Believe it or not, there was a time when survival horror was very popular.
Around 2012, Capcom ran its flagship Resident Evil franchise in a much more action-oriented direction, Konami has seemingly abandoned it Silent Hill to rot (to spectacular PT demo would provide a welcome but temporary respite), and EA’s Dead space 3 took shape as just a shadow of its excellent predecessors.
Resident Evil 6 in particular was seen as the final nail in the coffin for Capcom’s survival horror behemoth. Building on the foundation laid by Resident Evil 4 and 5, the sixth main entry featured four unique, interconnected campaigns that took action horror to a truly global level. Not only did it finally allow players to move and shoot at the same time, but you could dive in virtually any direction, suplex enemies and, with the help of a number of quick events, maneuver a helicopter to narrowly miss a speeding train.
The problem is, to veteran fans of the series, this felt like a far cry from the slower, more considered survival horror gameplay that put the franchise on the map. Yes, it featured a star-studded cast of characters and was, in many ways, the most fan-friendly entry in the entire series, but the shift to over-the-top action over survival horror was enough to make many fans cast it aside in disgust. .
However, as the game turned 12 on October 2nd, 2024 (and today for Japan, at the time of writing), it seems many people have softened to Resident Evil 6 over the years. Indeed, this writer absolutely despised the game when it first launched, but a re-examination on PS4 and Switch has shown it to be a flawed but incredibly fun action game. It’s ambitious, emotional, downright funny on so many levels, and you know what? We love it.
Take a look at some of the responses in Capcom’s anniversary post above and you’ll see that many fans are still divided about Resident Evil 6. Some argue that “one of the best entries in the franchise”while others say it is “literally the worst game ever [Capcom] ever published” (I’m exaggerating a bit, if you ask us).
But what about you, dear readers? What do you think of Resident Evil 6? Let us know in the poll below and share your thoughts with a comment.
