Capcom announced today that Resident Evil 6 will be receiving an update that unlocks Ada’s campaign from the beginning of the game, adds a harder difficulty, and allows players to adjust the camera distance. I enjoyed Resident Evil 6 quite a bit, despite what others criticized as too-close-for-comfort camera positioning. I’m comfortable with the camera’s current distance, but there are a few reasons I’m excited to tinker with the zoomed-out view.
Something Different
The camera positioning in Resident Evil 4, 5, and 6 are all relatively similar. The series’ biggest experimentation with camera positioning came with the disappointing offshoot, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. The zoomed-out camera wasn’t the problem, it was the janky shooting, unsatisfying melee, and broken enemy AI.
Environmental Awareness
Operation Raccoon City was a disaster, but to its credit the zoomed-out camera gave players a greater view of their surroundings. I love kicking off zombie heads and delivering devastating uppercuts to the enemies of RE 6, and a broader view of the battlefield will help that. Seeing a couple extra feet behind your protagonist will give you the opportunity to counter incoming attacks more frequently, which sounds great.
Embrace Action
The Resident Evil series has been shifting away from the horror genre since the gonzo setpiece moments of RE 4 (gigantic Salazar statue chase scene, anyone?) Retaining the claustrophobic camera angle may not be the best course for the series, and this update may give fans the first glimpse at the series’ future. Hopefully it will make the shooting-heavy gameplay feel more natural for gamers having a hard time with the game.
Co-op In Ada’s Campaign
This is unrelated to the camera, but the update makes Ada’s campaign available from the start while throwing in a co-op partner for her. I personally enjoyed playing Ada’s campaign single-player. It reminded me of Resident Evil 4’s mostly lonely quest. The new screenshots point to Ada’s partner as being a generic soldier type. I’m excited to experience the femme fatale’s story through a new perspective.