?Resident Evil 6? Demo At E3 2012: Character Campaigns Create 3 Games In One, A First In The Franchise?s History

Capcom's Resident Evil 6 is set for a release date of Oct. 2, and will delve into three separate zombie-shooting campaigns. While some players may prefer Leon Kennedy as a protagonist and others Chris Redfield, the upcoming release in the survival-horror franchise gives gamers the chance to choose. Resident Evil 6 was available to play on the show floor at E3 2012, and Game Informer's Ben Hanson provided a gameplay video to give some fans a sneak preview.

This is the first time a Resident Evil game has been available for fans to actually play at E3. In the past, only trailers and demos were revealed.

No bones about it, we're actually getting peoples' hands on the game, Mike Lunn, marketing coordinator for Resident Evil 6, told Game Informer.

With the new Resident Evil release, gamers will have the option to pursue different types of survival horror campaigns. Each of the three characters brings its own personal story to make the gameplay different from the others. For example, Jake Muller's campaign will largely consist of being chased by the Ustanak monster.

It's gonna be that thought in the back of your head of something always on you, something always pursuing you, Lunn said.

Redfield's chapter will include an emphasis on surprise horror, which means that the monsters may be cleverly hidden and will be appear as what they truly are. As Lunn explains, one may see a character that looks like a human, but once that human is shot in the leg, a giant winged creature might explode from inside of it.

We actually like to call it three different games within themselves, said Lunn. They're entire campaigns; they're not just like mini-chapters.

Players also have the option of leaving one campaign to head straight into another if they want a change of pace.

We've never had a game in 'Resident Evil' history that's had this much, at least in my opinion, fan service, Lunn added. There's so many characters. Usually you have one headline character like Claire or Jill or Chris or Leon. But in this one we have a whole cast of characters that are all heavy hitters. And they have their own campaign.

Leon's plot focuses more on story than action, and doesn't include much killing until a little later in the string of events. Wired's Chris Kohler writes that it has a similar feel to the 3DS title Resident Evil: Revelations, and takes place after an event involving the POTUS goes horribly wrong. As Leon scours for survivors, he runs into a man searching for his daughter. When everyone else turns into a zombie, Leon is forced to shoot his way out of an elevator before the demo draws to a close.

If you're on the E3 show floor and you pick the Leon demo, you'll get a lot of story but not much gameplay, Kohler writes.

Redfield's portion of the game involves running across rooftops and buildings, in addition to the so-called surprise monsters mentioned earlier. This campaign lets gamers familiarize themselves with evading attacks and switching among various types of weaponry.

Capcom is attempting to please all different types of gamers with its tri-campaign strategy, and earlier this year the company predicted Resident Evil 6 will be the biggest game of the franchise yet. Following some negative reviews of the latest release Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Capcom is sure to pack a strong punch with its upcoming zombie horror-survival title.

Be sure to check out the video at Game Informer to see the game for yourself.