Resident Evil: Revelations Review
System: Xbox 360*, PS3, PC, Wii U | |
Dev: Capcom, Tose | |
Pub: Capcom | |
Release: May 21, 2013 | |
Players: 1 (2+ Online) | |
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p | Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language |
Classic Survival Horror
by Joshua Bruce
by Joshua Bruce
Throughout my time in Resident Evil: Revelations, there was one
three-word phrase that popped into my head repeatedly – “For a port.” I
would think, “the graphics are pretty good on this game, for a port.”
Or, “this plays really well, for a port.” This presented me with an
ethical quandary – do I review this game solely on the merit of this
version? Or do I take into account that it is ported from the handheld,
and not hold it accountable for any flaws that may have come from the
transition? Ultimately, I decided that this version of the game must
stand on its own.
Not to say that this game is bad. To the contrary, it is probably the
best Resident Evil title to be churned out in years. And if you can get
past a few annoyances and quirks, this game is actually quite an
enjoyable experience.
Resident Evil: Revelations is a return to the classic survival horror
gameplay that was established early on in the series. Limited
ammunition, unsettling environments, exploration, and scavenging bring
back old memories of great Resident Evil games from the past. This game
simply feels like Resident Evil, which is a breath of fresh air for a
series that seems to have lost its identity as of late.
Throughout the ten-or-so hour campaign, you play as familiar RE veterans
Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield during their mission to uncover the
resurgence of the bio-terrorist organization, Veltro. The game is
centered on a cruise ship (named the SS Queen Zenobia), and follows the
horrific events of a bio-terror attack on the city of Terragrigia, a
huge floating city in the Mediterranean Sea. The story of Revelations is
broken down into episodes that make it a bit less convoluted than most
recent Resident Evil outings. Yet, it still manages to deliver a complex
story that is befitting the conspiracy style that Resident Evil is
known for. And don’t worry, there are enough plot twists and character
transitions to get your attention and keep it.
But the problem with porting a game from a handheld format isn’t the
story, it’s the graphics. This is where Resident Evil: Revelations
stumbles. I could say that the graphics are a dramatic improvement over
the original handheld version, which would be true. But that’s not
enough to bring the visuals of this game in line with the level of
graphical quality that we have come to expect from console games.
Let me explain. The character models in the game look excellent. They
are detailed and are far superior to the handheld version of the game.
However, most of the backdrop of the game has remained unchanged, or at
most marginally upgraded. The result is an HD character model surrounded
by low-res textures that just looks off. Though, to be fair, some
textures were clearly updated along with character models and
animations, but this just brought out the visual differences more.
Additionally, you can tell some low-res animations survived the console
transition as well, such as the “death melt” of your T-Abyss enemies.
These monstrous foes go from a hi-res horror freak-show to a low-res
pile of unflinching gelatinous goo in about three seconds flat. Not to
mention, you can walk through this muck and come out clean on the other
side. I could have done with some bloody footprints and maybe some
squishing sounds when I walked through, but, alas, I was forced to drive
on, as if this enemy never existed.
But where the visuals of Resident Evil: Revelations fall short, the rest
of the game picks up the slack admirably. The control scheme isn’t
perfect, but it functions well enough, and alternate functions and
weapons are easily accessible. The ship sways back and forth slightly as
you traverse its dark corridors, which adds an additional layer of
control complexity that was both necessary and expected. The ability to
shoot and move makes a welcome return to the game, and proves its worth
over and over again.
Also, a new piece of equipment is introduced, called the Genesis. This
invaluable item gives you the ability to locate important items in the
environment – such as ammunition, keys, and other extras that make your
life a little bit easier. You can also use this gizmo to scan the
corpses of your enemies, which will eventually supply you with a health
regeneration item of some type. This is a necessity, especially if you
are playing the game on harder difficulties, like Infernal mode
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