Capcom have put up a brief internal interview with three senior members of their Resident Evil 6 team on their community site. Hiroyuki Kobayashi (Executive Producer), Eiichiro Sasaki (Director) and Yoshiaki Hirabayashi (Producer) touch upon a few points of Resident Evil 6’s story and play style, and while there aren’t any major reveals during the talk, they do tease some interesting things.
First off, as suspected, Chris’ style of play is more action-oriented—since Chris and the BSAA are waging a war against bio-terrorism—and Leon’s is slower, with a greater focus on horror. This decision was made very early on, but the three creators say that the Chris sections of the game won’t be straightforward action. Depending on the paths you take, you’ll encounter horror aspects as well.
You may recall that, at one point, Capcom used the term “dramatic horror” to describe Resident Evil 6. This shouldn’t be a considered a new genre—the basis of the game is still survival horror, but “dramatic horror” is the term they’re using to indicate that they’re trying to create a story that will make the player feel involved. As previously reported, Resident Evil 6 will also have a considerable amount of voice-acting, and this will be reflected in the form of the characters constantly talking to their partners.
On the subject of characters, while only Chris, Leon and Jake are playable—as far as we know—each of them also has a partner. Chris is teamed up with fellow BSAA member Piers Nivans. While this is the first time Piers has appeared in a Resident Evil game, he was introduced in a Resident Evil manga in Japan a while ago. In 6, Capcom want to give the impression that he’s been a part of the BSAA for a while.
Meanwhile, Jake Muller, who is also Albert Wesker’s son, is teamed up with Sherry Birkin, who makes her first major appearance since Resident Evil 2. Sherry was affected by the G-Virus and lost both her parents at a young age. Meanwhile, Jake has Wesker’s blood. These parallels between the two characters will bring them together and a bond will form between them during the course of the game.
Finally, poor Leon finds himself in a situation that’s all too familiar to him. The dev team feel that Leon gives off the impression of someone that’s been used by many women throughout the years, and wanted to play up that aspect further in Resident Evil 6. Leon’s partner is Helena Harper, and there are several mysteries surrounding her. The developers tease that he may find himself being used by a pretty lady once more. No mention was made of whether the other lady in the recent trailer was Ada Wong, but if it was, one would imagine Leon has much to look forward to.
Counting each playable character’s partner, that makes for six protagonists. Capcom decided on this because they felt it would give them an opportunity to tell a more interesting story. With regard to the partner system, one of the major improvements being made is the ability to drop in and out of co-op play at any time. You won’t have to return to previous checkpoints or start stages over from the beginning if someone wants to join your game.
Finally, zombies are a part of the “dramatic” storytelling style, too. The zombies in Resident Evil 6 are a result of the C-Virus, but how they’re born is being kept under wraps for now. When you encounter them, you may see them holding items from their former lives as humans. For instance, a former chef may wield a cleaver, while another zombie might be holding a baseball bat. So, zombies can use weapons, and they’re faster than players are accustomed to, too, in order to make them more frightening.
