3D to HD-action then back to survival horror? Is Capcom’s beloved franchise returning to its roots in this ported 3DS Resident Evil? Find out in this review.
Story
Resident Evil: Revelations tells the story of a bioterrorist group called ‘Veltro’ who have created a new kind of virus called the T-Abyss virus. Much like the well known T-Virus the T-Abyss virus is injected into the body or into the seas. Like the T-virus, it sends parasitic structures into the body, turning any human or animal into a terrible human flesh devouring manifestation known as Oozes.
The main settlement is RE:R a ship called The Queen Zenobia placed in the middle of the ocean, once used by Veltro as one of the main bases responsible for creating the new virus. Now abandoned, it must be investigated and here you step into the shoes of everyone’s favourite Resident Evil heroine Jill Valentine accompanied by a new RE character Parker Luciani to learn more about the new virus.
The Queen Zenobia is probably the best area in the whole Revelations story, with dark, very eerie cabins, small, narrow hallways which provide heart pounding anticipation where the enemies burst out of vents or turn into disgusting gooey substance to slide into the vents. This does a good job of offering a few jump scares, it’s just a shame that most of the enemies aren’t actually that scary; they are so laughable that they look like they should be in an episode of Ben 10 or Doctor Who.
Although The Queen Zenobia is the area you will spend most of the campaign in, there are other areas in the game and you do play as other characters such as Chris Redfield and Jill’s partner Parker. These missions are not very exciting and at times feel that they are tacked on to make the story longer. The acting in the story is good but can be very cheesy and cringworthy most of the time with awful quotes that will make you say “My God did he or she really say that?” And the overall story is rather confusing having flashbacks that make you feel the developers think you should know what on earth is going on.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Revelations is very much the same as Resident Evil 4-6 with the over the shoulder view, slow moving and gun rotating which does bring fear but more a sense of frustration when an enemy is about to hit you but your character moves far too slowly to stop it. Fortunately you can move whilst you shoot and reload instead of standing in the one spot. Sadly you cannot run which was a good addition to RE 6.
The AI in the game can either be very helpful or the worst friend you could have during an outbreak. It will either take out enemies with 2 or 3 shots or most of the time stand in the corner hammering bullets into the shoulder of an enemy. It makes you relieved that the campaign is not co-op similar to RE:5 or you would be shouting at the AI like a raving lunatic as they waste all that hardearned ammunition.
Healing in the game is still done by using herbs but there are no red or yellow ones. This is both good and bad depending on how you look at it, as you can simply heal yourself to full by using a standard green herb alone but it removes the fear of trying to find that red or yellow herb to mix with the green to make a large herb case.
Raid Mode
Revelations has no competitive multiplayer modes like RE 4 Versus mode but has a cooperative mode known as Raid Mode. This is probably my favourite game mode to come to an RE game since the original Mercenaries mode. Raid Mode has a variety of stages taken from the story mode and you have to get from one area to another in a certain time or eliminate all the enemies in a certain place.
Bonuses can be earned in this mode commonly known as BP (Bonus Points) by either successfully completing the level without getting hit or achieving 100% accuracy. All the characters in the story can be played in Raid Mode and each has their own masteries with certain weapon types which makes each character worth playing. The game can be played with a friend strictly online and has 3 difficulties that are unlocked by going through the stages and the story. The difficulties are Chasm (easy), Trench (normal) and Abyss (Hard).
Graphics
Considering Revelations is a 3DS port the graphics do well on the big screen offering crisp HD visuals. If compared with other PS3 games the game looks very dated but that doesn’t really take anything away from the experience.
Verdict
Revelations is a good game and survival horror does make a small return to the franchise. It’s just a shame the enemies are very gimmicky-looking and not at all scary. If you’re a huge fan of Resident Evil then you should definitely pick it up, but if you’re not then it could be a pick up in the bargain bin.
I give Resident evil: Revelations a 7.2/10
Pros: Survival horror is back; Raid Mode; NG+
Cons: Rather dull story with tacked-on missions; cheesy acting
