Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Reviews
The Resident Evil series clearly has experienced its fair share of peaks and valleys, and Revelations 2 hovers closer to the former. While I generally love me some co-op in video games, here's hoping that if Capcom adds it to future Resident Evil games, the AI characters are actually capable of outsmarting the zombies they're surrounded by.
Resident Evil Revelations 2 is a paint-by-the-numbers exercise in survival horror lacking in bite strength
While not quite there, Resi's back on track
While it plays solid enough, there are a few hiccups along the way like poorly coded AI, missing animation or some sluggish character controls. Episodic structure ultimately was pointless and the way it was handled ended up hurting the flow of the game by having players redo areas back to back with different characters.
The low price point and episodic release of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 don't hide its status as a budget title. It has its strengths, including some pretty cool monster design and fun puzzles, but by and large, almost everything it does has been done better by another RE title. RE fans will enjoy themselves, but otherwise, there isn't a ton to boost Revelations 2 above its predecessor. It's not a bad game, but it lacks any real strengths. The Raid mode is the meat of the game, but it can only hold one's interest for so long.
Revelations 2 has its moments as the game includes a lot of easter eggs for fans of the series. The Raid Mode is a fantastic and addictive game mode that is worth the price of admission alone. It tells a sufficient story, but the new characters do not really stick out. The cooperative A.I. is as diverse as ever, but the intelligence behind it has much to be desired.
Capcom are very lucky. It's rare to have a formula that works so well. From the episodic formats, (not to mention the brilliantly produced "previously on" and "next time on" segments), to the strong enough gameplay, there's enough content here for a lot of people to enjoy. I am disappointed about the features that have taken a step back, however if you're looking for a solid, single player, B-grade horror game, this is where to go.
Despite Resident Evil 7's critical and commercial success earlier this year, some fans took exception to its all-new stylistic approach to Capcom's juggernaut series, which they considered to be a betrayal of the survival horror's legendary roots. Simply put, they claimed the Southern Gothic, first-person horror title was "not a Resident Evil game".Drastic changes to long-running series almost always meet opposition. It's easy to forget today that some people didn't like Resident Evil 4's metamorphosis from the mechanics of even earlier entries, even though today it's considered one of the best games in the series. My (woefully drawn out) point is that sometimes, a series must adapt to survive, and, given my time with Resident Evil: Revelations, Capcom's recent overhaul of the franchise is a godsend.
We can treat the Revelations 2 experiment as a learning experience. This game should be dissected, studied, catalogued and put into storage. I genuiniely hope that there will be another Revelations game--one with better cooperative gameplay and perhaps doing away with episodes altogether.
Resident Evil Revelations 2 isn't even notable enough to be considered bad either, that's probably the bitterest pill. It's simply old fashioned, greedy, and pointless – very much like the so-called "AAA" market attitude is so beautifully reflects.
Fails to meet expectations in more ways than one and shows the decline of the franchise.
But each cleansing of the palimpsest leaves the material beneath pulpy and weak, and Resident Evil was weak in the first place. The soap opera pleasures of this installment can be replicated in the next, but there are only so many times the series can get away with having action that's only serviceable set in a place that's entirely forgettable.
Revelations 2 is a great spin-off title, and manages the uncommon balancing act of making series fans happy while offering something new.
Like a punchdrunk heavyweight in the 15th round, "Revelations 2" is both a sad echo of former glory and an agonizingly perfect summation of it. It should have been over long ago, but it remains a marvel to see how much will remains in the slouching goliath, the once powerful frame of sculpted muscle and sinew slowly turned into dead weight, counting as a victory anything that keeps it on its feet for another round.