Xbox 360 FireCylinder's Resident Evil 6 Review (with spoilers)

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Check out FireCylinder's Resident Evil 6 review below. Each campaign is then split up into a more detailed review/analyses below. The individual campaign review/analyses may contain spoilers, so please read these at your own risk.


Resident Evil 6 Overview

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10


At Last


My review of Resident Evil 6.

At last! I cried. It’s here. Resident Evil 6; in my hands and waiting for me to play it. And then, after many hours, a dozen cans of Coke and Dr. Pepper and two whole bags of corn chips, I was finished. And disappointed. Now I won’t say that the game was one huge disappointment but there were some sticking points for me. The game was enjoyable but I have thoughts. And that really screwed up the whole experience. Now, I have been waiting for this game ever since Resident Evil 5 came out. That’s two whole years. I’m also a die hard Resident Evil fan but for the sake of this review, I’ll try to remain unbiased. I also won’t waste time talking about Capcom and the developers and what not. You’re here to read about what I think of RE6. Nothing more. Oh yeah, watch where you step, there might be spoilers around. So, without further ado…

All in all, this game had its good points and its bad points. Allow me to list a few. First off, the good: Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield are in the same game and apparently there was enough room in China for the both of them. Woo-hoo, fan boys rejoice! Sadly they never work together. Never fear, there’s always a chance in Resident Evil 8 or RE 9 or RE 10: Zombies in Space! Also good: The camera! You can still control it except for certain parts. Like when you’re being chased and the camera is fixed so that it is facing you as you run at it. This makes an impressive chase sequence however such sequences end with the character having to make a left or a right and the game doesn't tell you. I found this out the hard way MULTIPLE times. Another sticking point for me: Partner actions. You remember them from Resident Evil 5 where you and your partner have to synchronize pressing a button in order to open a door. If you’re playing by yourself and your partner wanders off, you have to wait a few minutes while they catch up to you and you look like a dork standing there with your palm pressed against a door. Not only does this happen again in this installment but it happens FREQUENTLY. As in EVERY five minutes. Seriously, you could set your watch to this.

Next up: button mashing. Now, in the previous game, you had to mash several buttons in order to advance the plot or do a certain action. And if you weren't careful, you’d probably break your thumbs. Now, the button mashing in this game is less intense. There’s a little countdown to press a certain button to perform a certain action. If you don’t press it in time, don’t sweat, the game continues on. However, at the end of Leon’s campaign, there is a button pressing sequence that I didn't understand nor had I seen it before earlier in his campaign. Imagine my surprise. The object is to hold the Left and Right triggers then depress one at a time while pressing the other one. For instance, you hold the right trigger and let the left trigger go then vice versa in order to climb a rope. It took me close to 18 attempts and one very damaged Xbox controller in order to get past it. Don’t worry though, it isn't timed and the game won’t continue on without you.

Next up are the enemies. Now, when I got the strategy guide, I almost had a joygasm when I saw the variety of enemies in the game. There are enemies that when you shoot their legs, they mutate into grasshopper legs and bounce around the level. Annoying? Yes. Creative? Definitely. However, the J’avo (the Ganados of this game) have one design flaw that puzzles me. When they inject the virus into their bodies, they grow a third eye in their forehead. Um….Why? Does it work? Is it for show? Someone explain this. The mini and main bosses of this game were hit or miss with me. One mini boss that Leon faces (the first, actually) is what appears to be a bloated woman that excretes the C-Virus and turns anyone around it (including Leon and Helena) into zombies. Creative. The one mini boss I had a problem the most was called Rasklapanje (which is Serbian, like most of the enemy’s names, for ‘demolition’). It is a humanoid creature that breaks in half when shot and will crawl around until it finds its body and pulls itself together. Its hand even comes off and can attack the player. Now, while that sounds good in practice, it’s more of annoyance. And the creature is very easy to avoid. A weird thing about the creature is its ability to reproduce. It kills by jamming its mouth into the victim and killing him, another (full sized) creature then bursts from the victim’s chest….in the span of five seconds.

Now the main boss I had issues with was Simmons. First off, I know it’s a video game and anything can happen but….I have thoughts. Now Simmons turning into a centaur (strategy guide labels that as his first form) or a saber tooth tiger then can change back to a normal human at will. I have no problem with this. My problem is when he turns into a dinosaur. Yeah, you read that right. He turns into a two story tall T-Rex that chases Leon and Helena around a courtyard. At first I didn’t have a problem with this until he morphed back into a regular sized human. My question: Where did all the muscle and bone go? Again, I know it’s a video game but….come on! The cover system was a problem, at least for Leon’s campaign. What’s the point of going into cover when the zombies don’t even have guns? I mean, a few do but not all of them. It’s about as pointless as the human shield idea from RE: Operation Raccoon City.

Anyway, let’s talk about the positives. I mean, I shouldn't be scaring you away from this game, should I? Now as I said before, if you want to feel nostalgic, you should play Leon’s campaign if you want to remember the old days of Resident Evil 1 and 2. Jake’s campaign hearkens back to the days of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis when Jill Valentine was pursued by Nemesis throughout the game. The camera controls and the controller mechanics are good as well. I like the fact that you can move while shooting, granted there were a few times when I forgot that I could. Now, if you’re looking for a mindless, shoot ‘em up, Michael Bay explosion-a-rama, fun fest then this is your game.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best game out there right now and 1 being ‘Why did I pay full price for this piece of crap?!’, I’d give it a 6 out of 10.


Individual Campaigns

**Warning, this may contain spoiler elements. Read at your own risk!**


Leon

Now, if you love the old school style of Resident Evil then this campaign is for you. Personally, this is a great storyline. It’s got action, suspense, horror, intrigue. At least for Leon. Helena Parker, Leon’s companion, I could care less about. I honestly feel nothing towards her. I’m not interested in her story, her motives or her sister (Which was one of the things that annoyed me). At first I thought it was because she was a new character to the series and as time went on that I would grow to like her. Didn't happen. She doesn't care about saving anyone should the situation arise and considers it a waste of time. Her sister becomes a monster and tries to kill Leon but Helena begs Leon not to kill her. Um…mixed messages much? Anyway, I’ll get off Helena. The first half of the campaign draws from the nostalgia of the old games like RE1 and RE2. There is an exhausting sequence earlier on where you have to chase a zombie dog back the way you came to get a key that he has. Now, my biggest problem with this campaign is this. When the campaign starts, Leon and Helena are not infected. And yet they are at ground zero of the infection when it hits. How are they not infected? An NPC in the game says that “a fog” came down on them. But I let it go. Leon and Helena briefly cross paths with Ada Wong then head to China where they briefly cross paths with Jake and Sherry before going their separate ways.

Leon and Helena run into Simmons, the National Security Advisor, and it’s revealed that he blackmailed Helena into betraying the President by kidnapping her sister. Simmons is injected with an enhanced version of the C-Virus (more on that later) and mutates into a large saber tooth sized creature. He then chases after Leon and Helena, gets sorta killed (Nobody ever dies in Resident Evil). A missile carrying the C-Virus hits the area near Leon and Helena (more on that later) and everyone save Leon and Helena turn into zombies. They escape not only the zombies but also the cloud of virus. They make it to Simmons base of operations and guess who shows up. Simmons then changes into….a Tyrannosaurs Rex. No, I haven’t been drinking. He is defeated again then comes back as….a giant fly whose size rivals the Goodyear blimp. Again, no alcohol was involved although I wouldn't be surprised if I was drinking by this point. Leon’s campaign ends and he still doesn't have a girlfriend. Or Ada. She pretty much leaves him in the lurch. Again. On to the next campaign!


Jake

Jake’s campaign is also an interesting one. At least it should have been. When Jake Muller was first introduced months before the game was released, he made me curious. As I watched footage of his character beating the crap out of enemies with his fists alone, it got my attention. This mysterious character made me want the game even more. I wanted to know who he was, where he came from, how he got his abilities and what his motivations were. Then Capcom dropped the ball….on our heads. They come out in an interview and let the cat out of the bag. He’s Albert Wesker’s son. Um….Don’t ya think you should have kept that a secret? Let us find out through gameplay and cut scenes who he was. But no, Capcom decided to tell us months in advance who he was. The mystery was gone. Now I didn't care. Then another wild card shows up. Sherry Birkin. Yes, for those of you who played Resident Evil 2 all those years ago. Sherry, who disappeared after RE2, has resurfaced now with a government job. Wait….what? Where’s she been since ‘98? She literally appears out of the blue and approaches Jake and tells him that he could be the key to saving the world. Jake says she’s got a deal….after he’s paid 50 million dollars. In all honesty, Sherry should’ve just knee capped him and took a sample of his blood. There. Job done.

After being chased by a Nemesis (An Resident Evil 3 creature) knock off, Jake and Sherry run into Chris Redfield. Chris notices something about Jake but says nothing. Gee, wonder what that could be? Jake and Sherry leave, have an exciting helicopter chase (no, seriously. It is exciting.) then crash. Sherry is gravely wounded and Jake watches as she heals herself in the span of ten seconds. Now if that ability could only work in gameplay…. Anyway. Jake and Sherry get chased again and are captured by Ada Wong. Sorta. I’ll explain later. Ada reveals to Jake that he is Wesker’s son. Jake pretty much takes it well. Yeah, your father was a mass murdering psychopath that came within a hair’s breadth of destroying the world. Yep, business as usual. Jake and Sherry escape again and run into Leon and Helena. Leon reveals to Sherry that they’re hunting Simmons who turns out to be Sherry’s boss. Who she has been reporting her exact movements to then acts surprised when bad guys show up at that exact spot. And is not surprised when she calls Simmons and says that they’re in China, Simmons says that he’s already there. That doesn't raise a red flag? Jake and Sherry are captured again. This is becoming a habit. They are taken to a secret facility and rescued by Chris.

Chris then reveals that he knew Jake’s father and killed him. Jake snaps and points a gun at Chris, threatening to kill him for killing his father. Wait. WHAT?! Jake asks if it was personal or if it was an order. Chris says it was both and Jake puts a bullet in the forehead of the wall behind Chris. Jake and Sherry leave and encounter the Nemesis knock off, Ustanak, who tries to recapture Jake. Jake beats the crap out of Ustanak with his fists. Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous. He is knocked into lava and seemingly dispatched (HA!). Jake and Sherry escape, defeat Ustanak again (for good) and escape again (for good again.). Post credits it’s revealed that Sherry is off on another mission and Jake goes off to do his own thing.

I have only one thing to say about Jake. Chris says that he sees the resemblance to Wesker in Jake. I didn't until Jake dons a pair of sunglasses at the end. Anyway, onto the next campaign!



Chris

Chris’s campaign, I have to say, is dark and full of angst and anger. Chris’s campaign is without a doubt, the most action packed campaign out of all of them. Seriously, it was like playing one of the Modern Warfare games in third person. In addition to the action there is a lot of angst. At least for Chris. When we meet him in China, he is trying to deal with losing his whole team in Edonia (a made up country) months prior. Or at least that’s what he remembers. Chris took a bad blow to the head during that mission and developed amnesia. Chris gets his memory back after seeing a creature that he saw in Edonia. Chris snaps and begins to hunt Ada Wong who killed his team in Edonia. I mean, he REALLY begins to hunt her. He was never this angry when he pursued Wesker in the previous games. He is practically foaming at the mouth while he chases after Ada. Acting as Chris’s foil and source of good is Piers Nevans. His parents must have been so wasted when they named him. Piers is another newcomer to Resident and him, I honestly liked. He is good, trustworthy and reliant to a fault. To me, Piers represents what Chris used to be. When Chris begins his pursuit of Ada in China, Piers keeps trying to convince him to focus on the mission and not killing Ada.

Chris of course doesn’t listen to Piers and ends up getting several more of his men killed but denies that it was his fault and blames it all on Ada. Wait. What? Chris and Piers eventually catch up to Ada only to be foiled by Leon who insists that Ada is on their side. Little do they both know… Chris seems to calm down a little after this encounter. Chris and Piers continue chasing Ada until they land on an aircraft carrier that is owned by Neo-Umbrella. It is unknown if this carrier was either purchased or taken over by Neo-Umbrella but either way this should’ve raised a red flag with someone. Chris and partner battle their way through the ship trying to get to Ada only for her to be killed in front of them. They then get a call saying that another carrier is going to launch missiles carrying the virus into China and the rest of the world. They steal a Harrier and proceed to bomb the other carrier but can’t stop the missile so Piers goes down to disarm it manually. Piers is successful but another trigger activates and launches the missile into China….where Leon and Helena are. Chris calls to warn but it is too late. He then tells Leon that Ada is dead. Leon then tells Chris to rescue Jake and Sherry.

Chris and Piers arrive at the secret facility and make their way inside. In all honesty, I don’t know how they find the place nor do I know how Leon got the location of the facility but I guess they wanted to hurry the plot along. Chris and Piers find Jake and Sherry and free them, they met up in the next room. Chris tells Jake about his father and Jake takes it out on the wall behind Chris. The four soon part ways while Chris and Piers have to do battle with the resident (no pun intended) B.O.W that resides there. They almost escape and Piers gets his right arm chopped off. Chris is being slowly killed and Piers injects himself with a massive dose of Vitamin C-I mean, C-Virus and regrows an arm. That’s a giant blade that shoots lightening. No, really. I don’t know how that happened either. Chris and Piers kill the creature (Really? Did they?) and find a row of escape pods. Piers, in his last ounce of humanity, throws Chris into one and shoots him to the surface. The creature they previously fought chases after him (Surprised?) and Piers manages to electrocute it from a distance of roughly two football yards. The creature sinks back to the facility and the building detonates. Chris goes back to his old self and is escorted to his next mission. Next campaign!



Ada

Now, Ada’s campaign could be considered a tough one since she doesn't have a partner but don’t let that deter you. It can only be unlocked after you've beaten all three campaigns. Most of Ada’s missions have stealthy beginnings and she packs a crossbow that is a one shot-one kill weapon…if you hit them in the head. Ada sticks to the shadows in her campaign, occasionally coming out of the darkness to assist a major player in one of the other three campaigns, sometimes without their knowing of it. Beating Ada’s campaign doesn't give you a definitive ending but it does unlock a secret ending….which isn't really that secret. It’s really more of an add on to Jake’s ending. Actually it’s pathetic. Ada’s campaign provides more back story to the other campaigns, mainly dealing with the two antagonists of the game: Derek Simmons, the National Security Advisor, and Carla Radames, who is the mysterious woman who looks exactly like Ada.

It turns out that Simmons was in love with Ada who did not return the affection and was obsessed with wanting her by his side and was prepared to do anything to get his way. Okay. Simmons and Carla worked together at one point, she created the C-Virus (the virus responsible for everything in the game) and he used her to create a clone of Ada using her body. Okay. Carla finds all this out and declares war on Simmons and his mysterious ‘Family’. Okay. And she’s going to do that by destroying the whole world. Okay….Wait. What?! That is some straight up James Bond villain bull! Nevermind, my head is starting to hurt just thinking about it. Anyway. Carla is taken out and transforms into a marshmallow woman that chases after the real Ada. No, seriously. A marshmallow woman. Ada is chased through the ship until she blows up a liquid nitrogen tank and kills Carla. I’m serious. She’s dead after this. Ada then steals a helicopter and heads for the mainland. Ada briefly runs into Leon and Helena then is chased by several attack helicopters. Yes, folks, that’s right: Zombies flying assault helicopters. Don’t worry, I laughed too.

Ada runs into Leon and Helena again as they are attacked by Simmonsaurus Rex. She gives them a hand then flies off to Simmons lair. She sees Simmons chase after Leon and Helena. She rolls her eyes and steps in to fight Simmons herself. Simmons gets the upper hand and is about to kill her when Leon jumps into the line of fire and takes about 20 to 30 rounds to the back which he survives. Leon then fights Simmons with Ada’s help and they seemingly defeat Simmons. Ada runs off, calls Leon cute and finds Carla’s lab. She finds another pod like the one that gave birth to Carla and destroys it just as it begins to hatch. Ada then proceeds to destroy the rest of the lab and gets a phone call about a job offer. She accepts and walks off. Seriously. That’s the end of her campaign. Talk about cliffhanger.


 
This was a great review! Tell this FireCylinder person to write more reviews! I liked the sense of humor and I have to agree with most of what they said.
 

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