One of the big games hitting E3 this year was the highly anticipated Resident Evil 6. We’ve been hearing things about the game, finding out about characters, and even been teased with a couple of amazing trailers, but the fans hungered for more. During the event we were graced with Kobiyashi and Sasaki’s presence from Capcom, and they delivered a gameplay demo that leveled everyone in the room.
The demo shows us many of the game’s features, all of them making this a very different Resident Evil than we’re used to. The zombies have returned (thank goodness), but the days of staying in one place while shooting and hoping to kill one before they take a bite out of your shoulder are over. Players will now be able to movie while firing, duck and dodge attacks, and even fall backwards while shooting. The demo also shows us that the game leans more toward a horror shooter and less of a survival horror title.
Leon is trapped inside of a zombie-infested city and must fight to find a means of escape. The city is overrun and Leon makes a break for the alleys and back-ends of buildings lining the main street. We see him get up-close and personal with zombified enemies, which shows us close-quarters combat plays a big role in surviving in the game. Switching weapons is just as easy as it was in Resident Evil 5, with the press of a button your next weapon is pulled right from your back.
Something new that’s been added to the game is the ability to snap to walls and open doors. Players can now snap to a wall to look around the corner, using the wall as cover from enemies. Leon makes use of this tactic while he tosses a grenade down an infested hallway. The grenades have gotten upgrades as well. There’s now a line of sight that lets you accurately aim your grenade tosses, putting away the automatic tosses that we’ve seen in previous titles.
Button sequences come into play in Resident Evil 6 as often as zombies appear, and are important. Timed presses will save your life and stop you from staring at a “YOU DIED” screen every few minutes. Leon finds himself in a lot of trouble as explosions rock the city, and he has to be quick to make it out alive. Chris shows up soon, along with Wesker’s son and Sherri Birkin. The gang’s all here and ready for one wild ride.
Resident Evil 6 looks like it will be a lot of fun, despite it leaning away from its survival horror roots. Fans are happy to see the zombies return instead of sickle-wielding townsfolk. The game is set to have crossover storylines, and it’s rumored to have a 30-hour single-player campaign. The gameplay demo looks really good, and there will be plenty of action to keep players busy. I think Resident Evil 6 is a title that shows Capcom is taking the story in a new direction, and adding gameplay to make it a more interactive series. We’re seeing movement while firing, evasion techniques, and more situations that put the characters in danger – much like we’d see in an actual incident.
Aside from the gameplay footage, a rumor has hit the net listing a couple of possible special editions for the game when it releases. An Amazon listing has a Resident Evil 6: Anthology for the PS3, which includes a copy of the game, as well as Resident Evil: Director’s Cut, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Resident Evil 4 HD, and Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition. For the Xbox 360 Resident Evil 6: Archives is listed, which includes the game, Resident Evil 4 HD, Resident Evil: Code Veronica HD, Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, and a copy of the CG movie Resident Evil: Degeneration. Both of these bundles are listed for $89.99, which isn’t a bad price especially with all you’d be getting. No official announcements have been made about these bundles, so we’re hoping for one shortly. Until then, check out some Resident Evil 6 gameplay below.