Although Resident Evil Revelations 2 doesn't recapture old glory or reach new heights for the series, it contains moments of inspiration where its action-adventure gameplay and mostly compelling mystery plot marry together beautifully. Capcom’s horror doesn't frighten, but as an action-adventure it’s elevated by this occasional synergy, and the excellent bonus Raid mode.
Revelations 2’s four episodes dance between two timelines, each with its own pair of characters, to weave together a mystery that kept me hooked right up until its finale. In one, reliably endearing Claire Redfield and ‘tude-filled Moira Burton - who I also liked, despite her tendency to swear for the sake of swearing - are two unlikely friends, thrust together by an evil ‘overseer’ who is keeping them captive for reasons unknown.
Resident Evil fan-favourite Barry Burton is back in the second timeline, joined by mysterious newcomer Natalia, a little girl whose memory harbors half-remembered secrets. Each episode manages to keep its cards close enough to its chest that I was compelled to play the next one – perhaps the only justification for Revelations 2’s four-episode structure – and there’s a humour in the characters that I found refreshing.
Pairing off these characters does more than serve the story, though, as your companions are legitimately useful in ways that make gameplay more interesting. Moira’s flashlight is used to blind
Resident Evil Revelations 2.
FEBRUARY 25, 2015 [EPISODE 1 LAUNCH]
Uncover more secrets of the Umbrella conspiracy in Resident Evil: Revelations 2.
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LUCY O'BRIEN SAYS
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The Evil WithinResident Evil 5Dead Island enemies and find hidden objects for Claire, and Natalia can see enemy weakpoints and crawl through tiny spaces where Barry can’t fit.
Revelations 2 is at its best when it makes us use all these skills at once. Its most satisfying moments involve switching between characters on the fly - or shrieking instructions at your partner if playing in split-screen or online co-op - in order to make it through particularly tricky or dangerous areas.
Both Natalia and Moira are physically underpowered, too, which can lend to a sense of hysteria. There’s a thrilling section in Episode 3, for example, where Moira and Claire must escape an enemy-filled building by working together against the clock. Moira can’t defend herself against giant enemies, so you’ve either got to make a run for it or you’ve got to switch to Claire and pump bullets into them from afar.
I would have liked to have seen more of this kind of co-op play across the board, but unfortunately Revelations 2’s biggest sin is its boring corridor environments.There’s a significant lack of environmental detail here - ‘unbreakable crates’ is as spicy as it generally gets - and its crumbling interiors are painted in far less than 50 shades of grey.
Equally unimaginative enemies roam them. While there are a handful that stand out - Claire faces off against a deliciously gross monster at the end of episode 3, while the final boss will likely inspire fan-art - most enemies are generic shamblers or walking pustules with glowing red spots. In 2015, these monsters aren’t only played out - they’re simply not scary.
Fortunately, traditional Resident Evil puzzles do eventually spice things up, after a conspicuous absence in the first few episodes. Episode 3 introduces some classic brain-benders, including one that involves Barry and Natalia working together to move a box from one end of a level to another. It’s all nonsense, of course - the justification is that the giant box is an outdoor ‘power source’ - but it incorporates some clever level design and provides a nice break from the running and gunning.
There’s far more consistency outside the main campaign. The Raid minigame is a highlight, played either solo or co-op. Raid mode challenges you to clear out a huge number of shooting galleries under the recommended level without healing yourself, offering bragging rights and unlockable characters as a reward. At 130 medals down, I’ve only scratched the surface, yet I’m compelled to continue: Raid offers real longevity outside of the main campaign.
