Now that the Echo Six Expansion Pack DLC is complete and fully released, I can review it in full. The first mission of the Echo Six Expansion Pack that allows you to play the campaign mode from the perspective of the SPEC OPS instead of the U.S.S. is free. However, the 6 missions following it are split into two DLC packs with 3 levels each at $9.99/800 MSP each.
The missions take you through the various areas of Raccoon City and let you experience the game from the heroes point of view. You’ll run into Leon & Claire, Jill & Carlos, Sherry and of course Nemesis along your journey. The levels are far better laid out and designed than anything seen in the U.S.S. campaign, the missions are actually relevant and fun and boss battles are exciting rather than sigh inducing.
You’ll encounter Jill and have to protect her from the Nemesis as he makes his way through the crowds and hunts her down and square off with him in three seperate boss battles, all different from the last. He actually bothers to use his Rocket Launcher this time around as well and his tentacles.
You’ll meet Claire and help her find Sherry in the Sewers and then have to guide Sherry and protect her from all the flesh eating zombies that would love to snack on her. You’ll also run into her father and actually do battle with him this time around rather than simply flee. You’ll also visit the Dead Factory and take part in the ill-fated battle against the army of Tyrants sent to dispose of you and get the assistance of the Rail Cannon to help you deal with them.
There’s a lot more as well, but, needless to say, while the core gameplay never changes the campaign itself is just a lot more thought out and fun. It feels like they rushed the U.S.S. campaign and threw everything together in such a half-assed way. Yet, they actually seemed to take their time to care and bother with the SPEC OPS campaign. When you play the Echo Six Expansion you actually feel like you’re playing Resident Evil, something that never crosses your mind when playing through Wolfpacks campaign.
As mentioned, levels are better designed and laid out. Objectives make more sense and fit in with the situation. There’s an on-going sense of purpose for your team that was completely absent with the U.S.S. Your team has a level of personality and charisma to them again, that was completely lacking with Wolfpack. And the missions actually make an effort to fit you into the Resident Evil world with numerous cameos involving the heroes of the series and you assisting them.
In Wolfpack’s campaign, cameos were little more than just that, cameos. They served little to no purpose and felt shoe-horned in. With Echo Six, you actually feel intertwined with the characters even if the missions go against the existing canon.
There isn’t much new introduced in the DLC outside of the addition of flares which surprisingly add a fun level of interest to the levels through their use of darkness and limited light to make the hordes of mutants and zombies coming at you more intense. As well, there’s one new enemy in the final boss. The final Boss battle is easily the best boss battle in the game and actually manages to mimic the true feeling of a boss battle in other RE games rather than simply fire fights or gimmick battles.
Indeed, the final battle has three stages to it and is incredibly long. The boss has devastating attacks and moves quick and sharp. The more damage he takes, the greater a threat he becomes with more vicious attacks being unleashed. As well, other enemies enter the fray halfway through the battle and create even greater tension making the final battle very memorable. The Ending is far better than the U.S.S. campaigns although it leaves the player and the characters no better than Wolfpack regardless, thus making it baffling.
The DLC also adds new maps to Versus Mode which allow you to play on some of the new levels such as the Foundry and whatnot which has it’s own unique gimmicks added to the mix like the Crucibles that can be used on other players. However, finding matches with 4+ other players with the DLC on Versus is very rare and the inability to actually host matches means your chances of getting to play those DLC levels are as well, rare.
All in all, the DLC is surprisingly good and worth playing. The only problems come in the asking price of $20 extra for 6 levels and some versus maps. Much of which honestly should have been included with the original game, especially considering how lackluster the original game was. So while the DLC is definitely worth playing and far better than what’s on the disc, I’m not sure everyone will be able to justify an additional $20 on an overall mediocre game.
- Better Designed and Interesting Levels and characters with numerous cameos
- Much improved and more immersive Boss Battles
- Doesn’t feel rushed like the U.S.S. campaign did
- $20 extra to compensate for the abysmal original campaign
- Ending is still weak
- A few of the levels, like City Hall, are lackluster generic fights against the U.S.S. drones
Score: 4/5
