Chomping at the bit
Chris’ owes a lot to Epic’s Gears of War, as new insectoid enemy, the J’avo come armed to the teeth and are only too happy to shoot back. So it is that the spectre of bad cover mechanics pops its head out from behind a conveniently placed overturned car.
Hot dogs
In fairness, it’s often possible to sidle up to foes, deliver a quick one-two combination and leave them to disintegrate, but to force us into a poorly implemented cover system, when the action heats up, is galling.
Better are the numerous ‘trap’ points (similar to RE4's famous church bell scenario) where you're assailed from all sides for a set period. Though none impact in quite the same way as RE4’s – not 'least because there's never that moment where a chainsaw suddenly revs into life behind you. They are still tight and tactical though, even scary, and perhaps indicative of where the series should be heading.
Freddy's dead
Finally there's the cooperative play which (almost) works locally but fails to convince online. This is because avoiding taking damage from zombies is nigh on impossible (remember, they have guns now), meaning you’ll regularly end up with no health and in need of a shot of adrenaline administered by your partner.
Being all but indestructible, your AI partners are much more likely to help you out than human ones, making online play a more difficult proposition.
When jellied eels strike back
Despite my review of mostly criticism I'll freely admit I was still entertained by Resident Evil 6, as the odd fantastic boss fight and sheer scope of spectacle dazzled the senses. In fact, playing the game is similar to watching the next Die Hard movie: you know that by now any scrap of credibility has long gone, but by god you'll watch it anyway if only for those blockbuster moments. Ultimately though, like a fading Hollywood star sporting one too many facelifts, it is simply old-school design grafted onto an impressive engine.
Verdict
Capcom’s latest plays like a seven-year-old game, which is fine given there were some crackers back then. But, as seems to be the case in general with the triple-A side of the games industry right now, it falls down by skipping on the trickier, yet essential, aspects of game design, such as innovative gameplay and freedom of choice. ®
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Resident Evil 6
COMMENTS
QTEs
Worst part of modern gaming, don't let the player actually do any of the cool good looking bits, just make them follow an onscreen sequence.
It might seem cool the first time, the second time it becomes 'oh, that again', the third it's worse than a cutscene you can't skip. It stops being impressive because you're really not in control of the action.
Actually designing the games so the player has superior control and can pull off the things shown in many of the QTEs and feel a real sense of accomplishment for doing it would be preferable and more varied.
You can't move and shoot in RE4, it introduced being able to aim at what you shoot at but it kept you stationary. That's crucial to the game, you can run or you can stand and fight but no doing both. In the games before that you automatically pointed at the nearest enemy when you brought up your gun and could only aim up or down.
IMHO this makes RE4, it would be easier if you could move and shoot but not better.
Re: QTEs
its worse than that. becuase i am concentrating on which button pops up next, i miss some relaly cool action, as im not looking at it. they are a very curious beast
Scared
I can remember the first time I played RE on the Playstation. The bit where you walk down a corridor and the dogs jump through the window behind you - I genuinely shot out of my seat. Then it was new, and the fact it could scare you in little ways like that was fantastic. Silent Hill 2 also had that thread of fear running through it for me. Who would have thought that Morph would look so scary in a Nurse's uniform....?.
However, the best game with, I suppose, the genre of Horror attached to it for me was Eternal Darkness. That game was excellent in structure, puzzles etc,. i will never forget the time I walked into a room and the protagonist's head just fell off...
It seems that, like Hollywood, games seem to be more interested in effects, rather than substance.
More imagination in games, please! If you can't do imagination, then at least when you re-do older, excellent titles, (Syndicate, I am looking at you) then at least get them right!
