Resident Evil 6: Ambitious, Chaotic, and Divisive - A Full Breakdown

The Review: Ambitious Scope, Chaotic Execution

The Good: A Content Behemoth

If nothing else, Resident Evil 6 is staggering in its scale and ambition. The game features four interlocking campaigns starring Leon S. Kennedy, Chris Redfield, Jake Muller (son of Albert Wesker), and Ada Wong, offering a ridiculous amount of content. You can easily spend over 20 hours just on the main stories, especially if you play everything in co-op, which the game fully supports.

The core gameplay mechanics are smooth and action-packed. The addition of a dedicated roll and dive, the ability to move and shoot, and melee combos make the character control better than ever in an action context. The set-pieces are massive, globetrotting affairs, from collapsing universities to underwater labs to a fictional Chinese city.

The Mixed / The Bad: An Identity Crisis on Steroids

RE6 is the pinnacle of the series' identity crisis. It tries to be four different games at once:

• Leon's Campaign: Attempts to recapture the slower, horror-toned feel of RE4.
• Chris's Campaign: A pure, linear military shooter reminiscent of Gears of War.
• Jake's Campaign: Focuses on melee combat and running from an unstoppable Nemesis-like enemy.
• Ada's Campaign: A more puzzle and stealth-focused experience.

This lack of focus means the game often feels messy and inconsistent. The story is a convoluted mess of bioterrorism conspiracies that is often hard to follow. The campaigns are also plagued by excessive quick-time events (QTEs) and frustrating vehicle sections that break the pacing. For many, this was the game that finally broke the camel's back, leading to the series' eventual return to horror with RE7.

Verdict:

Resident Evil 6 is a flawed but fascinating experiment. It offers an almost overwhelming amount of co-op content and action, but its lack of a consistent identity, convoluted plot, and frustrating mechanics make it the most divisive mainline entry in the franchise. It's a "love it or hate it" experience.

5 Fascinating Facts About Resident Evil 6

1. Record-Breaking Development: It had the largest development team in Capcom's history at the time of its release.
2. Global Setting: The story takes place in North America, Eastern Europe, and China, making it the most globally expansive RE game to that point.
3. Cross-Over Gameplay: The "Agent Hunt" mode allowed players to invade other players' campaigns as enemy monsters, a unique and chaotic multiplayer idea.
4. A New Lead: Jake Muller was introduced as a new protagonist intended to attract a new generation of fans, though his reception was mixed.
5. Commercial Success: Despite mixed critical reception, the game was a massive commercial success, selling over 8.5 million units.

Secrets and Easter Eggs

(Image: The cathedral in Tall Oaks from Leon's campaign. Source: Capcom)

• The Cathedral Windows: In Leon's Chapter 2, in the cathedral, look at the stained-glass windows. They depict events and characters from previous games, including the iconic first zombie from Resident Evil 1.
• Classic Costumes: Complete the campaigns to unlock alternate outfits, including Leon's classic Resident Evil 4 jacket and Chris's Resident Evil 5 vest.
• Zombie Voices: Some of the zombies in Leon's campaign will occasionally groan lines from previous games, like "Stars..." or "Itchy. Tasty."—a famous note from RE1.
• Ada's Supporter: In Ada's campaign, the mysterious voice helping her over the radio is revealed to be a classic, fan-favorite character, providing a neat callback for long-time fans.
• Mercenaries Unlocks: The beloved Mercenaries mode returns with a huge roster of characters, including many from past games like Rebecca Chambers and HUNK.

System Requirements (PC - Remastered Version)

The 2016 remastered version is well-optimized and can run on most modern systems.

	Minimum Requirements	Recommended Specs
OS	Windows 7 (64-bit)	Windows 10 (64-bit)
CPU	Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz	Intel Core 2 Quad 2.7 GHz or better
RAM	2 GB	4 GB
GPU	NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 460	NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560 or better
Storage	16 GB available space	16 GB available space

The Bottom Line: The requirements are very modest. The game will run smoothly on almost any dedicated gaming PC from the last decade.

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Conclusion

Resident Evil 6 is a game of extreme highs and lows. It represents Capcom going all-in on blockbuster action, delivering an incredibly packed but often unfocused experience. While it disappointed many seeking survival-horror, it remains a memorable and wildly ambitious chapter that provided countless hours of chaotic co-op fun for those who embraced its over-the-top nature.

Where does RE6 rank for you in the series? Love it or hate it? Share your thoughts in the comments!