What We Want in Resident Evil 6
Capcom's survival horror series could use a few changes. These are our demands!
Resident Evil 6 doesn't exist - at least not officially. Despite plenty of rumors and wishful thinking by millions of fans worldwide,Capcom has yet to confirm the existence or development of the next major entry in its survival horror series.
Yet Capcom almost doesn't need to say anything. Small leaks about voice talent, alongside the not-insignificant fact thatResident Evil 5 ranks as the best-selling entry in the franchise, effectively guarantees the game will eventually arrive. That begs the question - what kind of Resident Evil game will we see?
Please Scare Us
Resident Evil 4 kicked off a new direction for Capcom's zombie series. Control and camera angles changed as did one much more significant fact - the game no longer focused on forcing players to survive in horrific situations. The survival horror genre of the franchise evolved to something much more action-oriented.
Resident Evil 5 only underlined this change. Whereas RE4 somewhat straddled a line between old and new, the last entry in the series abandoned its roots in favor of something that almost felt like its movie counterparts. Fans felt the series they had supported for nearly a decade was no longer recognizable, and despite being a very good game, RE 5 didn't exactly feel like Resident Evil. Quality aside, that was a problem.
Capcom appears to be listening to its fans, as Resident Evil Revelations on the Nintendo 3DS finds a creative way of balancing high-action and high-suspense by frequently shifting to locations that suit different temperaments.
Resident Evil 4's Memorable Village Sequence
Resident Evil 6 needs to fully embrace its roots. There are ways to have strong action moments in the midst of terrifying situations. Horror movies and previous RE titles have demonstrated this ability, so there's no reason to push Resident Evil further down an alien path. Bring back the scares and creepy, slow-moving enemies that freak players out. Bring back the chilling environments that aren't set during the middle of the day. When in doubt - make s**t jump out of windows. That always works.
It's About Survival, Stupid
The notion of scaring the crap out of players goes hand-in-hand with another idea - make it tough to survive. Resident Evil 4 didn't stray too far from this notion. Whenever an abundance of ammo was provided, big trouble was right around the corner - like an El Gigante or two. RE5 didn't seem to pay attention to this design idea, which not only removed tension from gameplay but further eliminated any feeling of fear. No creature, no matter how great a design, is too alarming when a player is fully armed and fully loaded.
Resident Evil 6 needs to almost go to the other end. Deprive us of ammo so much that we're forced to run away. Make us conserve ammo and place our shots carefully. Make us frantically question whether it'd be wiser to run and fight another day. That's what makes the RE franchise so engrossing.
Resident Evil 5 Isn't About Survival or Horror
Remember the Legacy
Both Resident Evil 4 and 5, perhaps out of necessity, did something strange. In an effort to feel fresh and original, the two titles almost seemed to operate independently of the core ideas outlined in previous titles. Updates on the mighty Umbrella Corporation were still provided, and Albert Wesker certainly made his presence felt, but the games felt a bit removed. And why can't Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy seem to exist within the same story? Fans certainly want to see the two franchise icons work together, yet Capcom continues to keep them apart.
Resident Evil 6 needs bind its sprawling, almost unwieldy narrative together. It needs to remember the heroes and villains that have made the series so popular, while avoiding any troublesome or confusing concepts that most of us try to forget. Obviously this will be no easy task, but with the abundance of other zombie games out there, Resident Evil's legacy will continue to be its 15-year history. Despite the need for fresh mechanics and ideas, it can't act as if its past is something to discard or forget.
Be Careful With Co-Op
So many characters, so little time. Regardless of whether Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy are brought to the front of the same game, there's no denying Capcom loves to load each Resident Evil entry with characters. Revelations introduces four leads to battle evil alongside Chris and Jill. More and more, the developer seems enamored with the idea of pulling two heroes on the same journey. (Revelations splits its six leads into three pairs.) InResident Evil 5, that concept evolved as the supporting operative became an integral part of gameplay, playable online by a second player.
Sheva was a reasonable addition to the RE franchise but not its gameplay mechanics. Playing with AI resulted in an incompetent pack mule, and playing with a partner online greatly reduced what little tension and fear might have been there. There's nothing like hearing a dick joke while you're exploring a creepy shack to take you right out of the moment. Better yet, faulty internet connections served as a brutally unfortunate reminder that playing alone just might be the better way to go.
Whether considering the impact of co-op mechanics on the game's atmosphere or its overall quality, RE 6 should simply avoid the idea altogether. If Capcom wants multiplayer components, keep them separate from the main game. No one wants a sidekick that does nothing more than hold ammo - or worse yet, wastes inventory. And the notion that a survival horror game must be played with a partner, though admirable in concept, clearly doesn't work as well as it should. Leave the experiments to some other franchise or a non-numbered entry in the series - keep Resident Evil 6 intact.
RE Revelations Is a Promising Start for RE 6
Bring Back Zombies
Zombies have not played a prominent role in a Resident Evil game for nearly ten years, when Resident Evil Zero was released on the GameCube. During their absence, the undead were replaced by Las Plagas-infected creatures and the Majini. Call them what you want, Capcom was attempting to find replacements for zombies. None of them, save for Revelations' Ooze monsters, have been effective substitutes, failing to stray far enough from the franchise's iconic, memorable enemies.
It sounds like a simple, needless thing to bring back, but the horror mainstays are popular for a reason. They set a particular tone to a world, one that Resident Evil 6 needs to reclaim on its quest to being more faithful to Capcom's original vision.
Find New Territory
Bringing back zombies, avoiding co-op elements in the main story, embracing the franchise's history... no doubt some of you, particularly Resident Evil's detractors, are wondering why RE 6 should retread old territory when it has already been there. Simple - embracing survival horror's roots does not preclude innovation.
Resident Evil Revelations is the perfect example of the proper direction for the franchise. It embraces ideas established by previous titles while still finding new areas to explore, including finding a balance between survival horror and action. Resident Evil can never forget what made it great in the first place, but that leaves plenty of room to innovate.
Co-op Ultimately Hurt Resident Evil 5
If zombies return, what's to say we can't see something as genius as the Ooze make its debut? We've seen other RE titles work with large casts, without resorting to forced co-op concepts. Revelations even breaks its story into distinct chapters, allowing players to work through varied locations and play styles, keeping diversity high through smart structure and pacing.
Resident Evil 5 is not a bad game. It's actually a great modern action title. However, it's not necessarily a good fit for its own franchise, which is an odd thing to realize. Over the past several years, the Resident Evil franchise has changed its approach to survival horror considerably. Change can be very good, but not when it comes at the expense of what defines a video game brand.
The future of Capcom's foray into the world of zombies should look back to Resident Evil 4 as well as the games that came before it. RE 4, as brilliant as it was, rarely created the brilliant, gripping tension that we all anticipate. We want to be scared again.
Fortunately Resident Evil Revelations signals things are in the right direction. With a bit more of its past and the franchise's overall progress in mind, Resident Evil 6 could easily become the best survival horror game Capcom has produced.
Now we just need confirmation that it exists...
Rich is an Executive Editor of IGN.com and the leader of the IGN Nintendo team. Keep track of Rich's ridiculous adventures throughMyIGN and Twitter. Keep it cool, Koopalings.