Players Wanted: Resident Evil 6 - IGN (original) (raw)
Chris Redfield's most recent semi-auto fueled campaign against Umbrella's infected hit stores barely a month ago, and we've all been blasting Majini to smithereens ever since. Some would argue it's far too early to start thinking about the next stage of Chris's journey, and who should join him as ally or as threat, but we say thee nay. It's never too early to start thinking about more Resident Evil.Capcom has been doing just that. So far they've hinted Resident Evil 6 will be a much different beast, possibly even rebooting Redfield similar to the treatment given James Bond and Batman. We don't know how much to read into that. We do know, however, that certain characters in this series have been ignored lately. Assuming Redfield and company don't restart from square one, we have a list of favorites we'd like to see put in an appearance. And that's where Players Wanted: Resident Evil 6 comes in. We picked odds-on favorites, and added a few Editor's Choice picks for fun. Let's hope these heroes and monsters get their due.
Spoiler Alert – This article references the events of Resident Evil 5. If you haven't played this game yet, you might want to steer clear.
The Zombie The Zombie is a staple of Resident Evil. Even as ever more grotesque examples of Umbrella's experiments began lurking the streets and corridors of Raccoon City, there was something to be said for the pure, simple thrill of sneaking through the dark and evading the outstretched arms of the hungry undead.
Sadly, it's been some time since we've seen a proper zombie in the RE franchise. The Las Plagas victims in RE4 and the Majini in RE5 demonstrated certain similar characteristics, but they weren't zombies. Zombies may not represent the greatest challenge to players (Crimson Heads aside), but they remain an indelible part of the mythos, and we'd like to have them back.
Also, you can never have too many window-crashing dogs on the hunt for human flesh. So bring them, and the original Zombie back. Or else. (And by "or else", we mean "Bea Arthur Babe of the Day". 365 of nothing but the Golden Girl. You've been warned.)
Kennedy, seen here sporting the Lee Harvey special.
At this point it's safe to say that Resident Evil can claim two leading heroes – Chris Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy. With Chris headlining Resident Evil 5, it's time to shift the focus back to Leon and see what this government operative has been up to.
After successfully rescuing the President's daughter and quelling the outbreak of Las Plagas, Leon has been trying to enjoy a quieter, more zombie-free life. The movie Resident Evil: Degeneration already proved that a quiet life is easier said than done. With newer and more deadly forms of Umbrella's research cropping up, Leon's plate is as full as ever.
Chris deserves a short break, so it's time for Leon to step up once more. Whether he likes it or not.
Fact: The RPG makes any and all Infected blow up real good.
Wonder where she keeps her extra ammo?
Naturally, if Leon is to appear in a new Resident Evil game, Ada Wong must follow closely behind. The two have shared a rocky history since first meeting in the zombie-infested streets of Raccoon City. Ada has a habit of stringing Leon along and betraying him before the end. Some guys never learn.
When last we saw Ada, she was busy retrieving a sample of Las Plagas for her employers. Though technically working for Wesker, she doesn't trust the man farther than any wise person should. With Wesker seemingly down for the count, how does that affect Ada's work? What is her role in the new world order of bio-terrorism?
We got a thing for chicks who kill zombies with Tommy Guns. (Oh don't judge us.)
Two guns are never enough.
With so much attention heaped on her brother lately, it's time Claire Redfield stood up and reclaimed the spotlight once again. Claire hit it big with Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil Code: Veronica. In both games, her mission centered mainly on tracking down her brother and putting a stop to Umbrella's unique brand of evil.
Now that Chris isn't MIA for once, Claire can cast aside the worried sibling routine and just focus on shooting some monsters. She may look innocent, but she certainly has the skills to stand alongside the other major players of the RE-verse. (And leagues above that walking bag of useless called Sheva. What? Too soon?) Resident Evil: Degeneration kept her trigger finger exercised, but the time has come for a real challenge again.
Barry Burton Remember Barry? This STARS member was manipulated by Wesker into betraying his teammates way back in the original game. Luckily, Barry was able to break free from Wesker and help his comrades in the end. His reward – barely a passing cameo in future titles.
The most Barry has had to show for himself since is a starring role in the Game Boy Color adventure, Resident Evil Gaiden. That's just all sorts of wrong going on there.
Barry is a master of artillery. He always brings the right firepower to a fight. The other RE heroes could do with his help, and we'd like to see him get the respect he deserves once more.
He's of the point and shoot school of thought for killing zombies.
When he's done playing
Agent HUNK is every bit as badass as his name implies. Umbrella has its own private security force on tap – the UBCS. When the corporation needs something done and done right, they call in HUNK and his crack team of military operatives.
HUNK succeeded where all others failed in Raccoon City. He was the one who managed to retrieve a sample of the G-Virus, something even Ada Wong failed to do. He did so even with the monster formerly known as William Birkin hot on his trail.
HUNK is often referred to by his comrades as Mr. Death, thanks to his supernatural (some would say fortunate) ability to survive missions where all his allies perish. HUNK survived the destruction of Raccoon City and the eventual downfall of Umbrella. We'd very much like to know what he's been up to since then.
The Tyrant Almost as much a hallmark of the RE franchise as the zombie, the Tyrant is a recurring favorite. Usually cast as the ultimate enemy players face, the Tyrant stalks our hapless heroes from room to room, refusing to give up or be put down by conventional weaponry. (How cool would it be to maybe, maybe, see the good guys somehow re-program or re-engineer a Tyrant to fight on their side?)
Also like the zombie, it's been some time since we've had a good and proper battle with a Tyrant. The boss fights in RE4 and RE5 are more traditional. When a boss goes down, they tend to stay down. We miss the thrill of running in terror from the relentless Nemesis, who wasn't adverse to bursting through walls and hounding poor Jill repeatedly. The Iron Maiden was certainly scary, but how many times did Leon have to face off with him?
Resident Evil is supposed to be a terrifying experience, and much of the terror stems from pitting players against foes who completely outmatch them. That's the Tyrant in a nutshell.
That guy's S is about to get R'd.
If you played through Resident Evil 5, you know that the mysterious female hooded figure was none other than Jill Valentine. (Hey, at the start of all this, we said "Spoilers Ahead". In big, bold, black letters.)
Turns out Jill wasn't as dead as her tombstone might have suggested. Though she fought against Chris and Sheva for much of the game, in the end she was rescued by her former partner and set back on the path of righteousness...and hopefully that path is blocked with plenty of Infected for her to unload all sorts of weapons on.)
So where does Jill go from here? We haven't taken control of Ms. Valentine since Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, and that was ten long years ago. Given all that has happened to her since, we figure the time is more than ripe for another Jill-centric RE game.
Rebecca Chambers When gamers first met Rebecca Chambers in the original Resident Evil, they probably didn't think much of her. This petite STARS member was better at cowering in the corner than laying waste to zombies and Hunters.
However, Resident Evil Zero proved Rebecca had done more than her fair share of monster slaying.
So we have to wonder why we haven't heard a peep from Rebecca since. Surely she hasn't been sitting on the sidelines while her friends do all the work. We figure she must have been up to something in the 11 years since the Raccoon City incident, and Resident Evil 6 is the place to show us what.
Like HUNK, Carlos Oliveira was an elite member of UBCS. Unlike HUNK, he didn't have such an easy time during his mission in Raccoon City.
Carlos was among dozens of soldiers dispatched to "quell" the zombie uprising, which was Umbrella speak for "serve as test fodder". Carlos was one of the few soldiers who escaped the early massacre. After teaming with Jill, he managed to evade the clutches of Nemesis and escape with his life.
Carlos has plenty of reason to despise Umbrella these days. And even though his former employer has gone the way of the dodo, its legacy lives on. Carlos has every reason to continue the fight against the zombies and bio-weapons of the world.
Aside from the window-crashing zombie pooches, we're sure there are a few favorites MIA from this list. That is where you come in, fans. Think Neptune should somehow resurface (pun intended)? Should Sheva get a second chance? Fire off a few opinionated salvos into the comments, and maybe, just maybe, we'll add your suggestions to a Reader's Choice down the line.