Resident Evil 6

About Resident Evil 6

Resident Evil 6 came out on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on 2 October 2012 and on Steam in March 2013. It came to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with its downloadable content in March 2016, and to Nintendo Switch in October 2019.

It tells one story in four campaigns. Leon S. Kennedy and Helena Harper face an outbreak in the American town of Tall Oaks; Chris Redfield and Piers Nivans lead a BSAA squad in the war-torn Eastern European state of Edonia and in the Chinese city of Lanshiang; Jake Muller, a mercenary whose blood may hold a cure, runs with Sherry Birkin from a huge pursuer; and Ada Wong works alone. Their paths cross, and at those points two pairs can play together online.

The campaigns feel different. Leon's is the closest to the older games: you cross a school campus to a cathedral, ride a stalled lift with survivors, and go through a dim subway tunnel and catacombs. Chris's is a military shooter against the J'avo; Jake's is a chase. All share fast third-person combat with dodges, slides, melee, quick shots, cover and big set pieces, and skill points earned in play buy skills between chapters.

Beyond the campaigns there is Mercenaries, a timed mode of fighting waves of enemies, with an extra No Mercy version on PC. Agent Hunt, unlocked after the three main campaigns, lets you play as a zombie or J'avo inside another player's game.

It is the series at its most action-heavy, and critics and players are split on it. Ammunition is plentiful and the path is linear, so the fear is lower than in older entries, though Leon's campaign keeps some tension and jump scares. It suits co-op players who want a long Resident Evil to play with a friend, and Leon's campaign is the place to start for those after horror.

How to play Resident Evil 6

1. Pick a campaign; Leon's is the most horror-focused place to start.
2. Play Leon's, Chris's or Jake's campaign alone with an AI partner or with a friend online or on one screen; Ada's is solo, with an optional online partner.
3. Aim, dodge and use melee and quick shots; follow up on staggered enemies.
4. Collect skill points to buy skills that change your aim, defence and damage.
5. Finish all four campaigns to see the whole story; join others at crossover points if you play online.
6. Try Mercenaries for timed wave fights, and Agent Hunt to play as an enemy in someone else's game.

Tips

• Learn the quick shot and melee; they save ammunition against crowds.
• Shooting J'avo in the limbs can make them mutate into something worse, so aim with care.
• Set skills before each chapter to suit how you play.
• Play Leon's campaign first if you came for horror rather than shooting.

Questions