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Before playing RE6, know these mechanics since Capcom don't teach poop

Neiteio

Member
After a hundred pages of repeating the same mechanics in the OT and other threads, I hope we can give this its own topic so new purchasers can hit the ground running. I hope this is OK -- I think a lot of people will benefit from it.

I'm of the half of GAF that loves RE6, but I'm not here to argue why. Let's save that convo for other threads. What I hope to do here is explain some of the new mechanics that greatly expand your combat and mobility options in RE6. As it stands, RE6 has NO tutorial, and your only chance of seeing these tricks in-game would be on a fleeting Loading screen.

First I'll start with a couple tricks that even most seasoned RE6 players don't know (see the end for PS3-to-360 button conversion, and for an awesome Mercs vid as well):


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Auto-mix herbs and insta-load pills: Hold R2 and press Square when empty: In RE6, you mix herbs into pills, which are then dispensed Tic-Tac-style with a press of R2. The number of times you tap, the number of pills you use, each pill restoring a slice of health, effectively allowing you to manage your health bar by bar. This shortcut -- R2 + Square -- instantly combines any herbs in your inventory, red herbs included, and loads the pills into your case, rather than you having to do each step manually. This is extremely useful.

Paint targets for AI partner: L1 + Circle: Snipers got you down? Aim at the sniper -- or any enemy target, for that matter -- and tap Circle to paint the target. A red marker will appear over it and that enemy will become the sole target of your AI partner, which is useful since your AI partner is virtually indestructible outside of rare one-hit boss kills, and your partner also has unlimited ammo.

Rapidly regain stamina: Take cover or lie prone: RE6 is NOT a cover shooter. Like Vanquish, you're playing it wrong if you're hiding behind cover rather than advancing the fight, throwing yourself into the fray to unleash a flurry of melee moves. That being said, your dedicated melee button -- R1 -- is governed by a stamina meter (also like Vanquish): kick and punch too much, and you'll grow tired and hit like a sissy. THIS is when you take cover: slide to the nearest wall to instantly snap to cover, and wait a moment while your stamina bar replenishes in a matter of mere seconds. Very useful! Alternatively, you can lie prone to quickly regain stamina (L1 + X + a direction to dive/roll to the ground, holding L1 to lie prone).

Dazing enemies: Elbow backwards, OR aim for the head, OR melee twice: RE6 has an insane variety of context-sensitive melee moves -- they even change with your equipped weapon! For starters, you can melee people standing directly behind you by simply hitting R1 to elbow them in the head, dazing them to set up over-the-top melee takedowns.

While good for crowd control, normally you'll be facing enemies head-on, in which case you want to do one of two things: Pop the enemy in the head, usually just once, then run up close and hit R1 to unleash a context-sensitive melee move like a suplex; OR run up to an enemy and hit them twice with a basic melee move (usually kicks), dazing them for a context-sensitive melee move on the third hit. This may knock them to the ground, in which case you should quickly run up to their head and hit R1 a fourth time for a skull-crushing stomp.


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Now onto the core of combat: evading and sliding:

Sliding: Dash with Action button (X on PS3), then hit L1 to slide. To spin 180 degrees mid-slide, pull back while sliding. To shoot while sliding, tap R1: Sliding is a brilliant new mechanic that frankly makes the previous REs feel stiff by comparison. Just the other night, in Jake's Chapter 4, I was repeatedly sliding under an enemy's near-fatal swing; others have even slid under incoming projectiles like busses thrown by giants! But sliding is more than simply dashing with the Action button and hitting L1. You can do a 180-degree turn while sliding by pulling back on the analog stick, and you can fire (or swipe) to daze and kill while sliding toward or under enemies. Sliding into enemies can also trip them. You can even slide past a pack of enemies, drop remote bombs as you slide by, and then detonate them as you roll back to your feet, a cloud of meaty chunks raining down behind you!

ALSO: You can also do a quick slide from a stationary position by hitting forward + Action + L1. Normally you can only slide if you're sprinting first, but you can do it this way if you need to slide real quick out of the way.

Rolling while standing: Aim with L1, then tap Action button and left or right to roll in that direction. Release L1 mid-roll to stand, or continue to hold L1 to lie on the ground. On the ground, tap left and right to roll: Each enemy J'avo has three or four different mutations per limb, as well as their heads and torsos, and these mutations can stack, which means enemies have a LOT of ways to attack you. Sometimes, when swarmed in tight spaces, you'll want to roll out of the way of an incoming attack -- also good for confusing hordes of zombies as they try to track you. Aiming and then tapping the Action button and left or right will throw you rolling in that direction; releasing L1 the moment you hit the ground will cause you to immediately barrel-roll to your feet. Likewise with throwing yourself backwards away from enemies, or rolling forward (with respective directional taps of the analog). If you don't release L1, you'll stay on your back on the ground, at which point you can tap left or right to roll on the ground (as though you're on fire and trying to put yourself out). You can literally circle attacking enemies this way!

Dodging: Aim and hit the Action button while standing: This quick crouching animation allows you to duck under many enemy attacks. It's near-instantaneous, though, meaning you must use it the moment it's needed. Sometimes it's more fruitful to jump backwards to your back or roll out of the way instead! ALSO: If you hit a direction right after dodging, you can cancel the dodge into a roll/dive in that direction. Very useful if you need to get out of the way really quick.

Running attacks: Dash with Action button and hit R1: This combination can result in a shoulder-check or other attack animation that if nothing else staggers or trips up enemies -- ideal for breaking enemy lines during a hasty escape.

Quick shot: L1 + R1 when near an enemy; tap repeatedly to attack multiple nearby targets: This is another brilliant mechanic, absolutely vital for crowd control in Mercs. When near an enemy, even if the enemy is standing out of sight behind you, hit L1 and R1 to instantly turn, target and shoot the enemy. Subsequent taps will unleash additional quick shots, each consuming a bar of your stamina meter. Try it with Helena with the Hydra shotgun equipped; she'll do a series of over-the-top tactical rolls, striking a pose to fire off a round each time. So badass! Be sure to check out an example of Leon's dual-wielding quick shot here!

Quick recover: Mash the Action button when knocked down, or hold back and tap the Action button: Tired of enemies knocking you on your ass when a segment of your health bar empties completely or you take a particularly hard hit? Mash the Action button the moment you hit the ground, and you'll roll backwards back to your feet, instantly back in the fight. Alternatively, hold back and tap X.

Counters: Timing is key: If you see an enemy beginning its attack animation, like a zombie raising a wrench, and hit R1 (the melee button) the instant before the enemy strikes, you will obliterate that enemy with a super-flashy counter attack. The screen will flash and you'll hear a sharp "ZING!" to indicate you did a counter (as though kicking your enemy a mile away didn't make it clear enough)!


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And now some QTE tips:

Quick spin-the-stick QTEs: Use BOTH analog sticks: Perhaps the most frustrating QTE people encounter is the one where you have to spin the stick to fill a bar. The thing the game doesn't tell you is that if you spin BOTH analog sticks, the bar fills up twice as fast -- completing the QTE so fast you'll outpace the cinematic!

Climbing QTEs: Always hold one button: Another poorly communicated QTE is one involving climbing. As you alternate between button presses, the trick is to always have one button depressed -- as though you're climbing hand over hand, one hand always on the rope.

I may be forgetting something as I write this all off-hand, but here some other tips: You can switch to laser sight (instead of crosshairs) and adjust the camera and aiming speed (I recommend Camera: 2 and Aiming: 7). This game is dual-analog, meaning the camera will not simply follow you like in RE4: You must control the camera manually with the right stick or reset it with the Action button. I had no problems with this: I naturally move the right analog as I move my character, like in numerous other third-person shooters.

The key is to always be on the offensive. Even against gun-toting enemies, you should roll out of the way and then slide under incoming fire, blasting away at their face and then rolling back to your feet to unleash a context-sensitive melee on them while they're dazed. Then roll back out of the way to avoid incoming attacks, or use the Quick Shot to stun several enemies around you. Once you get into the rhythm of combat, this constant back and forth, it becomes a thing of beauty.

I hope this helps! Click here for a great Mercs run -- see description for highlights with time stamps; they're a bit late, so rewind each a bit! (My favorite part: dropping remote bombs while sliding!)


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EDIT: ATTENTION 360 USERS:

Square = X
Circle = B
X (Action Button) = A
R1 = Right Trigger
R2 = Right Bumper

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UPDATE #1: Amar has kindly created a downloadable PDF manual of the above tips, and even took the liberty of adding an introduction. What a guy! See below. :)

To all interested, I have created a PDF file out of OP guides.

You can grab it here in US superior Letter format:
http://www.pdf-archive.com/2012/10/11/resident-evil-6-advanced-controls-guide-ps3-1/

Preview:

Cj78N.jpg
UPDATE #2:

Here's a link to an official manual from Capcom -- shame on them for not including it with the game, but it's here if you want it: http://game.capcom.com/manual/bio6/en/index.html
 
hahah this reminds me of the "reviewer guides" gaming journalists received after Lair was shipped.

lair-20070907112113601.jpg


"OUR GAME ISN'T A COMPLETE PIECE OF SHIT, YOU HAVE TO LEARN THE CONTROLS FIRST."
 
No offense, but if it isnt spelled out in the manual or the game never makes it explicitly known that these options are available, well, then the game has really messed up. These instructions are at such a level of complexity that it makes the likes of Blazblue blush, and it comes from one of the pioneers in the realm of the third person shooter genre, Capcom. Such a shame.
 

EloquentM

aka Mannny
No offense, but if it isnt spelled out in the manual or the game never makes it explicitly known that these options are available, well, then the game has really messed up. These instructions are at such a level of complexity that it makes the likes of Blaze Blue blush, and it comes from one of the pioneers in the realm of the third person shooter genre, Capcom. Such a shame.
OP IS the manual
 

koryuken

Member
No offense, but if it isnt spelled out in the manual or the game never makes it explicitly known that these options are available, well, then the game has really messed up. These instructions are at such a level of complexity that it makes the likes of Blaze Blue blush, and it comes from one of the pioneers in the realm of the third person shooter genre, Capcom. Such a shame.

OT, I appreciate your effort to help other gamers. However, when someone needs to make a thread to explain the controls for a game...and said controls cannot be easily figured out via playing the game, it is a pretty big failure.
 

Papercuts

fired zero bullets in the orphanage.
I would add controls for the 360 version as well since the R1 doesn't directly translate to RB.

Also, you rapidly regain stamina if you jump on your back too.
 

Dance Inferno

Unconfirmed Member
Some corrections: You press R1 to shoulder check from a run, not R2. And to quick recover you can just hold X and back instead of mashing on X.
 
And Capcom wonders why their games aren't accessable enough to sell more. How is a control scheme this complicated not explained in-game?
 

Neiteio

Member
The controls aren't complex, and certainly not complex like a fighting game. Boot up the demo and give them a try: at most you're aiming and while aiming, tapping the Action button and a direction. That's how you do the tactical roll, for example. :)

This game has fantastic combat mechanics. The problem is the game does not articulate these core mechanics anywhere in the game outside of brief Loading screen tips -- and the game doesn't even come with a physical manual! But man is this game addictive when you learn its major new additions (sliding, rolling, etc) and learn all the nuanced ways you can use them. The battles are ever-evolving and you have the tricks to approach each situation in numerous ways.
 

Mitsurux

Member
great OP.. i didn't know half of those....

You would think that with so many new mechanics added to the games systems that they would have at least had some sort of printed control insert (if they were not going to do a full manual)
 

AlexBasch

Member
Nice guide. Expected those kind of responses though. If people don't want to play it, it's their loss. Better post this in the OT I guess.
 

border

Member
I read 5 paragraphs and decided I would rather skip RE6 completely than learn all that stuff.

Reminds me of when Metal Gear Solid started to get mega-convoluted and you had to simultaneously hold down like 3 buttons just to shoot a dude.
 
I would add controls for the 360 version as well since the R1 doesn't directly translate to RB.

Also, you rapidly regain stamina if you jump on your back too.

Yep, useful but needs 360 controls added. Still amazing how many of us had to find these things out ourselves when Capcom should have had a thorough tutorial and simple old manual at hand for reference.
 

Valnen

Member
I read 5 paragraphs and decided I would rather skip RE6 completely than learn all that stuff.

Reminds me of when Metal Gear Solid started to get mega-convoluted and you had to simultaneously hold down like 3 buttons just to shoot a dude.

So you don't like games with any sort of depth to them?
 

elcapitan

Member
I figured out most of this stuff by messing around in the first ten minutes. The most important thing to remember is stamina recovery in cover (or on the ground), using two analog sticks for the QTE, keeping one trigger button held down for the climbing QTE, and painting targets with L1/LT and circle/B.
 

border

Member
So you don't like games with any sort of depth to them?

If I wanted a game this heavy on complex melee combat I'd rather just play Bayonetta.

And as others will probably point out, establishing an arcane system of simultaneous button presses for simple actions does not add depth to a game.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
hahah this reminds me of the "reviewer guides" gaming journalists received after Lair was shipped.

"OUR GAME ISN'T A COMPLETE PIECE OF SHIT, YOU HAVE TO LEARN THE CONTROLS FIRST."

:lol Seriously.

Mitsurux said:
You would think that with so many new mechanics added to the games systems that they would have at least had some sort of printed control insert (if they were not going to do a full manual)

Or outside the load screens. Like oh in... the OPTIONS menu, perhaps?

What OP doesn't tell you is that you can do all this stuff in Biohazard 6 but it's still a hunk of steamy shit.
 

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
I hope people complaining this is all too complex, haven't been the same ones previously complaining that modern games are on-rails with simplistic play mechanics so as not to confuse the modern, pampered gamer.

This isn't too complex btw; it's nuanced. In the actual game all this comes together incredibly well and the enemy design and behavior is intended to allow the player to learn how to play the game well - not just throw themselves a checkpoint until they make it through.

This probably factors into RE6's Mercenaries mode, where all of these tactical options can really take center stage.

Capcom does fail for not properly explaining or providing tips for stuff like this in the game itself. Yet, it seems ironic that for all RE6 has been slammed for completing the process of "selling out" into a western cinematic Uncharted style, its execution (much like the execution of Dragon's Dogma) is mechanically dense and predicated on learning to play the game being a real skill. Which seems to be a hallmark of Japanese game design.
 
How do I fix the camera?
How do I eliminate the QTEs?

Amateur mode is not supposed to have any QTEs based on the description in the game. For the camera, just wait for the PC version. I am positive the camera will be one of the first things that people will find how to change.
 
No offense, but if it isnt spelled out in the manual or the game never makes it explicitly known that these options are available, well, then the game has really messed up. These instructions are at such a level of complexity that it makes the likes of Blaze Blue blush, and it comes from one of the pioneers in the realm of the third person shooter genre, Capcom. Such a shame.

OT, I appreciate your effort to help other gamers. However, when someone needs to make a thread to explain the controls for a game...and said controls cannot be easily figured out via playing the game, it is a pretty big failure.

I didn't read the OP defending what Capcom did, hell in the topic title he says Capcom didn't teach anything.
 

Prezhulio

Member
yeesh, the only thing that sounds good about any of these is the paint the target for your ai partner, since i had just assumed they were as bad as RE5s at least i'll be able to give them some context of what i need them to do.

also- tips for QTE's? is this game really that mechanically bad? i'm weary of even picking it up on the cheap this holiday...
 

Neiteio

Member
I hope people complaining this is all too complex, haven't been the same ones previously complaining that modern games are on-rails with simplistic play mechanics so as not to confuse the modern, pampered gamer.

This isn't too complex btw; it's nuanced. In the actual game all this comes together incredibly well and the enemy design and behavior is intended to allow the player to learn how to play the game well - not just throw themselves a checkpoint until they make it through.

This probably factors into RE6's Mercenaries mode, where all of these tactical options can really take center stage.

Capcom does fail for not properly explaining or providing tips for stuff like this in the game itself. Yet, it seems ironic that for all RE6 has been slammed for completing the process of "selling out" into a western style cinematic Uncharted style, its execution (much like the execution of Dragon's Dogma) is mechanically dense and predicated on learning to play the game being a real skill. Which seems to be a hallmark of Japanese game design.
Exactly. Look up the vid "High Seas Fortress" on YouTube: That's RE6 the way it's meant to be played. The game is ridiculously fun when you're sliding and rolling and throwing yourself all over the place, busting out kung-fu moves and quick-shooting enemies. And the way the enemies change, the variety of the encounters, it all comes together for a very unique and fun action game. My first impression of the demo was the complete opposite, but then on a whim I tried again, learned some of these tricks, and it clicked: the pacing, the flow of battles, even the basic act of exploring became so much fun. :)
 
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