Capcom
Game: Resident Evil Revelations Collection
Console: Nintendo Switch (Reviewed)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Review copy supplied by the publisher.
The Resident Evil series is one that has suffered a rather noticeable identity crisis over the past few years. While the franchise was originally known for delivering harrowing survival horror gameplay, the series shifted to a more action-focused direction after the release of Resident Evil 4. This was met with a mixed reception, as many condemned the lack of horror focused elements. This changed when Capcom released Resident Evil Revelations back in 2012 for the 3DS which focused more on tension and scares. Both this game and its sequel, Resident Evil Revelations 2, received a fair amount of praise from critics and fans alike. Now, nearly two years later after Revelations 2 released this horror series has come full circle and arrived on Nintendo’s newest console.
For the unfamiliar, the Resident Evil Revelations Collection is broken up across two games each with multiple chapters. Players will assume the roles of franchise icons like Clair Redfield, Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Barry Burton as they unravel another mystery around a deadly virus. Both plots are filled with the normal levels of deception, governmental conspiracy, terrorists, and monsters that have come to define a large portion of this franchise. Players will constantly find themselves assuming different roles throughout each game’s roughly 8 to 10-hour long campaign. This not only helps fill in some of the story gaps but provides a nice sense of scope for many of the gruesome events.
The stand out of the two is undoubtedly Resident Evil Revelations, which places players on a dormant cruise ship filed with infected vacationers. It’s terrifyingly claustrophobic that allows combat to always feel tense, especially since the main enemies can basically climb out of any part of the environment. Revelations also makes great use of the different types of places one would find on a luxury ship. Multiple locations ooze with personality thanks to some of the best art direction in the entire franchise. In contrast, Revelations 2 offers a more traditional set of places to kill foes. While this entertaining, it does grow stale after a few hours since many of the main areas are just variations of creepy hallways.
Sadly the visuals did not hold up as well in the transition, with both games looking quite dated. Revelations suffers the most from this since the character models look extremely ugly and many of the textures lack a sense of realism. This title really needed a facelift, so it’s a shame that nothing special was done to enhance the game’s graphics. The second title does fair slightly better thanks to improved lighting, but it only ends up highlighting how poor the first game looks. However, if you do plan to play mostly in the handheld mode then the visuals aren’t nearly as noticeable.
Thankfully, during my time with both games, I didn’t suffer any technical problems outside of the occasional wonky A.I. or pop in textures. The only real issue is that Revelations 2 suffers some fairly long load times that can kill the pacing of the game. Additionally, the UI’s for both titles doesn’t feel optimized for handheld mode and it can be a strain on the eyes at times. Motion controls make a return and if you decide to play with them on they are quite responsive.
Once the fight goes online there were little issues and Raid mode still serves as a delightful piece of side content for fans. Despite not being as robust in the first Revelations, there is still enough content here to sate any co-op needs. If you are aiming to only play online or with a friend then you’ll want to just pick up second game in this series. Users can also play local co-op in Revelations 2, but it’s a bit awkward at times if you only have one Joy-Con apiece. Overall the online component is clearly strongest with the second game, but both are stable enough if you want to slay hordes of the undead with others.
The real issue is the lack of any new content to entice returning players to pick this version of the game up. Both titles have separate retro style arcade games, but they are underwhelming in the grand scheme of things. With a lack of visual upgrades or any new content outside of two mini-games, there isn’t a whole lot of draw for those who’ve already beaten this series. That being said, for $20 each these games are worth their relatively cheap price tag.
Bottom Line
Resident Evil Revelations Collection is a cheap, but entertaining games for those looking for more Mature focused titles on the Switch. Both of these games offer strong campaigns and a solid multiplayer component that can easily eat up around a dozen hours each. There were no real performance issues with either game, but the visuals do show their age. The only major issue is that neither game offers a good enough reason to return for those who’ve played these titles. The mini-games are disposable, so don’t expect any big single or multiplayer additions. Despite this, Resident Evil Revelations Collection is still a damn good time. Now can we please get a port of Resident Evil VII?
Score: 8/10
Pros
- Great single-player campaigns
- Revelations 2’s Raid mode
- Mix of horror and action
- Good price
Cons
- Visuals in need of an update
- No draw for returning players