Mastering Skill Points in Resident Evil 6: A Comprehensive Guide
Resident Evil 6, a polarizing yet undeniably ambitious entry in the long-running survival horror franchise, throws players into a global pandemic scenario with multiple interwoven campaigns. While the game’s action-heavy focus might have divided fans, one of its core mechanics, the Skill Point system, allows for significant customization and strategic advantages. Understanding how to effectively earn and utilize Skill Points is crucial for maximizing your survivability and enjoying the game to its fullest. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the Skill Point system in Resident Evil 6, covering everything from earning them to spending them wisely.
## What are Skill Points?
Skill Points (SP) are the in-game currency used to purchase and upgrade various skills that enhance your character’s abilities. These skills provide a wide range of benefits, from increasing your weapon proficiency and healing efficiency to improving your overall combat effectiveness and survivability. Think of them as perks that shape your character build and tailor your gameplay experience to your preferred style.
Unlike traditional level-up systems, Skill Points are a shared resource across all four campaigns in Resident Evil 6 (Leon/Helena, Chris/Piers, Jake/Sherry, and Ada). This means that Skill Points earned in one campaign can be used to purchase skills for characters in any other campaign. This interconnected system encourages players to experiment with different characters and campaigns, as progress in one benefits the others.
## How to Earn Skill Points
Earning Skill Points is relatively straightforward, but maximizing your gains requires understanding the different methods available. Here’s a breakdown:
* **Defeating Enemies:** This is the most common and consistent way to earn Skill Points. Most enemies you encounter will drop a small amount of SP upon defeat. The amount of SP dropped varies depending on the enemy type, with stronger and more challenging enemies yielding larger rewards. Certain enemy variations, like those with mutations or special abilities, often provide a higher SP payout.
* **Completing Chapters:** Each chapter of each campaign awards a significant amount of Skill Points upon completion. This serves as a reward for progressing through the story and overcoming challenges. The amount of SP awarded at the end of a chapter generally increases with the chapter’s difficulty and length. Keep in mind that completing a chapter on a higher difficulty setting will typically grant you even more SP.
* **Finding Emblems (Serpent Emblems):** Scattered throughout each campaign are hidden Serpent Emblems. These emblems are collectibles that, when found, reward you with a substantial amount of Skill Points. Finding all the emblems in a campaign can provide a significant boost to your SP reserves. They are often hidden in obscure locations, requiring thorough exploration and a keen eye. Use online guides or video walkthroughs if you’re having trouble finding them all.
* **Completing Quick Time Events (QTEs):** Many scenes in Resident Evil 6 feature Quick Time Events (QTEs). Successfully completing these QTEs not only allows you to progress but also often rewards you with a small amount of Skill Points. Missing a QTE can result in damage, death, or simply missing out on the SP reward.
* **Using the BSAA Emblems:** Similar to Serpent Emblems, BSAA Emblems are hidden throughout the campaigns. These usually give you points and are an extra to look for.
* **Playing on Higher Difficulties:** As mentioned earlier, playing on higher difficulties significantly increases the amount of Skill Points earned from all sources. While the game will be more challenging, the increased SP rewards can make it worthwhile, especially if you’re trying to unlock all the skills quickly. You can always lower the difficulty later if you find it too challenging.
## Where to Spend Your Skill Points: The Skills List
Before diving into specific skill recommendations, let’s take a look at the categories of skills available in Resident Evil 6. The skills are generally categorized to focus on different areas of combat and support.
The Skill Shop can be accessed from the main menu, in-game pause menu (between chapters), or at specific points in the game (usually after finishing a chapter). It displays a list of available skills, their descriptions, their SP cost, and whether or not you have already purchased them. Selecting a skill provides more detailed information about its effects.
Here’s a general overview of the Skill categories (these may overlap depending on the specific skills):
* **Firearms Skills:** These skills enhance your proficiency with various firearms, such as handguns, shotguns, rifles, and magnums. They can increase your weapon’s damage output, reload speed, ammo capacity, and critical hit chance.
* **Melee Skills:** These skills improve your melee attacks, allowing you to deal more damage, perform more powerful combos, and increase your resistance to enemy attacks while performing melee maneuvers.
* **Defense Skills:** These skills focus on improving your survivability, reducing damage taken from enemy attacks, increasing your health regeneration rate, and improving your resistance to status effects.
* **Item Skills:** These skills enhance the effectiveness of items such as first aid sprays, herbs, and ammunition. They can increase the amount of health restored by healing items, increase the amount of ammo dropped by enemies, and improve the duration of status-boosting items.
* **Partner Skills:** These skills affect your AI partner, improving their combat effectiveness, survivability, and resourcefulness. These are great for single-player to make your partner stronger.
* **General Skills:** This category includes a variety of skills that don’t fit neatly into the other categories. These skills can provide benefits such as increased movement speed, faster reloading, and improved stamina.
* **Unique Character Skills:** Some characters have unique skills that are specific to their playstyle and abilities. For example, Ada Wong has skills that enhance her crossbow and grappling hook, while Jake Muller has skills that improve his hand-to-hand combat prowess. These are arguably the most important when playing those characters.
## Recommended Skills and Strategies
Choosing the right skills can make a significant difference in your ability to survive and thrive in Resident Evil 6. Here are some recommended skills and strategies, broken down by playstyle and campaign:
**General Survival and Combat:**
* **Firearms Skills:**
* **Firearms Level 1/2/3:** This is a fundamental skill that increases the overall damage output of all your firearms. It’s a great starting point for any character build, as it directly enhances your offensive capabilities.
* **Reload Speed Up:** Decreasing reload times is incredibly valuable, especially during intense firefights. This skill ensures you spend less time vulnerable while reloading your weapons.
* **Ammo Capacity Up:** Increasing the maximum ammo capacity of your weapons allows you to carry more ammunition, reducing the need to constantly scavenge for supplies. This is particularly useful on higher difficulties where ammo is scarce.
* **Critical Hit Up:** Increasing the chance of landing critical hits can significantly boost your damage output, especially against bosses and tougher enemies. This skill is particularly effective with weapons that have high critical hit potential, such as handguns and magnums.
* **Defense Skills:**
* **Defense Up:** Reducing the amount of damage you take from enemy attacks is essential for survival. This skill provides a passive defense boost that can help you withstand enemy assaults.
* **Recovery Up:** Increasing your health regeneration rate allows you to recover from injuries more quickly, reducing the need to constantly use healing items. This skill is particularly useful for characters who prefer a more aggressive playstyle.
* **Item Drop Up:** Increases the likelihood of enemies dropping items such as ammo and healing items, contributing to resource management.
* **Item Skills:**
* **First Aid Spray Up:** Increases the amount of health restored by first aid sprays, making them more effective at healing injuries. This skill is particularly useful on higher difficulties where healing items are scarce.
* **Herb Effect Up:** Increases the duration of status effects granted by herbs, such as increased attack power or defense. This skill can provide a significant advantage in combat.
* **General Skills:**
* **Stamina Up:** Increases your maximum stamina, allowing you to sprint for longer periods and perform more melee attacks. This skill is particularly useful for characters who rely heavily on melee combat.
* **Item Carrying Capacity Up:** Increases the number of items you can carry, allowing you to hold more ammo, healing items, and other useful supplies. This skill is essential for resource management.
**Specific Campaign and Character Recommendations:**
* **Leon/Helena:**
* **Shotgun Mastery:** Leon is proficient with shotguns, so investing in skills that enhance shotgun performance is a wise choice. Skills like “Shotgun Shell Holder” and “Shotgun Critical” are extremely helpful.
* **Melee Up:** Leon’s melee attacks are relatively strong, so improving his melee skills can make him more effective in close-quarters combat.
* **Chris/Piers:**
* **Assault Rifle Mastery:** Chris is known for his expertise with assault rifles, so focusing on skills that enhance assault rifle performance is highly recommended. Skills like “Assault Rifle Firepower” and “Assault Rifle Reload” can be game-changers.
* **Piers’ Sniper Rifle Skills:** Invest in Piers’ unique sniper rifle skills to maximize his long-range combat effectiveness. His enhanced accuracy and damage output make him a formidable sniper.
* **Jake/Sherry:**
* **Hand-to-Hand Combat Mastery (Jake):** Jake’s hand-to-hand combat skills are his defining trait, so prioritizing skills that improve his melee attacks is essential. Skills like “Melee Power Up” and “Melee Combo Up” will make him a devastating force in close combat.
* **Sherry’s Healing Skills:** Sherry’s ability to heal quickly makes her an excellent support character. Investing in skills that enhance her healing abilities can significantly improve the team’s survivability.
* **Ada Wong:**
* **Crossbow Mastery:** Ada’s crossbow is a versatile weapon, so focusing on skills that enhance its performance is crucial. Skills like “Crossbow Bolt Damage Up” and “Crossbow Reload Speed Up” will make her a deadly marksman.
* **Grappling Hook Proficiency:** Ada’s grappling hook is essential for traversal and strategic positioning. Investing in skills that improve its range and speed can make her even more agile and difficult to hit.
**Specific Skill Combinations and Strategies:**
* **The “Tank” Build:** Combine “Defense Up,” “Recovery Up,” and “First Aid Spray Up” to create a character that can withstand a lot of damage and quickly recover from injuries. This build is ideal for players who prefer a more aggressive playstyle and want to stay in the thick of the action.
* **The “Marksman” Build:** Combine “Firearms Up,” “Critical Hit Up,” and “Reload Speed Up” to create a character that can deal massive damage with firearms and quickly reload their weapons. This build is ideal for players who prefer a more strategic playstyle and want to take down enemies from a distance.
* **The “Medic” Build:** Combine “First Aid Spray Up,” “Herb Effect Up,” and “Item Carrying Capacity Up” to create a character that can effectively heal allies and provide them with useful items. This build is ideal for players who prefer a support role and want to help their teammates survive.
* **Melee Master:** Stack “Melee Up,” “Stamina Up” and “Defense Up” so that your character can withstand hits while delivering devastating blows.
## Skill Point Farming Techniques
If you’re looking to acquire Skill Points quickly, there are a few farming techniques you can employ. However, keep in mind that these methods can become repetitive and might diminish the overall enjoyment of the game.
* **Replaying Chapters on Higher Difficulties:** Replaying chapters on higher difficulties is the most efficient way to earn Skill Points. The increased SP rewards, combined with your knowledge of the chapter’s layout and enemy placements, can allow you to farm SP relatively quickly.
* **Targeting High-Value Enemies:** Certain enemies, such as Ogroman, Napad, and Strelats, offer significantly higher SP rewards than others. Focusing on defeating these enemies can be a more efficient way to earn SP.
* **Using the “Infinite Ammo” Skill (if unlocked):** If you’ve unlocked the “Infinite Ammo” skill for a particular weapon, you can use it to easily defeat enemies and farm SP without having to worry about running out of ammunition. This is particularly effective on lower difficulties where enemies are less challenging.
* **Mercenaries Mode:** While it may not be the fastest method, the Mercenaries mode can be a fun way to earn Skill Points. Earning high scores and completing challenges in Mercenaries mode rewards you with a substantial amount of SP. Also, you can practice your skills against hordes of enemies.
## Common Mistakes to Avoid
* **Spending SP on Useless Skills:** Carefully consider which skills align with your playstyle and character build. Avoid spending SP on skills that you won’t use frequently or that don’t provide significant benefits.
* **Neglecting Defense Skills:** While offensive skills are tempting, neglecting defense skills can make you vulnerable to enemy attacks and significantly reduce your survivability. Prioritize investing in at least one or two defense skills to improve your resilience.
* **Not Experimenting with Different Skills:** Don’t be afraid to experiment with different skills to find what works best for you. The Skill Point system allows for a lot of customization, so take advantage of it to tailor your gameplay experience to your preferences.
* **Ignoring Partner Skills:** In single-player mode, partner skills can be invaluable for improving your AI partner’s combat effectiveness and survivability. Invest in skills that enhance your partner’s strengths and compensate for their weaknesses.
## Conclusion
The Skill Point system in Resident Evil 6 is a robust and rewarding mechanic that allows for significant customization and strategic advantages. By understanding how to earn Skill Points, choosing the right skills, and employing effective strategies, you can significantly enhance your survivability and enjoy the game to its fullest. Remember to experiment with different skills and find what works best for you. Whether you prefer a tank-like character that can withstand a lot of damage or a nimble marksman that can take down enemies from a distance, the Skill Point system provides the tools to create your ideal Resident Evil 6 experience. Happy gaming!