Year 2012 will be remembered in the gaming community as the year a game called Resident Evil 6 was hammered by critics for being different from previous games in the franchise. No doubt Resident Evil 6 is not the best game in the series history, that marvelous award goes to Resident Evil 4. However, the game is not such a monstrosity, as others would have you believe. It is actually quite awesome.

Resident Evil 6 is one of my favorite video games; I have been playing since the very first title back on the original PlayStation console. The game has experienced many changes since the first title, most notable being the absence of that feeling where the player would have a mini heart attack while playing the game, you know, horror. Contrary to popular belief, the missing horror aspect from Resident Evil 6 is not a bad thing. Capcom is bringing the Resident Evil franchise into a new direction, whether or not the die hard fans are ready to accept the change.

Pros:

• Good looking graphics
• Awesome voice acting
• Over the top moments
• Enemy design is out of this world
• Fun game

Cons:

• QTEs are too much
• Onscreen button press to do simple tasks
• Clunky cover system

Let's get down into the thickness of things.

Resident Evil 6: Graphics

The game's visuals are impressive. It is notably looking better than Resident Evil 5. The graphics seem to shine much better when playing Leon Kennedy's campaign as opposed to the others. The great lighting effects from the lightning in the backdrop is among the best in video games, and would have been perfect if Resident Evil 6 was still treading on its horror roots.

Resident Evil 6: Gameplay

Resident Evil 6 gameplay is the main reason why critics are slamming the title to highway hell. However, I have played this game right through from the beginning to the end on all campaigns, and from what I have seen, Resident Evil 6 is bad, but the game is still fun to play regardless.

Controlling your character and aiming is easy, but the chunkiness comes in when using the Gears of War-like cover system. Players will have problems using this system from the very start to the very end, but it is not always a deal breaker to the point where you'll be throwing rocks at the game.

Who would have thought that opening doors in a video game this day and age would require the pressing of an onscreen button and a cinematic event? This is what you get in Resident Evil 6. This take a drastic turn with the amount of Quick Time Events (QTE) gamers are asked to get themselves accustomed to. Zombies tend to get the jump on the player regularly, and each time one has to be bashing a button or twisting the thumbstick. I'm quite surprised my Xbox 360 thumbstick is still working after all that rigor.

Despite all that, playing the game was still enjoyable. The QTEs will not stop you from having fun playing Resident Evil 6; sure they are too much and causes unavoidable death at times, but you'll get over it and find yourself wanting to play this game right through.

Another encountered problem is the camera angle. It is all over the place at times and there is nothing you can do about it. This happens mostly when things have become hectic with zombies everywhere ready and waiting to eat you like a bag of Cheerios. Capcom got the camera angle just right in Resident Evil 4, then for some strange reason, the developer slowly began to mess it up all over again.

Resident Evil 6: Characters

The characters here bring life to the game. The voice acting is solid and believable, and can be considered as one of the best in the franchise. The only downside is the acting in Chris Redfield's campaign, which in its own right, is overall the weakest campaign throughout the whole game. Jake Mueller and Leon Kennedy's campaign on the other hand, is filled with great voice-over acting moments. (We haven't played the unlockec Ada Wong's campaign.)

Resident Evil 6: Multiplayer

If you have problems with the game, play through the campaign with a friend via split screen, or online co-op, and your perspective will change. Every bad thing about Resident Evil is still the same in multiplayer, but playing with someone else seemed to have made it easier to overlook the bad points, allowing you to focus on enjoying the game. The enemy AI has been improved over Resident Evil 5, but your buddy AI is still dumb as ever, hence the need to play this game with a human to truly enjoy it.

Apart from playing in co-op, there are other game types such as Agent Hunt Mode, where players can hitch a ride in as a zombie and try to take you down during your campaign missions. This does make for a more challenging game if you allow it to happen.

Conclusion

Resident Evil 6 is spilling over with problems. However, the most important thing about this game is, despite the obvious troubles, Resident Evil 6 is an awesome and fun game to play. It's not easy to explain how a game with so many gameplay complications can be fun all at the same time, but it is. One just has to play it to truly understand. From the great cinematics to the sound of zombies screaming in the background along with the superb lighting effects, Resident Evil 6 is a game deserving of your $60. Many reviewers chose to burn this game, but personally, what I have seen are fans being angry and overly emotional about the missing horror elements and QTE events that can be lived with.