'Resident Evil 6' Gets Slammed By Critics

Capcom’s latest video game release in the Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil 6, is receiving attention for all the wrong reasons. On the review aggregate Metacritic, users have given it a score of 0.4 out of 10. That’s not a typo – 0.4 – and it signifies “overwhelming dislike.” This is a far cry from the praise that the original Resident Evil garnered.

“The new game is an ambitious mediocrity,” wrote Stephen Totilo for the New York Times. "It is an exhibition of the hazards for authors who appease howling fans. And it is, in all ways but one, an abandonment of the series creators’ former mastery of making something interactive feel scary.”

In 1996, Resident Evil, released for the original Playstation, was a massive hit. Capcom raised the stakes for players by making gameplay extremely difficult. Players were always low on ammunition and could not save the game often, which meant that death would forfeit progress; players dreaded restarting from their previous checkpoint as much their characters feared dying. Additionally, players could not run and shoot at the same time.

But things have changed. In the 25 hours of gameplay of Resident Evil 6, players fight off a massive bioterrorist attack by running while shooting, saving frequently and reloading often, which seems to have eliminated many of the scary qualities of the game. Creator Hiroyuki Kobayashi defended the changes by noting that the company is seeking to give gamers a broader gaming spectrum.

"Now, we do always have our ear to the ground and listen to what the fans are saying and we try to take that into account when we’re making the game," Kobayshi told fans. "But it’s our job to create a new gaming experience and to offer them something that’s fresh and challenging."

The game does feature a popular wrinkle that Capcom employed in their 2009 release, Demon’s Souls. In a game mode called “Agent Hunt,” players can go online as zombies and attack other online players who are playing as human characters. Check out the video here to see the “Agent Hunt” gameplay. Resident Evil 6 is rated "M for Mature" and is playable on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC. —Hal Sundt