I adore it when a developer takes one other swing at an thought they didn’t nail the primary time. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has a barren and boring sky to discover, seemingly as a result of it was made for the common-or-garden previous Wii. Twelve years and some {hardware} upgrades later, Nintendo knocked that very same thought out of the park with Tears of the Kingdom.
Which brings us to Resident Evil Requiem, a mainline sequel that has a number of protagonists every taking part in via their very own missions in numerous horror types. It’s a tantalising pitch, apart from the truth that the final time a Resi sequel had that premise, it was the mess that was Resident Evil 6.
If you happen to’ve by no means had the pleasure, Resident Evil 6 is a vastly formidable motion epic in survival horror drag. A recreation with a number of campaigns and a complete ensemble forged of protagonists, and basically each poor bastard who was working at Capcom on the time within the credit. It additionally stars the enduring dangerous boy Jake Muller, a brand new character designed to attraction to younger individuals. Right here he’s, interesting to you:
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The core thought of getting a number of protagonists has been a Resident Evil staple from the very starting, when the unique allow you to play as Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield. Jill received two extra stock slots and a lockpick, whereas Chris, er, didn’t. (Resident Evil was so forward of its time, it even invented complicated new gender stereotypes.)
The multi-protagonist thought actually began realising its potential in Resident Evil 2, the place you didn’t get the complete story except you performed via each Claire and Leon’s campaigns. You can even depart gadgets and weapons for one another, making your preliminary playthrough extra nerve-racking to provide your second run a lift.
Resident Evil 6 pushes that concept a lot additional nevertheless, not simply introducing variations within the marketing campaign for the completely different playable characters, however really sending them down separate storylines exploring very completely different approaches to horror.
It sounds nice on paper. Jake’s story is basically one lengthy chase as he’s pursued by a Nemesis-like monster. Chris stars in additional of a bombastic shooter within the model of Resident Evil 5, Leon’s is meant to be the one one which even bothers to faux we’re nonetheless taking part in a survival horror recreation.
However so little of it really works. Jake’s marketing campaign is comically OTT, endlessly throwing undead, quick-time occasions and explosions at you. I’m struggling to recall a single automobile in it that doesn’t blow up. When issues aren’t exploding, you get Uncharted-style chase sequences. Besides—oh expensive—they’ve ripped off the incorrect Naughty Canine recreation. So you must endure dreadful run-towards-the-camera sprints straight from Crash Bandicoot.
Chris Redfield’s marketing campaign, sadly, is even worse. Right here you lead a squad of ineffective troopers in a dismal tribute to Gears of Struggle. Your squad is ineffective at the whole lot bar blocking doorways I’m making an attempt to get via, and collectively you trudge via terrible Name of Obligation fan fiction. Simply the sport’s low level.
Leon’s marketing campaign is best, taking part in like a free remix of the Racoon Metropolis opening of Resident Evil 2 (this time the gun store proprietor survives a bit of longer!). It’s additionally the closest the sport involves pausing for breath or bothering to try to construct some stress. Whereas by no means as scary as you need it to be, it typically lands on the correct aspect of silly. Leon doesn’t leap the shark, however he does piggyback journey a zombified one.
However even on the uncommon events the place it is working, the three campaigns nonetheless play too equally, simply with completely different weapon loadouts. And all with capturing that’s considerably much less satisfying than Resident Evil 4 and 5. There’s actually not sufficient distinction right here to make you are feeling such as you’re taking part in as three completely different characters, which wastes all of the potential that its sensible multiple-campaigns pitch promised.
Think about if certainly one of them had been a enjoyable nod to early Resident Evil, mounted digicam angles and all. 2023’s in any other case fully forgettable Alone within the Darkish reboot has one sole second of inspiration the place it does precisely that. Resident Evil Revelations 2 does some actually impressed stuff with its two very completely different character combos, a lot in order that it manages to recycle places with out feeling like a funds compromise (nicely, largely). That recreation proves there’s a terrific thought right here, one which deserves the complete mainline Resident Evil remedy.
Capcom says that in Resident Evil Requiem, new character Grace will characteristic in sections that play extra like 2 and seven, whereas Leon’s will probably be extra acquainted to followers of Resident Evil 4. Director Koshi Nakanishi has promised that “it’s such as you’re taking part in fully completely different video games with Grace and Leon”. This Friday twenty seventh we’ll all be capable to strive for ourselves and see whether or not it really works this time or not—and be careful for our full overview very quickly.
