By: RJ (@rga_02)
- Resident Evil Revelations 2
- Developer - Capcom
- Publisher - Capcom
- PC, PlayStation 3 & 4, Xbox 360 & One (reviewed on the Xbox One)
- Rating - M
Despite what you might think about Resident Evil 4, there is no denying that game set the path for how the current mainline Resident Evil games plays out. Fans now long for the “pure” survival horror feel that the series was once known for. In 2012, Capcom answered to those cries by releasing Resident Evil Revelations. It was a throwback to classic Resident Evil with modern mechanics. Now, it’s time for a sequel that isn’t bound by limitations of a handheld, but the twist this time is that it is an episodic adventure.
Set between Resident Evil 5 & 6, you play as Claire (from Resident Evil 2/Code Veronica) joined by Moira (the daughter of the game’s other protagonist, Barry - from Resident Evil, who is also joined by a little girl named Natalia). Together, they find themselves trapped in an dull island prison. And when I say it’s dull, you’d be better off looking at a plank of wood for eye candy. Of course, you could be saying, “well, it’s a prison, what more do you need?” And there lies the problem. Prison settings in horror are overdone. Every corridor (and I know my corridors) and room looks the same and uninspired. The puzzles in the first act were also bare to the bones easy. Then again, there hasn’t been any challenging puzzles since Resident Evil 4. The enemies were also pretty uninspiring in design and easy to defeat. Just pop em a few times in the head and they are gone. Not to say that the actual combat of the game is also bad, it’s smooth as ever. The AI might be dumb, but there is something satisfying to hitting them with a crowbar. The game forces you to think about what you do with your weapons. You will be punished if you decide to go full Rambo on your enemies.
Despite the overall bland overview of the game, I adore the teamwork found in this game. For example, you can switch from Claire and Moira to perform certain tasks in the game. Moira can use her flashlight to blind your enemy, then you can switch to Claire to shoot em in the head. On the flipside, Natalia can use her powers to warn Barry of any enemies who could be lurking around the corner.
I am a bit wary to see a franchise such as Resident Evil go the episodic route. But when the developer itself doesn’t know which direction to take the franchise in, we should be happy that one of the better games in the series since the 4th installment is getting a sequel. Let’s hope the second episode decide to shine a flashlight on the bland atmosphere.
Editors note: screenshots show in this review were from the PS4. (Provided by former clickbliss writer, Dave - @djdmob) Screenshot functionality was not yet available on the Xbox One at the time of this writing.