Resident Evil: Revelations (Nintendo 3DS) Review

Posted by Mark Salmela on 02.09.2012

You have once again entered the world of survival horror.



Title: Resident Evil: Revelations
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Survival Horror
Players: 1 - 2
Rated: M for Mature


Resident Evil: Revelations is a brand new entry in the Resident Evil series, taking place between Resident Evil 4 and 5. Revelations attempts to flesh out the story of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA) which played such a large role in Resident Evil 5. Capcom is also trying to find a healthy mix between traditional survival horror that was so popular from the first 5 or so entries in the Resident Evil franchise and the action gameplay that gained popularity with Resident Evil 5 and to a certain extent Resident Evil 4. How does it fare? Let’s find out.

Revelation’s story takes place mostly on the Queen Zenobia cruise ship after a bioterrorism incident has infected and taken over the ship with the new t-Abyss virus, which is related to the t-virus that Resident Evil fans should remember. For most of the game you take control of series veteran Jill Valentine and her new partner Parker Luciani as they search for Chris Redfield and his new partner Jessica Sherawat after they went missing on the ship several hours earlier.



The first thing to note in Revelations is just how damn good the game looks. Resident Evil: Revelations is far and away the best looking game on the Nintendo 3DS. You’ll be surprised just how good the game looks, regardless of whether or not you have 3D on. It’s not quite up to par with Resident Evil 5, but it’s easy to confuse Revelations as a current generation home console game. There’s dynamic lighting, environmental effects, and detailed textures around every corner. The only problem with the graphics is that sometimes during intense moments the framerate will stutter. This can get particularly bad during some of the game’s more action heavy sequences, but for the majority of the game isn’t a big issue.

Revelations controls just like Resident Evil 4 and 5. Yep, tank controls are back. There are a few options to play with in regards to the controls, including support for the new Circle Pad Pro for dual analog controls, but at the time of this review the Circle Pad Pro was not publicly available, and thus wasn’t available for me to try out. One new control scheme for Revelations is the ability to move and shoot at the same time. This is the first time in the series history that you can move and shoot at the same time. It’s quite helpful in tight corridors, but you can’t aim and move at the same time. The gun will remain stationary as you move. By this point you should know where you stand on Resident Evil’s infamous tank controls. Most people hate it, some like it. Personally I find that the controls take some time to get used to, but after the initial adjustment period the controls work. After all, part of the whole survival horror aspect is feeling helpless, and tank controls can often imply a sense of helplessness.



Resident Evil: Revelations is broken up into different chapters, including an Alan Wake style recap inbetween chapters. I’ll never understand why games do this. It worked in Alan Wake because the story was told as an old fashioned sci-fi show like the Twilight Zone. There’s no point to showing me a recap of what I just did 30 minutes ago in Revelations. It doesn’t make any sense and if anything insults the intelligence of the player. If you can’t remember what you just did 30 minutes ago you’ll never solve some of the game’s more complicated puzzles. Besides, it’s Resident Evil. The story is completely convoluted and over the top. If you’re playing Resident Evil for the narrative you’re making a big mistake. By the half-way point in the game you’ll realize just how ridiculous the story is and stop caring. You’re here for the gameplay and the atmosphere, not the gripping and engaging story.

Resident Evil: Revelations is broken up into 2 different gameplay types. When you’re on the Queen Zenobia Revelations is a very traditional Resident Evil. Supplies are scarce, the atmosphere is intense, and you’re afraid of what’s hiding around the next corner. While the new “infected” enemies in Revelations look absolutely atrocious (they look like sperm covered Tyrants), they are creative enemies that work. These new enemies in Revelations work because since they’re mutations and not zombies they have the ability to form out of seemingly no where, rather than having to hide in “monster closets” which has been a complaint of survival horror games since the beginning. The sections on the cruise ship are far and away the best parts of the game. Revelations is at its best when you feel hopeless and become unnerved by the haunting sounds of the cruise gone wrong.



Things start to fall apart when you’re not on the cruise ship. Revelations let’s you know right from the get go that these sections taking place outside of the cruise ship are completely worthless. The first time you’re taken off the cruise ship you end up spending 30 minutes shooting what appear to be mutated piles of blubber as they slowly crawl towards you. Add in the horrifically boring and repetitive Genesis Scanner and you’ll learn to dread being taken off the cruise ship for the “action” sequences. No seriously, I hate the Genesis Scanner. It’s absolutely horrible. Don’t force the player to start scanning everything in the game in the hopes that they’ll “uncover” an item like a round of bullets. What was wrong with just letting players search the environment? Now you not only have to search the environment, but you now have to do it holding a completely useless device and you have to hold the “scan” button for several seconds before a “hidden” item will “appear”. Who thought it would be a good idea to make something so simple so complicated?

Revelations also added a new co-op mode, called Raid mode. In Raid mode two players are given an objective, such as making it from point A to point B, and are given a series of obstacles to overcome. Killing enemies and finishing co-op levels awards the player with points that can be spent at a Raid mode store to unlock varies weapons and other useful goodies. Raid mode is a fun addition, but it’s definitely focused on action and not survival horror.


Not the first time she’s broken a grandfather clock.



Pros

- The cruise ship is fun to explore and ranks right up there with the original mansion as the best setting in a Resident Evil game.
- The atmosphere is intense and is a nice throwback to the sense of hopelessness from the original Resident Evil games.
- The game is legitimately scary at times.
- Surprisingly impressive soundtrack, adding to the already intense atmosphere.
- The main campaign is around 10 – 12 hours, with plenty of stuff to keep you coming back for more.
- Did I mention the graphics? Nothing else on 3DS right now comes close.


Cons

- It’s incredibly easy to fool the enemy AI. Just leave the room and the enemy AI doesn’t know what to do. It’ll just stand there waiting for you to come back.
- Your partner’s AI isn’t as annoying as it was in Resident Evil 5, but it’s even more useless.
- Occasional framerate issues.
- The action sequences aren’t that fun to play, especially without the Circle Pad Pro.
- Just give us f***ing zombies already. We don’t want to fight “infected” or whatever Tyrant posers populate Revelations. We want to put bullets in zombie’s brains.



The 411


Hey pal, I’m over here.


Resident Evil: Revelations is an impressive game. It’s far and away the best looking game on the Nintendo 3DS. There’s a lot of content packed into the tiny cartridge between the single player mode and the co-op, making it feel like a full and important entry in the Resident Evil series. Revelations is at its best when it’s attempting to be a survival horror game. Revelations would have been better off removing the sections off of the ship, since they’re often boring and attempting to be something Resident Evil isn’t. Resident Evil doesn’t work very well as an action game, and it sure doesn’t work on a handheld, especially without the Circle Pad Pro accessory sold separately. I’m still waiting for a Resident Evil story that doesn’t completely jump off the deep end, but even with the horrific story and some questionable gameplay design decisions, Revelations is a worthy purchase. If you’ve ever enjoyed time in the world of survival horror, be sure not to miss out on Resident Evil: Revelations.

Graphics	9.0	Far and away the best graphics on the 3DS. Occasional framerate issues hold this back from a better score.
Gameplay	8.0	A healthy mix between Resident Evil 4 and 5 gameplay wise. There are some minor issues, such as the Genesis Scanner being a complete waste of time, but overall Revelations is a solid edition to the Resident Evil franchise.
Sound	8.5	Be sure to plug in some headphones, Capcom knows how to create an eerie atmosphere.
Lasting Appeal	8.5	The single player campaign will take around 10 hours the first time through, with co-op and additional playthroughs adding more value.
Fun Factor	8.0	When Revelations is firing on all cylinders, creating an intense atmosphere, it’s truly an awesome experience. It’s just too bad there’s a lot of filler with mediocre action sequences and other questionable decisions.
Overall	8.0   [ Very Good ]

Screenshots
All 5 Resident Evil: Revelation Screenshots