Get a closer look at Resident Evil 6

An all new zombie outbreak has spread globally in Resident Evil 6 which Capcom showed off some awesome footage of at E3. Resident Evil 6 will be a new experience that Capcom promises, will stand out greater than any past entry in the series but will still resonate with long-time fans of Resident Evil.

Instead of following a single character, Resident Evil 6 follows the treacherous adventures of three different heroes. Fans of the series will notice a handful of familiar faces and Resident Evil 6 will also introduce some new characters as well. Two fan-favorite veterans, Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield will each have their own story-line and newcomer Jake Muller, son of Albert Wesker will have an adventure of his own. Capcom has stated that each character's story-line amounts to the length of a full game; with an average of 10 hours to complete a game, Resident Evil 6 could very well be stretching past the 30 hour mark.

The campaign for each character features a different style of gameplay. Fans of the early Resident Evil games will enjoy playing as Leon in the fictional American town of Tall Oaks, where an outbreak occurs and even the President is infected. Leon is still part of the Secret Service and it was his duty along with his partner, Helena Harper to protect the president; however, after the president's infection and death, the blame is put on Leon and Helena themselves. Leon's campaign will feature more traditional zombies and will build suspense and tension with a slower paced play style. Ammo and supplies will be harder to come by and you'll need to conserve as much as you can during Leon's campaign if you're going to survive.

Chris' play style will surely appeal to newer fans of the series as it will follow the formula used In Resident Evil 4 and 5. Chris is still part of the BSAA and has been sent to fictional Chinese city, Lanshiang to aid in another recent outbreak with his companion Piers Nivans. Playing as Chris, you can expect a more intense, fast-paced action experience. Along with traditional zombies, Chris will face the J'avo as well; a direct result of the new C-Virus, J'avo are able to communicate, plan attacks, use weapons and even heal themselves. They also have increased agility and strength and have a regenerative mutation ability which will make them a formidable enemy.

As for the newcomer, Jake Muller, Capcom has created a unique play style. Jake will feature a mix between the play styles of Leon and Chris but adds a heavy emphasis on melee combat. Jake, son of Wesker is immune to the virus strands and thus has nothing to fear by engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the infected. His techniques and maneuvers are reminiscent of his father's. Jake is accompanied by Sherry Birkin, daughter of William Birkin who worked alongside Wesker; she will aid Jake as they evade authorities across Eastern Europe and fight through hordes of zombies and the J'avo. Fans of Resident Evil 3 will especially enjoy the Jake's campaign due to the fact he is constantly hunted by a creature known as, Ustanak.

Ustanak operates similarly to Nemesis in that he is constantly hunting you down. He is equipped with an interchangeable mechanical arm. In the trailers we see a claw like arm and another with a whip attached to it. It seems his main purpose is not to kill Jake but capture him, possibly for his unique blood. At one point in the trailer, you see Jake escaping from a cage fixed to Ustanak's back. Ustanak is sure to provide for some intense chases and punishing fights.

Resident Evil 6 will support co-op play whether it be split-screen or over the internet with a friend. Each companion of the heroes listed above is playable. Playing over the internet finds you someone who is at the same part of the story so that you or other players don't have the game spoiled for you.

Capcom has also decided to interject new features into Resident Evil 6. New tweaks will allow players to shoot and move simultaneously for the first time ever in a Resident Evil game. No doubt long time fans won't be crazy about the idea but it does make sense to be able to move and shoot at the same time. Additionally, you can now utilize a cover and shoot system and employ dives and rolls into the zombie fighting action. At one point during the gameplay demonstration, Leon almost seems to be wielding two handguns too. Melee combat will play a larger role; one video shows Leon hacking zombies up with an ax and Jake Muller relies heavily on melee based fighting. Inventory management has been improved too, allowing players to assign weapons to hot-keys and heal themselves on the fly with the push of a button.

The trailers reveal some details of the story but also leave us asking questions; one in particular, who are the people that have captured Helena Harper and why have they abducted her sister? I'll leave readers to come to their own conclusions but I have a few guesses. More familiar faces such as Ada Wong and Leon's link to  the Department of Security relations, Ingrid Hunnigan, make a return in Resident Evil 6 as well. Hunnigan seems to be helping Leon in secret due to the fact that he and Helena have been blamed for the death of the President.

The trailers also reveal a very troubled and more somber Chris Redfield. It seems his involvement in the attacks become more personal after he helplessly watches his comrades become infected and is forced to kill them. Chris is seeking vengeance against Ada Wong, who he believes is behind the attack. Ada is now working for Neo-Umbrella who is responsible for the bio-terrorist attacks but the corporation itself is still shrouded in mystery. The story lines of the characters seem to cross as well as the trailers show Leon and Jake fighting alongside one another and Chris meeting Jake for the first time and realizing a resemblance of Albert Wesker in him. With all the different story lines, seeing how they relate and differ from each other should make them very engaging.

I felt the Resident Evil 6 may have strayed too far from the series' original formula but seeing the new footage and getting the details on the gameplay have re-instilled my faith in Capcom and their ability to make a successful sequel to this loved series. The gameplay looks solid so far with great visuals, intense action and exciting set piece moments. What do you think of Resident Evil 6 so far? Is the series no longer what it used to be or are the addition of new features and a heavier focus on action a good idea? Look for Resident Evil 6 on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on October 2, 2012.