When a new Resident Evil title is announced, it's only a matter of time before cries of "how will they ruin it this time?" are heard. It's best to start here by stating one thing very clearly: fans need to accept that the franchise has changed.
Resident Evil 6 gives you the option of three different campaigns. While RE2 had something similar, what you really got was the same story told from slightly different angles. This time you have three stories with their own unique characters, enemies, and plot twists. Capcom have gone all out to make the campaigns feel different from the others, including new HUD designs for each. That may seem like a small change, but with the varied gameplay it's enough to make every campaign feel like a separate game.
A veteran may worry about having a melee button you can use whenever you like, or that you can dive away from an attack and then fire from a prone position, but they make sense here. There are more bad guys this time. Not only will you be firing a lot of rounds, but you'll be wishing you had more.
That's where melee comes in handy. Soften your enemies up with a few rounds and finish them off with a head stomp or punches to the face. When all is said and done, this is the first Resident Evil game in more than a decade that will force you to think about whether you should just cut your losses and head for the door.
There are nods to the original games littered throughout - it's just a shame to see them end so abruptly. What might hit home harder is the absence of notes and diary entries that you pick up and read along the way. While they can be unlocked via shooting emblems, it's something that felt wrong. It's not until you realise that the game can never pause that you can understand why.
