Even if you don't invest in any of these characters, you'll at least understand why they're doing what they're doing. You might not know what a C-Virus is or why Umbrella means bad things, but the moment-to-moment relaying of basic facts is handled well. It's a shame too, since the writing and voice acting in each of the campaigns is actually commendable. Then there's the overarching narrative, which amounts to a jumbled mass of series lore that has been stitched into an occasionally coherent plot. The flaws in this design become increasingly apparent with progress, however, as each campaign eventually makes a jarring shift to pure, out-and-out action. You creep through dark, silent corridors as Leon/Helena, face insurmountable odds as Chris/Piers, and flee constantly from an unstoppable force as Jake/Sherry. Each of the three campaigns starts out on roughly the right path.

That's how it works in theory, at any rate. The Chris/Piers section leans more toward the action focus of RE5 while the Jake/Sherry campaign seems to specifically channel RE3's Nemesis.

The Leon/Helena section nods heavily to the earliest Resident Evil games, with a slower pace and a more deliberate doling out of the 'scare' moments (a term used very loosely here). The three main campaigns that you can choose from at the start of the game are all meant to offer stylistically different takes on the series' well-established brand of survival horror. The execution leaves a lot to be desired, however. Breaking the larger story down into four separate campaigns, complete with potentially co-op-driven crossover moments, is a cool idea. Four flavors of fear, four meandering plotlinesĬapcom at least makes an effort to formulate a new approach to Resident Evil gaming in this sixth numbered release. Resident Evil 6 makes as compelling a case for a series reboot as I've ever seen.

From a fan's perspective, it's a downright heartbreaking disgrace to Resident Evil 4, the high note that was the series' last game with creator Shinji Mikami. There are a few moments of fan-leaning joy to be found, but they're just fleeting chunks of gameplay that nod back to the Resident Evil games of old before giving way to some ridiculously out of place stealth challenge or driving sequence.

Capcom's latest is a patchwork assemblage of disconnected ideas and poorly executed gameplay, all of it tied together by a flimsy narrative thread that threatens to snap at any moment beneath the weight of the series' amassed fiction. Resident Evil 6 shambles forth this week, a stitched-together monstrosity that bears no small resemblance to the original walking dead, Frankenstein's monster. Platform: Xbox 360 (reviewed), PS3, PC (planned for November)

Resident evil 6 steam reviews