Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Episode 2: Contemplation Reviews
Revelations 2 is getting tougher, and that's a very good thing.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Episode 2 offers a few great action sequences, but it's still plagued by mundane puzzles and forced reliance on your partner.
There are certain elements to Contemplation that have been improved from the first episode, namely the more open environments and the new enemy types, but there are still apparent flaws to the story and combat scenarios. Claire's campaign once again trails behind Barry's, including a more direct conflict structure with no real puzzle solving elements to be found.
Revelations 2 continues at a rate of knots, upping the action in favour or slowing the actual story exposition a little.
Interesting co-op play and a decent cliffhanger sees Revelations 2 really get going.
It really does feel like Revelations 2 is starting to hit its stride as the stakes are ramped up.
If you enjoyed the first episode, it's safe to say you'll get your money's worth in the second. So long as you can deal with some backtracking, Resident Evil: Revelations 2: Episode 2 has enough action to keep you interested throughout, in addition to a few unique concepts. But really, it's Raid Mode that keeps me coming back for more on a daily basis. The episodic presentation is odd, but at this part it's starting to feel like a complete game.
Contemplation builds on the successful first episode of Capcom's latest foray into new distribution models, and piles on the difficulty, atmosphere and ever-thickening plot with satisfying results. Fans of the series will appreciate the plot twists, whilst newcomers can get stuck into a well-grounded Resident Evil game that is so far living up to its heritage.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is really trying its damnedest to wipe away the memories of some of the less pleasurable Resident Evil games we've had to slog through in recent years.
The continuation of the story a single week after the first episode released is a welcome change of pace compared to most episodic releases. Picking up right where you left off, after the events of the previous episode are still fresh in your mind, is a bit more pleasant than waiting an entire month or longer for new episodes of other games to release (I'm looking at you, The Walking Dead!). If you bought the first episode, nab the second. If you haven't bought any episodes and enjoy horror games, ponying up the cash for the season pass can be assumed to be a safe bet by now.
At any rate, I dread to think how short Episode 3's review is going to be, because it's a damn effort to drum up much to say about even this one.
Capcom already laid out its stall with the previous instalment, so Resident Evil: Revelations 2 – Episode Two: Contemplation can no longer be considered a pleasant surprise. This is another enjoyable romp, though, which sprinkles just enough new ideas into the experience to make it stand on its own. Most importantly, the action is much tenser this time around, and while it's still largely ridiculous, it will have you squirming at points.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 strengthens itself with a solid second episode packed with compelling gameplay and some decent story developments.
Picking up where the first chapter left off, Resident Evil Revelations 2 is looking great after a good cliffhanger ending and looks like a promising entry in the franchise.
With that said, Contemplation certainly doesn't let up in terms of action and horror. The increased variety in enemy types and game mechanics is certainly welcome, and with the story picking up too, it will be exciting to see how the mystery unfolds.
The first two chapters of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 represent a sound but unremarkable beginning to the episodic series. What's here is unlikely to appeal much beyond fans of the genre.
Injecting some much-needed adrenaline into Resident Evil: Revelations 2, Episode 2 ups the ante with intense boss battles, creepy new creatures and some interesting plot developments.
.. the familiar game play and dirt cheap price makes Revelations 2 worth a look for even casual horror gamers.
A few technical issues still remain, such as the unreliable stealth mechanic where enemies will arbitrarily sense a player's presence even if they are properly concealed, and the AI-controlled character still has a habit of staying behind and/or failing to pull their weight during more heated skirmishes. Nevertheless, this latest episode has gone a long way to raise optimism over Capcom's latest RE experiment.
In the end, Resident Evil Revelations 2: Episode 2 is another "of course" purchase. If you liked Episode 1, picking this episode up will be a no brainer, and frankly the game is only getting better. If you didn't, Episode 2 isn't going to turn heads and convert naysayers. It's just more of the same with a welcome tweak to difficulty, and honestly, that' s exactly what I wanted.