Resident Evil Revelations 2

Developer/Publisher: Capcom

Release Date(s): (full version) Mar. 18, 2015 (North America, PS3, PS4), Mar. 20, 1015 (North America, Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One; Europe, Japan; all versions)

Genre(s): survival horror

Platform(s): Windows, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Language(s): Full support for English, Japanese, German, Spanish, French, Italian; interface and subtitles for Korean, Polish, Br. Portuguese, Chinese (trad.), and Russian

Pricing: $39.99 / £29.99 / €39,99 (full retail version); $24.99 / £19.99 / €24,99 (digital downoad version)

Rating: M (ESRB), 18 (PEGI)

The last few Resident Evil titles were a lot more action-packed than their predecessors, representing a sharp detour from the series' original surival horror path. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is Capcom's attempt to bring the series back to its roots in the horror genre.

Download or disc?

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 can either be purchased as a digital download or as a physical disc from a retail outlet. The retail version includes all four main episodes, the two bonus episodes, the character HUNK, as well as a "Throwback Map Pack" for Raid Mode. It also includes extra costumes for Claire, Moira, Barry, and Natalia for both story mode and Raid Mode, and the character Albert Wesker for Raid Mode. While the retail version goes for about 40 bucks, the digital download version will only set you back 25, but it includes all four main episodes, the two bonus episodes, and HUNK as a playable Raid Mode character.

Four heads are better than two

The main storyline of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 follows two different plot threads, set six months apart. When the story begins in Episode 1, Claire Redfield and her colleague Moira Burton are working for the biohazard prevention agency Terra Save. The two are kidnapped from the organization's headquarters and taken to an isolated facility on a secluded island.

Here, the duo begin their fight for survival, as well as a search for clues that might shed some light on this mysterious island, and who this "Overseer" chick is who's watching them and communicating with them via bracelets on their wrists. After you play through Claire and Moira's part of the story, the action switches over to the other two protagonists. Barry's received a distress call from his daughter Moira, but arrives at the island six months after it was made. There, he meets a young girl by the name of Natalia, who is eager to help him. It soon becomes apparent to Barry that Natalia is no ordinary girl, and together they face down the dangers of the island in their search for Moira.

Welcome back, survival horror

In the course of the four episodes, you'll discover more and more of the story surrounding the island and experience a few surprises along the way. Another cool thing is that things you do in the Claire/Moira storyline, even minor ones, carry over to the Barry/Natalia part. So, for example, if Claire and Moira set up a flamethrower trap, Barry and Natalia will have to disarm it later on to move forward.

Thanks to the Capcom's reemphasis on the survival horror aspects of gameplay, you won't have to shoot your way through the place so much as sneak around experiencing the kind of spine-tingling moments of fear and paranoia the series is known for. There are also little puzzles to solve, red and green herbs to collect, and all kinds of weapons and ammo to find throughout the game; from your basic pistols, to Magnum revolvers, to submachine guns and assault rifles – everything you need to take down your enemies. You can also switch any of the items in your inventory back and forth between whatever characters are currently playable. This makes it so that Moira can collect ammo for Claire, for example, if Claire doesn't have any room left. Once Claire starts to run low, you can take all the ammo Moira's been collecting and move it into Claire's inventory.

Of collectibles, additional modes, and alternative endings

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 isn't particularly innovative in terms of plot or gameplay, but its somewhat more restrained treatment of the series fits the Resident Evil brand a whole lot better than the ones that have you just running around, guns blazing. If you're looking for something more challenging, however, there are different difficulty levels, as well as the possibility of playing the game in invisible mode or countdown mode. In invisible mode, all enemies are well, invisible and in countdown mode you have to finish the level within a certain amount of time, receiving extra seconds for head shots or by destroying time capsules you come across. Both of these modes should really have you on the edge of your seat, and they significantly increase the game's difficulty. There are also two different endings, and which one you see will depend on the decisions you make in the course of the game. And of course there are various collectibles hidden in each level: Tower Emblems, Kafka drawings, notes, locked boxes, and insect larvae all await those curious enough to look for them. So as you can see, there are lots of things here to increase the game's replay value.

The main disadvantage of having Barry and Natalia follow in the footsteps of Claire and Moira is that they go to the same locations, which can be repetitive. The various locations spread throughout each episode are in and of themselves pretty diverse, and they do feel pretty authentic – an old fishing village, a defunct mine, a menacing-looking tower, an abattoir, an old mansion, etc. But in the second part you have to go through the same environments as you did in the first part, just six months later. It is obvious though, that Capcom made an effort to change up the enemies and certain other elements a bit, and also to have you take different paths through the repeated locations.

Murky graphics and boring dialogue

In terms of graphics, Resident Evil: Revelations 2 isn't going to be winning any prizes. The cut scenes don't look all that bad, but graphics enthusiasts are going to find themselves disappointed with the levels themselves. Washed out and poorly detailed textures show up all too often on walls, plants, and other surfaces, and objects can sometimes look so rough and unclear that you don't know whether to laugh or cry. Also, the animations for when you hit an enemy with a bullet or a melee weapons are pretty dull, not offering even the slightest thrill for killing your enemies.

The graphics are all in all pretty average, and the sound in the game is not much better, either. The voice actors do try to breathe life into their characters, but unfortunately their efforts fall flat due to the bad dialogue. Of course this might be a translation issue, but the percentage of people in the English-speaking world (or Europe, for that matter) who play games in Japanese has got to be pretty low. So it sucks that they wasted so much potential here. Nevertheless, the soundtrack does a good job of providing that Resident Evil feel, and the placement of certain pieces and motifs throughout the levels should give you goosebumps from time to time.

With a friend, you're not so alone

One cool feature of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is that you ca play it co-op, though only split-screen on the same console and not online with friends from all over the world, unfortunately. If you do choose to play co-op, one player takes over Claire/Barry and the other person controls Moira/Natalia. In this case, you should probably let the one who's more experienced with shooters do the dirty work as Claire/Barry, since each shot you take that misses can mean getting killed by a boss enemy because you wasted just one round too many. But of course this doesn't make Moira/Natalia any less useful, as they both have important support skills.

While Moira is able to blind enemies with a flashlight and use a crowbar to break open chests or doors, Natalia has some unique sensing abilities. She can see the aura of enemies through walls, allowing her to spot hidden enmies before they ambush her and Barry, and she can also see "into" certain enemies to find their weak spots. Even when you play throuhgh the story alone, you're going to have to switch back and forth between characters. Luckily, the AI is pretty good, and will help you in a bind. So if you're playing as Moira, the computer will take over Claire and keep enemies in check with some well-placed shots. Playing with AI companions rarely gets frustrating, but it would be nice if they showed a bit more initiative, especially with melee attacks.

Raid Mode

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 includes a co-op "Raid Mode" in addition to the main story, which can be played both online and offline. Raid Mode has you complete a series of smaller levels with different objectives in each one. You might have to kill a certain number of enemies, or reach a certain objective or defend one. Playing through these will earn experience points for the character you're playing with and unlock weapons, weapons upgrades, and additional abilities, making you strong enough to take on the more difficult levels. While at the beginning of the game Raid Mode is more or less just a fun diversion, it gets more and more challening and motivating as you keep playing, even when you're playing solo.