A new interview with Resident Evil 6′s Executive Producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi and Director Yoshiaki Hirabayashi on Xbox360Magazine.com was released, in which they promise that they are still “trying to make a horror experience”. Needless to say, from what we’ve heard so far and what they are telling us, I believe they should just embrace the fact that Resident Evil has nothing much to do with fear anymore.

When asked how fans would react to the new instalment, the executive producer claimed, “The way we’ve designed this game, we’ve created a backstory for the new characters that makes them a part of the RE world; they’re going to be new to everyone whether you’re a fan of the series or new to it.”

After reading this I was instantly thrown back to what Masachika Kawata said to Gamasutra. It can’t go unsaid that Resident Evil has manifested itself as a popular franchise and this is how they seem to have decided to advertise it, to the general masses. As Kawata stated, the current market is interested in action titles and that’s what sells (Even though this year we have a seen a slight shift).

“There are a couple of ways we’re trying to differentiate the stories in the game,” Kabayashi went on to explain. “For example we’re trying to incorporate horror elements into all the stories. But as you know horror is a big genre and there are different types of horror. So Leon’s story is more traditional gothic horror, while Chris is in battle, and as he fights his way and moves forward the things that he encounters are horrific in their own way.”

Now while we are told repeatedly that Leon is supposed to take players through a more horror oriented storyline, though dive roles and zombie kicks leave me skeptical. What turns my skepticism into actual doubts, are claims that there will be “different types of horror” such as “horrific” encounters in battle. It sounds more like they want to build towards exciting setpieces and create the hollywoodifaction form of horror we experience these days.

Hirabayashi finally added, “I think first of all we didn’t want to make a straight up action-type control scheme for the game. We’re still trying to make a horror experience.”

The fact of the matter is, if they’re trying to “incorporate horror elements”, the game isn’t a “horror experience”.

Looking back at the past two games, survival horror was the least on any player’s mind. In my opinion the only reason why the developers behind Resident Evil 6 keep throwing around the word “horror” is because that’s simply the brand they have built with their franchise.

I wish Capcom would stop teasing their fans with statements such as, “We’re still trying to make a horror experience,” and accept the fact that Resident Evil has become an action franchise, the fans have already done so.