lore of the world as I played individual campaigns. I could understand the motivation of others, the actions they took, why certain sequences unfolded and how they were linked with the actions of others.
Gameplay
As mentioned previously, there are 4 individual campaigns to choose from, all of which run parallel with each other. Chris, Leon and Jake all possess similar types of weaponry, with Ada Wong possessing her own unique stealth-orientated crossbow alongside some basic weapons. Each character appears to possess a similar set of inventory slots and supplementary items. Each of the characters also have the ability of dodge and roll, which already made it feel quite free in comparison to the previous games. Before this, it was only Resident Evil 3 which had a similar level of freedom. However, this particular game surpasses even that. In addition, Ada Wong has the ability to grapple to distant and high-up locations, similar to Resident Evil 4’s “Assignment Ada” DLC. I can’t remember if she did that in Episode 2 though. Each characters has about 5 chapters to complete. The genre of the game is dependent on the chosen character.
Summary
In short:
- A pandemic has hit the major population centres.
- There are 4 playable character-driven campaigns.
- Campaigns runs in conjunction with each other.
- Game allows players to dodge and roll.
- Campaigns are either either investigate, action or stealth-orientated.
- The eventual intersections of the varying characters made it feel like Game of Thrones.
Critique
I thoroughly enjoyed this video game. I did not have any significant issues. This is one of my favourite Resident Evil games. It is tied up there with Resident Evil 3. I liked the action, survival and stealth options. I was immersed in the conjunction of characters as each of them travelled in their own journey. It also felt quite liberating in terms of being able to defend yourself with dodges and rolls.
I completed the game in the ‘professional’ difficulty and I was hoping to use the unlimited ammo feature online. After unlocking the specific skillset, I noticed that, when online, the unlimited ammo does not work when on the professional difficulty. However, when I tested a chapter during single-player on professional difficulty, it appeared to work. I wished this disparity did not exist and I could use my unlimited ammo feature for people who were also playing on the professional difficulty.
Overall, I enjoyed the campaigns. It took me slightly over 27 hours to complete the stories in their entirety. I might give it a replay at some point down the line to take advantage of the unlimited ammo featurette.
Previous Reviews
*Resident Evil 2’s review also contains a brief review on the original Resident Evil game.
Afterwords
I will 💯 recommend this game to others. I would recommend them to play the previous instalments first to find the characters more relatable, but it could be enjoyed on its own. In the meantime, I wonder how the latest Netflix Live-Action Series Adaptation (which is allegedly already filmed) would play out, alongside the Reboot Film.
