Resident Evil 6; The Final Installment?

So here it was, on the cusp of a monumental clash, the moment Resi fanatics had been patiently awaiting, since Chris & Jill both narrowly escaped the nightmarish mansion incident, the highly anticipated encounter with the often allusive, Albert Wesker in resi 5! But the incurring encounter felt counter intuitive to the basic terrifying, intensity that Resident Evil had proudly boasted for the better part of a decade. Relinquishing the increasing sense of foreboding terror that envelopes every hallway, the misleading serenity when entering a room, before the impassive shuffling and guttural moans break the deafening silence, from rigor mortis afflicted cannibals. Not to mention the far more intimidating notion of undertaking a 180 degree turn, which is accomplished slower than an asthmatic turtle. Where as the fifth’s climax became shrouded with insipid cinematic generics, a woefully unnecessary lava pit and an overly elaborate terminator esq Wesker.

Resident Evil 6 however seems to at least be trying to emulate its former, formidable stature in the gamers subconscious, by facilitating almost every definitive aspect associated with the series. Scares, action, zombies, mutations, recurring and beloved characters, assembling these intrinsic parts into one volatile serum for the cancerous blunders, that have afflicted the series for too long, and this is where the series should conclude. I adore Resident Evil, have done since Resi 2, but there comes a moment when a series should realise that its stagnant repetitions, will eventually cause its demise, and it appears Capcom may have finally grasped this concept.

With the inclusion of a contrasting range of characters, you could be forgiven for believing that Resi 6 is the games inevitable climax. 6 distinct, if not all familiar characters, 3 separate locations promising various gameplay elements, not to mention uniting 2 of the series most popular and formidable protagonists, Chris Redfield & Leon Kennedy, it’s hardly a leaping conjecture to surmise, that this could be the series dramatic conclusion. Even with these unsubstantiated assumptions aside, you have to ask yourself “where can the story go from here”? Umbrella is gone (or so we are led to believe), numerous cities and locations have either been rendered desecrated or erased entirely, thousands of innocents have succumb to multiple strands of Umbrellas destructive viruses; eroboros, the T-virus, the G-virus and now the C-virus, I mean really?! How much more of the alphabet can these meddling corporations corrupt?

The insatiable torment you craved almost a decade ago has since dissipated, a casualty of its own glorious success, which at the very least could benefit from an extended hiatus. Moving the release date forward to correspond with other big titles, appears to be a state of intent from Capcom to impose itself, and certainly remind the competition (and perhaps itself) that Resident Evil is still top dog, even if it is rapidly decaying like the mongrels it portrays. Pushing the release date forward is certainly brave, but bravery can be interpreted as a polite form of stupidity. But considering the continual fiscal, struggles the world is STILL imbedded in, profits have to be made, and Resident Evil is still very lucrative, so don’t be surprised to see Resident Evil 10: The remake, in the distant future. Time as always, will reveal all.

Can Resident Evil emulate its former glory? Let me know your views.