Resident Evil: Revelations is a unique entry within the overall Resident Evil series, and it marked quite a few firsts for the franchise in general. The game was originally released on the Nintendo 3DS back in 2012, and it was split into two parts. The main section of the game focused on the classic survival horror aspect of the series, while the in-between chapters doubled down on the third-person shooter action seen in Resident Evil 5. It was a game that attempted to blend the best of both worlds into a single release, while also including an RPG-like raid mode for fans to co-op with their friends.
In addition to these unique gameplay styles, Revelations was one of the few games to support the Circle Pad Pro on the 3DS, which added an additional right circle pad and extra trigger buttons, giving the handheld a full controller's range of buttons. Not only was this a game-changer for titles that supported it on the platform, but it allowed Resident Evil: Revelations to be the first Resident Evil title to contain modern third-person shooter controls—rather than the tank control scheme that had been used up to this point.
While Resident Evil 5 did offer right analog support as well, the game-changer with Revelations was the fact that characters now had a full range of movement while aiming, and they could move and shoot at the same time—a concept that was introduced in the 3DS title Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, but could not be fully utilized due to only having a single analog stick. This control scheme would go on to be used in all future Resident Evil titles, beginning with Resident Evil 6, and has continued to be improved upon to this day.
Of course, this is only scratching the surface of what Resident Evil: Revelations truly is, including the history behind it and its "typo" box art. It is worth noting that the game also received some of Capcom's strangest, yet overlooked by the masses, marketing to date, which is still fun to watch despite knowing it is fake. But putting all of that aside, the game truly was something special, and thankfully it was brought to modern platforms.
The HD version of Resident Evil: Revelations is available on all major consoles and PC, and is an updated version of the original 3DS release. The major difference here is the higher quality visuals and the removal of the 3D effect, but other than that it is still the same great, overlooked title, and one you really shouldn't miss out on... And here is why.
The Story:
Resident Evil: Revelations is a story set in 2005, shortly before the events of Resident Evil 5. The game follows Jill Valentine as she sets out in search of her missing friend and fellow Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA) agent, Chris Redfield.
After tracking his signal to an abandoned cruise ship called the Queen Zenobia, Jill discovers the place is overrun by a new type of mutant caused by the T-Abyss Virus. Not only that, but Chris is nowhere to be found, and the missing terrorist group Il Veltro is seemingly responsible. A year prior to Revelations, Il Veltro caused a bio-weapon outbreak on the man-made island of Terragrigia, and the BSAA had been hunting them down ever since, fearing their return.
As Jill and her new partner Parker explore the ship, Chris and his teammate Jessica explore a snowy mountainside as they get closer to uncovering the terrorist base. This is when their connection with the BSAA is reestablished, and Chris is informed that Jill is, in fact, the one in danger. Abandoning his original mission, Chris and Jessica set off for the Queen Zenobia themselves to get to the bottom of these strange recent events.
Similar to previous titles in the series, Revelations' story is told through a mixture of cutscenes, notes and documents found hidden around the ship, and environmental storytelling. Some early trailers depict prior events not seen in the game, but simply taking a look around will allow the player to piece together what happened. Additionally, the story swaps between Jill and Chris between chapters, with Jill's story being the main game and Chris's (and sometimes other characters') taking on the more action-oriented roles. These story sections also come in the form of flashbacks, which helps paint an overall picture of recent events. Of course, there is a core mystery at the center of the game, but the story also serves to expand the Resident Evil world's lore and set things up for the future.
Classic Survival Horror Gameplay with a Twist:
Although Revelations progresses through story chapters, complete with TV show-style recaps, the main gameplay is that of a survival horror game.
Exploration and Survival
The Queen Zenobia is the main setting for the entire game, and as a cruise ship, there are very diverse locations to be explored. Initially, the game starts out in tight hallways and standard crew quarters, but eventually, it opens up into massive dining halls, casinos, and more. Despite its appearance, the Queen Zenobia feels like a classic Resident Evil mansion, except even more isolated as it floats on the water. This is a location that Jill has no escape from as more and more horrors come alive around her.
As in past titles, exploration and playing it safe are key to surviving. The game provides more than enough resources to make it through the adventure without worry on standard mode, but harder difficulty settings are available to replicate the classic Resident Evil experience. Either way, ammo, health items, and upgrades must be found around the ship, and nothing respawns. Boss areas will provide exactly what is needed if you are running short, but other than that, searching for and saving resources is important. This means checking drawers, looking behind counters, and checking every nook and cranny until the map is cleared out. It is a staple of the series, and longtime fans will be used to this setup.
The New Scanner Feature
The main new gameplay addition to Revelations is the scanner. The scanner lets you find invisible items and scan enemies to gain extra supplies. It isn't a fully required feature, but not using it means missing out on dozens of resources that can make a difference between life and death. It unfortunately slows down standard exploration, as rather than visually looking for items as usual, the scanner must be used to see what is invisible. This means switching to a first-person point of view and going over every inch of the area until something sparkles. It is a feature that not everyone will want to use, but it can give you an edge and adds extra collectibles for players to discover. This includes the hidden handprints, which unlock extra bonus weapons.
Combat and Strategy
Speaking of weapons, combat fully embraces the third-person shooter gameplay (with a first-person mode available on the Nintendo 3DS version). Enemies are a mixture of slow-moving masses and high-speed attackers, so being able to aim, shoot, and avoid is important. While the game can be completed using the standard tank controls, it clearly wants players to use their newfound range of movement to stay safe and kill enemies before they can get to you. Again, normal mode has more than enough ammo to simply take down everything standing in your way, but harder difficulties ask that you decide what is worth it or not. Enemies are in set locations, and sometimes avoiding them is a better way to save resources—especially if you know you will not be returning to a room anytime soon. On the other hand, new enemies do appear as the game progresses, with most of these moments occurring during chapter changes. This means you cannot assume an old location is still safe simply because you cleared it, and jump scares are possible at any time.
In addition to finding items, sneaking around enemies, and killing those you cannot avoid, Revelations features other key staples such as the item box for storage and weapon upgrades to give you an edge. There are also puzzles that need to be solved and keys to be found, so players truly do need to explore every inch of the ship. Sometimes this means backtracking to older areas to open new locations, and other times it is simply backtracking to find a key item you may have missed. In general, the chapter structure ensures you have what you need to move on, but the entire ship is used to its fullest, so even later chapters will have you returning to familiar places. Of course, the 3DS version of the game uses 3DS functions such as the touch screen, but the modern HD release has updated such puzzles to work with a standard controller.
Action Sections:
The second half of the main game takes a step back from survival horror and drops players into something more reminiscent of Resident Evil 5.
After nearly every main story chapter, an action stage becomes playable where players take on the role of Chris Redfield or other BSAA agents. As previously mentioned, some of these sections are flashbacks, while others are happening at the same time as Jill's story. Unlike the main game, these are linear stages with little exploration and a full focus on third-person shooter gameplay.
Enemies are everywhere, guns and ammo can be found around every turn, and there are more than enough healing items to last throughout Jill's full story. The game knows that players are going to get hurt during these moments, and they are going to take down a lot of enemies in the process, so it doesn't hold anything back. These are high-octane moments that let you simply let loose and have fun with the tools available, and all of the survival aspects are removed.
Raid Mode:
Raid Mode is Revelations' unique co-op multiplayer mode, which can also be played solo. Unlike other popular Resident Evil modes, such as Mercenaries, Raid Mode includes RPG-like elements where monsters have unique stats and properties, damage numbers fly across the screen, and new weapons and upgrades are constant as you level up. Character level can be lowered as needed, allowing longtime players to jump in and help out newcomers, and there are plenty of unique and rare items to unlock along the way.
Similar to the action sections of the main game, Raid Mode is entirely made up of levels, with the Queen Zenobia being split up into different paths for players to progress through. The action stages themselves also have their own Raid Mode variants, providing multiple unique locations outside of the ship.
With so many stages to take on, unique enemies and bosses to fight, characters to use, and weapons to unlock, Raid Mode alone offers countless hours of content and ultimately may even be the main reason players return to Revelations.
Should you play it?
Resident Evil: Revelations is a game that shouldn't be ignored. Despite being classified as a "side game," Revelations is a return to classic survival horror and it captures nearly everything that makes the series so appealing: a unique setting, horrifying monsters, challenging boss fights, fun puzzles, a heavy focus on exploration, and a story that expands the Resident Evil universe.
While the addition of the scanner does slow things down and introduces invisible items to the formula, it doesn't dampen the core experience or take away from looking for items the old-fashioned way. In addition to the classic gameplay style, Revelations featured a greatly enhanced third-person shooter-style control scheme, which would become a staple for the series moving forward. This also includes the addition of action-style stages for those who prefer the style of Resident Evil 5 and an addicting RPG-styled Raid Mode that could have very well been its own game.
Overall, Resident Evil: Revelations is a complete package that could have easily been a numbered title in the series. Bringing the HD version to modern platforms is one of the best decisions Capcom has ever made. This is a title that deserved to be played by everyone, not just 3DS owners, and it is now possible. Of course, there are a few little design choices that remind us it was once a handheld exclusive, but it doesn't take away from it being a solid entry in the series. '
VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on PlayStation 4
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