Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Plot: All over the world, old heroes are coming together to take on a deadly new virus, which threatens to plunge the world into total terror.
Does anyone else remember when Resident Evil was one of the greatest video games of all time? The original Resident Evil was simple, yet terrifying, even getting across a half-decent narrative, when compared to other old timey games. When I look back at the earlier entries to the game and then look at Resident Evil 6, the latest (and biggest, as the developers insist upon reminding us), of the games, I cannot help but miss the ‘good, old days’.
Quite frankly, Resident Evil 6 is a bit of a mess. The tone is the main flaw here. Resident Evil strives to be something truly great. It treats itself like an epic, as though gamers are hooked onto this decade-spanning story. Admittedly, the name Resident Evil still commands a certain level of respect in certain corners of the gaming community, so maybe they were right to assume that the game could take on a level of story-telling greatness. The problem is that the game is far too big and serious. There are multiple stories to clamber through, which gives the game a sense of stopping and starting. You fight your way to the end of a story and then you have to start it again with a different character. That is frustrating, especially if you aren’t enjoying what you are playing. There is also the fact that this game is terribly serious. Every line is copied and pasted from an epic action drama. It goes for such a serious tone that its effect is the complete opposite; it is laughably cheesy. When two characters are promising that ‘they never leave a partner behind’, you will end up cracking up over the whole stupidity of it all. As a result, you never care for anything that happens.
The smaller things are terribly made too. The action is confusing. I don’t mind the fact you can’t run and shoot at the same time; that is the challenge the game has purposefully created, so we should respect its input. The rest of the combat is the stuff that drives me to pulling my hair out. You will take on a zombie and have no idea how you exactly survived the fight. You will be reduced to a limping, helpless person over the smallest of punches. The game is so claustrophobic you have no idea what you are doing, until your guy randomly performs a spinning kick (usually impossible due to the cramped room), taking out three zombies. What the hell?! The lighting is the stuff that gets to me the most though. One of the designers obviously realised that dark is good for horror movies (he got a lollipop for suggesting that in the writer’s room), so the game keeps you in darkness. Total darkness. As in you cannot see what the hell you are doing. It isn’t scary; it is annoying. When the zombies attack, you are often guessing where they are, rather than making calculated attack manoeuvres.
Did I have fun playing this game? Yes, but in all the wrong ways. It is a co-op game, so grab a friend, drink too much beer and then start playing. As you stumble through terrible dialogue and poorly made set-pieces, you will find yourself bursting into hilarious laughter over the failed game mechanics. When you and your friends discover the backwards ass crawl that you can keep going for as long as the map allows, you will find a whole new meaning for ‘side-splittingly funny’. The only thing that makes the fights fun is laughing at how terrible this game is with a friend by your side.
Final Verdict: Good for all the wrong reasons, Resident Evil 6 could be the worst game I have ever played.
One Star
Oracle of Film 