Poll: Resident Evil 6 Turns 12 – Does It Really Deserve Its Dire Reputation?

Believe it or not, there was once a time when survival horror was well and truly on its arse.

Around 2012, Capcom was shepherding its flagship Resident Evil franchise in a much more action-oriented direction, Konami had seemingly left Silent Hill to rot (until the spectacular P.T demo would provide some welcome, but temporary respite), and EA’s Dead Space 3 was shaping up to be a mere shadow of its excellent predecessors.

Resident Evil 6 in particular was regarded as the final nail in the coffin for Capcom’s survival horror behemoth. Building upon the foundations laid by Resident Evil 4 and 5, the sixth mainline entry boasted four unique, interconnected campaigns that took action-horror on a truly global scale. Not only did it finally let players move and shoot at the same time, but you could dive in practically any direction, suplex enemies, and, with the help of copious quick-time events, maneuover a helicopter to narrowly miss a speeding train.

The problem is that, for 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 to begin with. Yes, it featured a stellar cast of characters and, in many ways, it was comfortably the most fan-servicy 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 years old on 2nd October 2024 (and today for Japan, at the time of writing), it seems many folks have softened on Resident Evil 6 over the years. Indeed, this writer absolutely despised the game when it first launched, but revisiting it on the PS4 and the Switch has revealed it to be a flawed, but incredibly fun action romp. It’s ambitious, it’s emotional, it’s utterly ridiculous on so many levels, and you know what? We love it.

Take a peek at some of the replies in Capcom’s anniversary post above and you’ll see that many fans are still divided on Resident Evil 6. Some claim it to be “one of the best entries in the franchise”, while others say that it’s “literally the worst game [Capcom] ever published” (bit of an exaggeration, if you ask us).

But what about you, dear readers? Where do you stand on Resident Evil 6? Let us know in the below poll and share your thoughts with a comment.