‘Resident Evil: Revelations 2’ Review: A Solid Episodic Adventure That Returns to Its Series Roots

Game: Resident Evil: Revelations 2 – Episode 1
Consoles: PC, Xbox One (Reviewed), PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PS Vita
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom

Note: We’ll be reviewing each episode during this game’s weekly release schedule. Make sure you check out each proceeding page to get our final thoughts on Episodes one, two, three, four and five.

Capcom is doing a good job refurbishing the tainted image of Resident Evil. The HD release of the Gamecube remaster introduced fans to the title that started it all. And now, the Revelations sub-series has made its way over from the 3DS to home consoles. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is a welcome return to form that keeps up the momentum for the series return to its former glory. The plot places Claire Redfield back into the dangers involved with bio-terrorism, which is something longtime fans will be pleased to see. Claire is forced to relive the harrowing days she experienced in Code: Veronica, as she gets kidnapped and placed on a new mysterious island. She isn’t alone though, since she works to escape alongside Barry Burton’s daughter Moira Burton.

Claire and Moira’s section of the 1st episode is a tense affair. You’ll have to navigate through the dirty, cavernous tunnels of an underground prison. This new location lends itself well to the series long history of creepy locales. Bloody bodies are strewn around and strange noises pop up from time to time to raise your heard beat rate. Claire is the more offensive member of this duo, thanks to her use of firearms, while Moira aids her ally through the use of a flashlight and crowbar. As expected, teamwork makes the dream work since both characters have to work together to survive during several instances. The fun derived from this playable chapter involves fending off rabid attackers that have been horribly tortured and figuring out what methods will help both ladies escape from their current predicament.

Once you help Claire and Moira make their way out of that horrific prison, fan favorite character Barry Burton returns as a playable character during his mission to come retrieve his daughter. When he arrives at the mysterious island, Barry comes into contact with a strange little girl named Natalia Korda. Barry comes equipped with a powerful arsenal, while Natalia has the power to sense enemies and point out items in the distance. This section is more of an action packed affair with some stealth mechanics thrown in for good measure. The forest section provides some brief moments of horror, but the majority of this portion of Episode 1 focuses on action packed encounters. The dynamic between Barry and Natalia is just as fun as Claire’s and Moira’s, which makes this initial episode offering a nice introduction to the overall story.

The newly upgraded Raid Mode provides an infinitely entertaining Horde Mode like romp. There are several characters to employ, hilarious taunts to tag them with and upgradeable stats to focus on building up. The addictive nature tied to completing the wide variety of missions in this mode will keep you playing this first episode until the 2nd main campaign episode arrives. You’ll get a ton of value out of this package, thanks to the feature filled Raid Mode. This 1st episode is a great effort, but there are a few issues that bring this product down a bit. The graphics don’t shine as much as expected for a former portable game that’s been ported to consoles. And the few scares that exist in both parts of the campaign don’t compare to the old scares of series past. There’s a lot of fun to be had here, though. You’ll just wish there was more of a reason to be just as scared as your onscreen avatars while you’re in the midst of controlling them.

Bottom Line

The 1st episode of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is a solid effort that makes us hopeful for the next episodes. The returning cast of characters will please any Resident Evil fan, plus the two newest allies they arrive with provide fun co-op mechanics. The new and improved Raid Mode is also an awesome addition to this debut episode as well. While we lament the disappointing visuals and lack of scary moments that stick with you long after playing, we still enjoyed our time in this new Resident Evil adventure. We can’t wait for Episode 2.

Score: 8/10

Pros:

• Fun return to the series survival horror roots
• The return of Claire Redfield and Barry Burton is quite welcome
• Raid Mode is incredibly entertaining

Cons:

• Graphics don’t impress much on past and current-gen consoles
• A few jump scares here and there, but both parts of this 1st episode are far from overly scary

Buy Resident Evil: Revelations 2 here.

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Head to the next page for our review of Episode 2.