Pages

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Oops, I Did it Again: The Problem with Chris' Storyline in 'Resident Evil 6'


This is not going to be a post about how awful the gameplay in Resident Evil 6 is or how it completely turns its back on the elements that made the earlier games in the series so successful. For the record, I don't completely agree with those criticisms and I think any legitimate reviewer scoring this title a 3 or 4 out of 10 is behaving like an entitled child throwing a tantrum for not getting exactly what they wanted. Capcom has definitely made some curious decisions with this entry, but they've made some pretty inspired ones as well.

Chris' campaign is not one of them.

Before my wife and I sat down to play the game, I'd heard repeatedly that Leon's campaign was the best and that Chris' was the worst. So we chose to start with Chris' and just get it out of the way. Most people's complaints with this section of Resident Evil 6 seem to center around the emphasis on action & spectacle over suspense & scares. A lot of fans are pointing out that with this campaign, the series has shifted into full blown third-person shooter mode. It seems to be chasing the Gears of War fan base, but without that series' fluid and satisfying control scheme.

To be honest, I don't have a huge problem with the change in tone. It's certainly not what I'd hope for when picking up a Resident Evil game, but neither was the previous sequel and I was still able to enjoy it for what it was (especially as a couch co-op experience). No, my real issue with this campaign is the profoundly stupid storyline.