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Horror for gamers as new Resident Evil is panned by critics
It's a bitter blow for gamers awaiting a new instalment of one of the most popular videogames in history, which has spawned comics, books and a hit series of Hollywood films starring Mila Jovovich.
One of the biggest game series of all time has met a grisly fate this Christmas.
Resident Evil 6, the latest in the 50-million selling horror series has been roundly panned by critics - described as 'excruciating', 'sloppy' and 'a chore'.
It's a bitter blow for gamers awaiting a new instalment of one of the most popular video games in history, which has spawned comics, books and a hit series of Hollywood films starring Mila Jovovich.
Every episode in its main series has been lauded - until now.
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Gamers are outraged that the horror series - known for its haunted-house settings and sci-fi plots - has attempted to blend its trademark frights with action-movie-style thrills.
The reception is a stark contrast to previous instalments - Resident Evil 4 in particular was lauded as a 'masterpiece' by GameStyle, and several major sites have described it as among the best games of all time.
The new game attempts a more cinema-like approach - and reviewers are not pleased.
Veteran game review site GameSpot describes the game as a 'wannabe action film' that becomes an 'excruciating chore'.
Game site Eurogamer says that the series, 'Will have a difficult time recovering from this blow.'
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IGN describes the game as 'Bigger than ever, but not better,' saying that the game is a confused mixture of game styles with 'no shortage of lows'.
"If every idea had come together without friction, and with the aid of Capcom's top-notch presentation, Resident Evil 6 would have been a tremendous action game," writes Joystiq in a two-star review.
"Instead, it's a fully-featured, sloppy, frequently frustrating attempt to do well by everyone."
