Resident Evil: Revelations Review

With the release of Resident Evil 6, many people are doubting the series; even those lifelong fans of the game – due to it’s severe lack of originality and transfer to the action genre; but with Resident Evil Revelations 2 being rumoured for the 3DS XL – is the series really heading towards its firey destruction, or is it just like a phoenix waiting to be reborn from the ashes?

The game itself shocked me more than any Resident Evil has; from the moment you turn it on and enter the game, it has the classic survival horror feel that came with the original Resident Evil which seemed to be lost a long time ago. What was the most shocking thing about the game? Its breath taking graphics; i’m not quite sure whether or not it’s because it’s in 3D; but seeing Jill Valentine that close up, in such amazing detail was like seeing her for the first time, absolutely stunning, and even though the cut-scenes match in game graphics; which is more often than not considered to be a bad thing, in this case – it just kept the same level of beauty steam rolling the entire way through the game, and keeping everything glossy and appealing. Even the loading screens were delicious, and held a somewhat spooky – bio-terrorist related poise, that kept one chapter flowing into the next.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9zExBn2qzc?modestbranding=1

Gameplay was something that seemed almost hindered, unfortunately – without the usage of a circle pad pro, the main appeal of the game fades away, but it makes it all that much more desirable to own a circle pad pro. Why? Because unlike any Resident Evil game that came before it the circle pad pro enables you to walk and shoot at the same time; impressive, right? This is exactly the progression I was talking about. The in game controls were simple enough to use, even without it, and maintained a constant usage of both the buttons and the touch screen; using the buttons for basic movements (such as; walking, shooting and action buttons) and then the touch screen for weapon and item management. The touch screen can also be used to access something else we’ve never seen in a Resident Evil game before; the scanner is used to obtain information and viral samples from the undead you’ve just about finished off, and can also be used to find items that are otherwise unseeable to the naked eye.

Unlike the many that proceeded it; Resident Evil Revelations finally managed to clock on with the voice acting; and after years of trying – Capcom finally shook loose the traditional cheesy voice actors they picked up in their first game and instead gained some genuine actors, who produced stunning vocal performances enough to combine with the stunning storyline and give you the chills, constantly. Not only the but the audio/visual strengths that come with the 3DS are entirely used and absorbed by this game, making it one hell of a handheld experience.

Personally, I think Nintendo is holding the torch for Capcom’s longest running series, and can honestly pull it out of the bag when it comes to holding the second title in this mini series. A score? Out of 100? I’d probably say around 85%ish – for its stunning graphics, beautiful storyline, and wonderful gameplay, Resident Evil Revelations is truly a treasure and an innovation for handheld consoles.