Jimquisition: Resident Evil 6 Is the Epitome of Survival Horror
- Thread starter Jimothy Sterling
- Start date
Japanese games went down the drain as soon as they felt the need to make ALL their characters look like a blend between Western and Eastern stereotypes. It's like they are scared that if they make ONE purely asian-looking character (or purely western-looking) they would lose the OTHER half of their market, as if all gamers have a list of things we like in games and if we can tick them all off then we'll buy the game.
It was at this point that you could tell they lost any ambition to create anything that is distinctive and stands out and were content to make their games a bland dull-grey average blend of 'all-the-things-gamers-like-in-games' in order to appeal to the widest audience and thus sell the most games. The sad thing is, that method is both the absolute best and surest way to sell games, and the best and surest way to fail to create anything truly excellent.
It was at this point that you could tell they lost any ambition to create anything that is distinctive and stands out and were content to make their games a bland dull-grey average blend of 'all-the-things-gamers-like-in-games' in order to appeal to the widest audience and thus sell the most games. The sad thing is, that method is both the absolute best and surest way to sell games, and the best and surest way to fail to create anything truly excellent.
Or, and just imagine this for a moment, the mainstream audience likes things that go boom? Did you ever stop and think that your point of view isn't the only one? Did you ever wonder that, perhaps, your opinion on this particular game is not the punctuation that ends the conversation?LazyAza said:
I've been playing video games for over twenty years. Cut my teeth on Mario, backtracked and played Atari, and continued on through the SNES to the 360 and ps3. I've played great games, I've played terrible games, I've played masterpieces and I've played schlock. But get this, I've also played mediocre games too, probably more of those titles than any other in my life. You know the games I'm talking about. The Bonk's Adventures, the Super Adventure Islands, the Streets of Rage, the Legends of Legaia, the Rogue Galaxy, the Heavenly Sword, etc. etc. I feel like Resident Evil 6 is purely, equivocally average. Mediocre. It's not terrible, not by any rational standard of criticizing video games. The animations are smooth, the levels are well designed, the variety of enemies is actually quite refreshing in an age of copy/paste bad guys. But there are flaws as well. A scattershot camera, a mildly unfocused narrative, Leon's hair.
As for your inane rant about anyone who defends Resi 6 as someone who hates games, and gaming, and innovation and all that is good in the world (I'm assuming by world you meant the games industry), then you couldn't be further from the truth. I've enjoyed a decent chunk of Resi 6, and have recommended it to friends, and in turn they've enjoyed it as well. But I've also enjoyed brilliant games like Amnesia, Terraria, Limbo, Bastion, and Journey. I also had a blast with Skyrim, Dragon Age 2 (another thoroughly average title), Dead Space and Resi 5.
Maybe there is a market for everything, for all of it. I would say the millions Notch made off Mincraft, and the millions made off of Final Fantasy 13 and Call of Duty speak to that very fact.
TL;DR- The market is bigger than your narrow view suggests, and there is room for all types of titles, big and small, great to good to mediocre to bad.
I thought resident evil 4-5 covered this, there are not zombies they are infected with more mutated version of las plagas. They have the ability to think, talk, and yes use weapons. Leon's story is the only one out the three that actually uses zombies infected with the c virus that has a lot more deadly potential due to air-born spores/spread of the bio weapons. Aye... why must I come out of the closet of being a hardcore resident evil fan-boy?? I also give this game props for having sherry back as well due in part.. how many of us where 11-12 "that's sherry actual age" when we first played resident evil 2?Furioso said:
Does everyone forget about the parts in Resident Evil 4 where Leon ran about a battle field while a helicopter rained missle-death down upon enemies in your way? Or ran from boulders? Did they forget about the chain guns and the invasive QTE's that do little more than kick you back five seconds into the cutscene you were performing them in if you failed? Did they forget you had to fight a kooky cult of ne'er-do-wells who's ultimate purpose was flat and uninteresting? Did they forget you had to fight fucking Napoleon? Yet people are surprised at RE6's content?
That said, I loved RE4 and still enjoy RE6. No, it's not better than the classics and it's not better than 4, but I still don't feel like it's the weakest game in the franchise. Resident Evil hasn't been survival horror for a long time now, depending on what your definition of 'horror' is. This whole thing comes up every time a new Resident Evil comes out. "It's too much like a shooter now!" RE4 felt like an action/shooter game to me and I knew it was going this way for a while now.
RE6 IS a functional game, so it's not worthy of the scores it's getting. People are just being babies. If nothing else, be grateful that YOUR favorite Capcom franchise didn't get quietly swept under the rug.
That said, I loved RE4 and still enjoy RE6. No, it's not better than the classics and it's not better than 4, but I still don't feel like it's the weakest game in the franchise. Resident Evil hasn't been survival horror for a long time now, depending on what your definition of 'horror' is. This whole thing comes up every time a new Resident Evil comes out. "It's too much like a shooter now!" RE4 felt like an action/shooter game to me and I knew it was going this way for a while now.
RE6 IS a functional game, so it's not worthy of the scores it's getting. People are just being babies. If nothing else, be grateful that YOUR favorite Capcom franchise didn't get quietly swept under the rug.
Sad to hear RE6 isn't that great, but really, after RE5 I didn't expect much for 6 and am waiting to rent it.
Though really, has there ever been a Resident Evil game that's be universally called good? (Excluding 4). A lot of the older ones get a lot of criticisms and flack for being cheesy with the story (over the top), insane in it's puzzle logic and other stuff, and while it's had success and is popular, really isn't RE like that friend you have who's kind of a crazy idiot, but you love them anyway? You aren't best friends, just friends who occasionally hang out, and after awhile they get on your nerve and you don't see them for awhile. Like the guy dressed as the turtle in Mystery Team, he's hilarious, but occasionally says stupid things that make you want to insult him and leave him alone for awhile.
I'm getting sick of sequels to the point that RE has hit (and Fuck Final Fantasy and they're god who fucking knows how many god damn sequels they shit out over and fucking over...), it seems that 2-3 is the right length, with the occasional 4th being the final limit any good franchise can hit. The first either is a hit, and you should end it there, or it's average/bad with something new in it, and the sequel builds off success and replaces shit with polish and you have a great game. The 3rd is to tie in extra fun story, making something just so fucking hugely epic that it can still be good even if it's bad, and the 4th is left only for prequels, or if you're readjusting the formula. Bioshock falls into should only have 1 (even though Infinite looks awesome, I think it's skipping stage 3 and heading into 4), Just Cause 2/Saint's Row 2 fall into great sequel, God of War 3 hits the final stage, and RE4 adds the remixing stage 4 into play.
Well, it could be worse, they could be announcing RE7:Online only motherfuckers buy our shit next week...good video Jim, voting you in 2016, cause fuck learning actual politics, you said God...TWICE!
Though really, has there ever been a Resident Evil game that's be universally called good? (Excluding 4). A lot of the older ones get a lot of criticisms and flack for being cheesy with the story (over the top), insane in it's puzzle logic and other stuff, and while it's had success and is popular, really isn't RE like that friend you have who's kind of a crazy idiot, but you love them anyway? You aren't best friends, just friends who occasionally hang out, and after awhile they get on your nerve and you don't see them for awhile. Like the guy dressed as the turtle in Mystery Team, he's hilarious, but occasionally says stupid things that make you want to insult him and leave him alone for awhile.
I'm getting sick of sequels to the point that RE has hit (and Fuck Final Fantasy and they're god who fucking knows how many god damn sequels they shit out over and fucking over...), it seems that 2-3 is the right length, with the occasional 4th being the final limit any good franchise can hit. The first either is a hit, and you should end it there, or it's average/bad with something new in it, and the sequel builds off success and replaces shit with polish and you have a great game. The 3rd is to tie in extra fun story, making something just so fucking hugely epic that it can still be good even if it's bad, and the 4th is left only for prequels, or if you're readjusting the formula. Bioshock falls into should only have 1 (even though Infinite looks awesome, I think it's skipping stage 3 and heading into 4), Just Cause 2/Saint's Row 2 fall into great sequel, God of War 3 hits the final stage, and RE4 adds the remixing stage 4 into play.
Well, it could be worse, they could be announcing RE7:Online only motherfuckers buy our shit next week...good video Jim, voting you in 2016, cause fuck learning actual politics, you said God...TWICE!
Towards the end of that, it really seemed to me like there was a "shareholders are what is ruining games" rant, which actually makes sense (to me, at least).
Jim for President!
... In all seriousness, I'm now wondering whether Jim is a Republican or a Democrat.
inb4politicalargument
Anyway, that aside, I hadn't really considered it like that, and now I've changed my mind on Capcom. I've always pictured them as money-grubbing, selfish jackasses, but with how RE6 was and how it was met, I don't think they're 'selfish' more as they are 'stupid' and 'desperate.' They must be teetering on the edge, just a few mistakes away from becoming the next Pandemic or something, and they're doing whatever is possible to keep the cash coming, and it's alienating its fans in the process.
The on-disc DLC, RE6, it's all Capcom's helpless flails in the water before it goes under. It's kinda sad, now that I think about it.
... In all seriousness, I'm now wondering whether Jim is a Republican or a Democrat.
inb4politicalargument
Anyway, that aside, I hadn't really considered it like that, and now I've changed my mind on Capcom. I've always pictured them as money-grubbing, selfish jackasses, but with how RE6 was and how it was met, I don't think they're 'selfish' more as they are 'stupid' and 'desperate.' They must be teetering on the edge, just a few mistakes away from becoming the next Pandemic or something, and they're doing whatever is possible to keep the cash coming, and it's alienating its fans in the process.
The on-disc DLC, RE6, it's all Capcom's helpless flails in the water before it goes under. It's kinda sad, now that I think about it.
I'm tired of the zealots.
Resident Evil 6 isn't terrible. I'd say it's average, and I've been a fan since Resi 1. Definitely not my favorite in the series, and certainly does not rank as the "worst".
Meanwhile, Jim Sterling gives Modern Warfare 3 a 9.5 on Destructoid. Because -herpa-derp- Modern Warfare is not what is wrong with the gaming industry? He just gives it remarks like, "Well, for better of for worse, it is what it is". Herp derp. In a competition for which game has done the most damage and is the most embarrassing for the industry as a whole.. would it be Call of Duty, or Resident Evil?
Prove to me Sterling isn't a troll. This bizarre zealous rant just makes Jim seem like a nationalist, racist twat. Appealing to the ignorant stereotype that basically, "Japan is unsure of themselves, so therefore they're afraid, and therefore the west is superior".
I'd personally give the game a 6-7 out of 10.
It's kind of funny. The game has a man named Kennedy shooting the dead president of the United States. Then some trolls get on the internet and tell us all how weak and unsure of themselves Japan's industry are, in comparison to the dominating western market. Just think that's interesting.
Resident Evil 6 isn't terrible. I'd say it's average, and I've been a fan since Resi 1. Definitely not my favorite in the series, and certainly does not rank as the "worst".
Meanwhile, Jim Sterling gives Modern Warfare 3 a 9.5 on Destructoid. Because -herpa-derp- Modern Warfare is not what is wrong with the gaming industry? He just gives it remarks like, "Well, for better of for worse, it is what it is". Herp derp. In a competition for which game has done the most damage and is the most embarrassing for the industry as a whole.. would it be Call of Duty, or Resident Evil?
Prove to me Sterling isn't a troll. This bizarre zealous rant just makes Jim seem like a nationalist, racist twat. Appealing to the ignorant stereotype that basically, "Japan is unsure of themselves, so therefore they're afraid, and therefore the west is superior".
I'd personally give the game a 6-7 out of 10.
It's kind of funny. The game has a man named Kennedy shooting the dead president of the United States. Then some trolls get on the internet and tell us all how weak and unsure of themselves Japan's industry are, in comparison to the dominating western market. Just think that's interesting.
Yeah but Jim said that all of that stuff was okay in his Destructoid review so obviously it's all okay! Note that that's not a complaint about what Jim thinks of the game, more a comment on the fact that every time I've seen someone complain about the game they've just been parroting what Jim has said.Sheo_Dagana said:
As for myself, I've seen a few people lament how the creepiness/tension/what have you isn't the same any more but really, how could it be the same? I mean, look at Resi 1-3, the first two in particular. You're playing as a character who has no idea what the hell is going on, is suddenly confronted with zombies and monsters and mutants and is basically thrust into a situation that they know nothing about.
Even in 4, even though Leon had the experience of the events of Resi 2 behind him along with badass special agent training, there was still a sense of tension for the most part because this was a new experience for both the player and character, specifically Las Plagas. Then Resi 5 comes along. At this stage Chris has been through the events of Resi 1 and Code Veronica and among other things helped to found a worldwide anti bio-terrorism organisation, he's also been made aware of Las Plagas at some point between Resi 4 and 5.
So by the time of Resi 6 we've got:
Leon. Badass secret service agent who has survived both the the T-Virus and Las Plagas.
Chris. Survivor of two T-Virus outbreaks and a Las Plagas/Uroboros outbreak, founder of an anti B.O.W army and part time rock puncher.
Jake. Tough as nails merc and general super-human due to being Wesker's son.
Considering the protagonists alone, how was anyone expecting Resi 6 to have anywhere near the same kind of tension or atmosphere as previous entries?
Sadly the speech he made at the end of being a " better president " is the same kind of speech politicians make every " election ".
I...had basically completely forgotten the absurdity of it all in RE4. Or at least, it makes a hell of a lot of sense...in context...I guess...or something.Sheo_Dagana said:
And yet...the first 5/6 of the game (RE4) is pretty tense, pretty survival horror, especially in first-playthroughs where ammo is actually kind of scarce. For the most part, only the last fifth/sixth of the game goes awesome-action. The first third/halfish of the game is grounded pretty hard in survival-horror reality, with the middle 1/3-ish being pretty rough with those damn dogs and blind-wolverine-guys. Oh, and don't forget the invisible acid-spewing bugs that pop out from nowhere. And the right-hand guy of Napoleon who is weak to liquid nitrogen but is completely optional.
At the very least, compared to RE5 and (presumably) RE6, the pacing is far better in RE4, with it building up slowly and only turning truly action-shooty with no pretense of survival horror in the final act of the game and not the preceding 5/6 of the game.
I just see no way for Resident Evil 6, given my demo playing of it, to even come half as close to making me fear for my safety as a repeat playthrough of RE4 would. Every time I restart RE4 (and I have bought it 3 separate times, on GCN, on Wii, and on 360), I feel the same nostalgic tensing/fear that just isn't felt when replaying RE5 levels or while touching the RE6 demo.
Whatever you're seeing...I just don't see it, brah.
Edit: DEAR FUCKING CHRIST. I THINK MY MIND HAS BEGUN TO MORPH INTO A JIMQUISITIONAL FUCKING CLONE.
I'm reading the Destructoid review that was posted earlier, and I basically quoted Jim exactly with my discussion of build-up. Goddamn, that man words many things better than I can, even if I disagree with the amount of satisfaction in the final act.
I'll quote the bit here, and post the link again:
http://www.destructoid.com/review-resident-evil-6-235326.phtml
Again, I seriously typed everything above the edit before ever looking at the quoted below, written by Jimothy himself:
It feels, to me, like everyone is reaching their true boiling point of fury towards triple-A developers at different times.nexus said:
For me, it was MW3 last year. I knew better then to buy it, because I knew it would be a literal carbon copy of MW2 but with a few extra guns and perks but no changes in gameplay and no campaign comparable to CoD4's. But I figured, eh, this time, it'll be different. This time, they'll put love and care into the game like they first did with CoD4. Lo-and-behold, I got what I asked for, and now refuse to buy any game that I don't know for a fact won't satisfy me specifically.
For Jim, it *appears* to be this game that has thrown him over the edge. That he wasn't quite at this stage previously could mean that he has a higher tolerance than me. Or that he's a hypocrite. Maybe he's jumping on a bandwagon now, or was given a fancy limo ride by some assholes at Activision. Hopefully it's the former option, that he's finally fed up with bullshit re-feedings, or at least in a franchise that he appeared to have once adored (the RE franchise). Perhaps he still adores the CoD franchise like the twelve-year olds and brodudes that it caters to, and just won't admit that it's now reselling the same shit in a new skin. Hell if I know, but he still beats Romney and Obama in my eyes.