Resident Evil 6 Review (xxadonisxx)
Resident Evil 6 is the definition of a game trying to do everything at once. It’s bold, bloated, occasionally brilliant—and just as often baffling. Capcom’s attempt to deliver four intertwining campaigns, multiple gameplay styles, and blockbuster-level action results in a game that’s ambitious to a fault.
It’s not a total failure, nor is it the survival horror renaissance fans hoped for after the divisive RE5. Instead, it’s a chaotic experiment with flashes of greatness buried under a mountain of design compromises.
RE6 includes four separate storylines—Leon, Chris, Jake, and Ada—each offering a different flavor of gameplay. The idea is compelling in theory:
-Leon’s campaign leans into the slow-burn horror of classic RE, with creepy corridors and jump scares.
-Chris’s story feels more like a military shooter, loaded with bullets and explosions.
-Jake’s campaign is somewhere between the two, with some intense chases and martial arts.
-Ada’s campaign, unlockable at launch, adds stealth elements and narrative glue.
Unfortunately, none of them fully commit to their genre. The result is tonal whiplash: one moment you’re creeping through a zombie-infested campus, the next you’re roundhouse-kicking monsters off motorcycles. Each campaign has moments of brilliance—Leon’s opening hours are especially atmospheric—but they often stretch too long and repeat ideas.
Combat is fluid, responsive, and packed with mechanics—dodge rolls, melee counters, and even sliding while shooting. But the game often overloads the player with too many enemies and too many options, stripping tension from encounters. Inventory management and resource scarcity are minimized, a far cry from the series’ roots in survival horror.
Quick-time events (QTEs) are frequent and intrusive. Whether you're wrestling zombies or escaping collapsing buildings, the game too often takes control away from the player for the sake of cinematic flair.
There’s no shortage of spectacle in RE6’s story. Global bio-terrorism, city-wide outbreaks, shadowy conspiracies, and returning characters abound. But emotional investment is harder to come by. The narrative is convoluted, jumping between timelines and perspectives, and padded with B-movie melodrama.
Still, there are some highlights. The chemistry between Leon and Helena has its moments, and Jake—Wesker’s son—brings fresh blood (literally and figuratively) to the franchise. But overall, the plot tries too hard to be a globe-trotting epic, losing the intimate fear that defined earlier games.
Visually, Resident Evil 6 impresses with highly detailed environments, expressive character models, and bombastic effects. The lighting and cinematography can be genuinely cinematic at times. Voice acting and sound design are also solid, even when the dialogue veers into camp.
However, the HUD is cluttered, and the constant on-screen prompts can feel overwhelming. There's a lack of restraint across the board.
Resident Evil 6 is a game torn between its survival horror legacy and action blockbuster ambitions. In trying to satisfy all audiences, it ends up satisfying few. There’s fun to be had—especially in co-op—and the sheer scope of the experience is impressive. But as a cohesive Resident Evil title, it loses its identity amid the chaos.
This isn’t a bad game—but it is a confused one. And for many long-time fans, RE6 represents the moment the series lost its way... at least until Resident Evil 7 brought it back.
A massive, messy game that delivers thrills but forgets what made Resident Evil special in the first place.
Pros:
-Four varied campaigns offer value and replayability
-Slick production values and impressive visuals
-Fun, dynamic combat with lots of mechanics
-Co-op is a highlight (especially locally)
Cons:
-Bloated and uneven pacing
-Over-reliance on QTEs and set pieces
-Story is convoluted and tonally inconsistent
-Horror elements take a backseat to action
Rating: 7/10