Resident Evil 6

[Vito]

Revelations also had a marker (on the map though, but still) and wasn't linear like RE5.

[Tyrant Rose]

At the risk of everybody yelling at me, has RE ever truly been non-linear?

[Dracarys]

At the risk of everybody yelling at me, has RE ever truly been non-linear?

No, bar a few select exceptions across the series the games are linear, wasting time in areas you should not be in or do not need be in doesn't change this and usually holds no negative aside from wasting time. They all end up dead ends until you follow the linear path set out. A truly non linear game would be for example Skyrim, you go where you want, do what you want, rarely get stopped from this.

[Pikminister]

No, bar a few select exceptions across the series the games are linear, wasting time in areas you should not be in or do not need be in doesn't change this and usually holds no negative aside from wasting time. They all end up dead ends until you follow the linear path set out. A truly non linear game would be for example Skyrim, you go where you want, do what you want, rarely get stopped from this.

I agree. I dunno why people keep bringing up the whole linear issue when most of the RE games were totally linear. I'm sorry but the constant backtracking in most of the games doesn't make it any less linear in my eyes. I never got lost in any of them. Regardless if they had a marker indicating the way or not. Hell, there were so linear that I never used the MAPS that you find the games.

So let's skip that inane issue and tackle some other ones that are more relevant to the series.

[News Bot]

There is no real issue with a game being "linear" or not. It really just depends on the actual game design and level design. The Metal Gear games are linear. The Resident Evil games are linear (with backtracking). Silent Hill is linear (with backtracking).

People like to confuse "progression" with "linear" these days, hearkening back to games that did the exact same thing. Not every game is of a sand-box or mission-orientated nature. Now if lack of exploration was the complaint, then you'd have something to stand on.

[Det. Beauregard]

Now if lack of exploration was the complaint, then you'd have something to stand on.

That is indeed my complaint. But I also see the word "linear" as it pertains to games differently than some of you do. To me, linearity is a point A to point B affair, like a roller coaster or a long road with no intersections or side streets. Backtracking negates linearity, since you are not heading along a straight line for the entire game (like most of RE5, for example). The older games in the series may have had a vague sense of linearity to them (the only way out of the police station in RE2 is either through Irons' office or the kennel, depending on the character), but the maze-style of gameplay (starting at the center of a maze and unlocking your way out of it) is simply not linear.

Am I the only one who liked backtracking? It seems a lot of gamers these days are fed up with it, but to me, the environments don't come to life if you're just passing through them once. Would the main hall of the Arklay mansion or the RPD be as iconic as they are if they were just a pit stop along your journey? This was RE5's problem - it had no locales that came to life, since you never spent enough time immersed in them. I can't be the only one who despises this kind of linear nature of modern games...

[CrimsonElder]

There are not many games that have been linear...ever. You got your Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout, Most games by Rockstar. Theres not many. I wouldnt want Re as a linear game. Open and spacious not scary tight and confined scary! Can anyone say Dead Space. I dont think we have ever had a linear game because it wont work.

[Canas Renvall]

There are not many games that have been linear...ever. You got your Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout, Most games by Rockstar. Theres not many. I wouldnt want Re as a linear game. Open and spacious not scary tight and confined scary! Can anyone say Dead Space. I dont think we have ever had a linear game because it wont work.

Well... if that was the case, we'd all be in video game stone age because Mario would be a broken game.

However, I strongly believe non-linearity is not necessary for horror. I don't mind backtracking at all, but I don't think it's essential to making a game scary by any means.

[Pikminister]

There are not many games that have been linear...ever. You got your Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout, Most games by Rockstar. Theres not many. I wouldnt want Re as a linear game. Open and spacious not scary tight and confined scary! Can anyone say Dead Space. I dont think we have ever had a linear game because it wont work.

I guess News Bot was right... people get open world exploration and linearity a bit confused.

[Wrathborne]

No, bar a few select exceptions across the series the games are linear, wasting time in areas you should not be in or do not need be in doesn't change this and usually holds no negative aside from wasting time. They all end up dead ends until you follow the linear path set out. A truly non linear game would be for example Skyrim, you go where you want, do what you want, rarely get stopped from this.

Soooo...kind of like most of RE4's level design?

[Reston]

I think some of you may be confusing linear with what you're referring to as "Metroidvania" (for those not understanding, cross between Metroid and Castlevania SOTN style) which allowed you to explore multiple areas from the beginning but you really couldn't progress unless you had certain key items. RE0, RE1, RE2, RE3, RECV, REOB, REOBFile2, and REDA all sort of had this style. You could explore some areas which would be open but you couldn't get to much further unless you had certain items. To a degree, RE4 allowed this but it wasn't as open as the earlier games. RE5 really didn't have any exploration and you couldn't even get to another area unless your partner was with you. I don't know if RE6 is going to bring some of this style back or not but it is what it is.

[CrimsonElder]

I guess News Bot was right... people get open world exploration and linearity a bit confused.

I know what linear is, just those games that I mentioned happened to be both. Im a level 15 on PS3 I own almost every console I know what linear is lol. Thanks though.

[Pikminister]

I know what linear is, just those games that I mentioned happened to be both. Im a level 15 on PS3 I own almost every console I know what linear is lol. Thanks though.

It's okay. Now I see that you were talking just about the games you were familiar with. And with most of them being relatively recent.

I think some of you may be confusing linear with what you're referring to as "Metroidvania" (for those not understanding, cross between Metroid and Castlevania SOTN style) which allowed you to explore multiple areas from the beginning but you really couldn't progress unless you had certain key items. RE0, RE1, RE2, RE3, RECV, REOB, REOBFile2, and REDA all sort of had this style. You could explore some areas which would be open but you couldn't get to much further unless you had certain items. To a degree, RE4 allowed this but it wasn't as open as the earlier games. RE5 really didn't have any exploration and you couldn't even get to another area unless your partner was with you. I don't know if RE6 is going to bring some of this style back or not but it is what it is.

There is no need to get confused over it. A linear game is one that limits how you can solve challenges/problems (and it what order). Where most of what you can do in the game is fixed and you cannot stray away much from the preset path.

A non linear game usually provides you with a different set of challenges to get from point A to point B. And where you have the option to solve problems in a different order.

RE games have been pretty linear for the most part. Having "maze-like" maps or the backtracking doesn't change the fact that you rarely have more than just one way to solve a puzzle, unlocking a door or activating a cutscene in order to keep progressing through the game.

In my opinion, RE6 just needs to bring back the survival element, above anything else.

[Tyrant Rose]

In my opinion, RE6 just needs to bring back the survival element, above anything else.

Capcom has pretty much promised this in Leon's scenario. Though to be honest, some of the Tall Oaks gameplay from the trailers looked pretty dang action-y to me. Hopefully we'll know more after E3 next month.

[Pikminister]

Capcom has pretty much promised this in Leon's scenario. Though to be honest, some of the Tall Oaks gameplay from the trailers looked pretty dang action-y to me. Hopefully we'll know more after E3 next month.

I hope this scenario is a long one. It would be depressing if it's just a couple of stages or that it ends just when you're getting into the groove of things. And only having two action-packed scenarios to look forward to.