Resident Evil: Revelations (Nintendo 3DS)

 

 

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I've been playing the game for more than an hour and so far I am very impressed. I haven't played a Resident Evil game before so I didn't know what to expect. The first thing you will notice is that this game has the best graphics on the 3ds so far. Actually, it probably has the best graphics on a handheld device.
The 3d effect is very good in my opinion, although I have read criticism on some forums. It has 3 levels of intensity: normal, strong and very strong. I prefer the highest setting.
The music in the game is also of high quality. Coupled with the graphics, cutscenes and voice acting, unpredictable scenes, the perfect horror-movie atmosphere is created. Yes, the game is very scary, you might want to play it with the lights on.
Overall the gameplay seems good, the story quite captivating and the difficulty probably above average. For those new to Resident Evil, it doesn't involve only monster shooting and surviving, but also some puzzle solving. For those who have played Silent Hill, it seems quite similar.
The only thing which I didn't like that much was the control. I can't say whether the controls are good or bad, but it took me a while to get used to them. I have the Circle Pad Pro, but I haven't tried it yet.
Anyway, these are just my first impressions so take this review with a pinch of salt. I would recommend this game, but maybe you should consider waiting for more opinions.

First off, I have only played four episodes so far, (5 hours 11 minutes to be precise), although I have played enough games in the series, and video games in general to hopefully make an effective commentary. I have a penchant for this style of game and was looking forward to this.

The graphics really are excellent, definitely the best I have seen on the 3DS, and the 3D is great. Although I could not handle the very strong 3D setting, I used the next one down. There are a couple of frame rate issues mainly when doors opening are disguising loading times or when there are a lot of enemies on screen, but nothing that ruins the experience.

I personally think the only way to play this is in solitude when it is dark, lights off, and with headphones. It adds to the atmosphere enormously, and the sound is superb. The tension building music and effects are really nerve racking and complement the on screen action.

The controls are fine, I have the circle pad pro, but it isn't necessary to enjoy the game at all. Although when I tried it I couldn't assign different functions to different buttons/circle pads, it seems to just give you one unalterable default method. But if you have played Resident Evil before, the controls are more akin to the older games (1-3) then number four. Initially I thought the Genesis (the scanner item) was going to be a bug bear, but as you are always in need of ammo and get items for scanning monsters, it really does help. It also creates a dilemma of going into a potentially dangerous room equipped with the threat less scanner, or the firepower of a shotgun.

The splitting of the story into episodes has garnered some criticism from reviews. But I think it is great. I like the tense nervousness of the ship being supplemented by the more Assault on Precinct 13 style action settings, where the action is more frantic and great fun. The cheesiness of the voice acting and phrases is great: it reminds you that this is a zombie (I know they aren't zombies in the game) movie scenario and not everyone is a serious character in this situation.

The presentation is excellent and the recaps at the beginning of each play are very copasetic, adding to the movie like feel you get when playing the game.

I haven't even tried the online style raid sections, but from what I have read, they appear to be a game within themselves, a deeper and better experience than mercenaries.

Overall if you like the horror genre and playing in such a survival scenario, coupled with B-Move style humorous dialogue infused sections, and want to be scared, this is 100% recommended.

Great showcase for the 3DS; it has really raised the bar for first and third party efforts on the system.

Forgive me if I sound somewhat behind the times while presenting this review. While the PSone Resident Evils do have a fond place in my heart, the last "new" game I bought in the highly popular survival horror series (prior to this one) was RE Code: Veronica X on the PS2, and that was about a decade ago. After that...we just drifted apart, like two friends going their separate ways after their time at school is finished. But as the saying goes "You can't keep a top dog down" and I decided to try and catch up on the RE scare-a-minute business with Resident Evil Revelations, kind of like those two old school friends catching up on their lives over a cup of tea in a local café.

Resident Evil Revelations takes place some time around 2005, after the events of Resident Evil 4. RE icons Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine now work for BSAA - Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance, a company trying to stop terrorist groups from spreading monster viruses all over towns and cities. Basically their motto is "If it's got tentacles coming out of its mouth, it has to be shot." Anyway the game starts with Chris apparently going AWOL (hey, it's not the first time he's done such a thing), and Jill and BSAA partner Parker Luciani searching a mysterious ship out at sea that's believed to be run by a terrorist group. The story as a whole is trademark RE horror mixed with politics, all with a couple sprinklings of twists. To try and explain it all to you now would be like trying to play snooker with a drinks can. Virtually impossible. Instead I'm just gonna say "sit back and enjoy the ride."

RER is a beautifully presented game. The Campaign mode is the main place to go. The whole story is split into episodes, meaning you can play the game in small bite-sized chunks before saving your progress. But if you want to you can still be hardcore and try and complete the game in one sitting. Furthermore every time you start a new episode you're shown a brief "Previously on..." segment showing brief clips of what happened in the previous episode, making it feel more like a typical US drama and earning extra marks in the presentation department.

The gameplay consists of classic RE components such as finding keys to unlock doors, green herbs for healing, and hunting down better weapons to boost your chances of survival. But it's combined with a more modern convenient gaming feel. The camera sits behind the shoulder of the playable character and follows them everywhere they go, and admittedly it does feel more convenient and flexible than the PSone games. Meanwhile damage is indicated by bloodstains around the top screen. The more damage you've taken, the more bloodstained the screen. But a simple tap of the A button will heal you back to normal, providing of course you have some green herbs. Meanwhile the map and inventory are displayed neatly on the touch screen, meaning that pausing the game should be at a minimum, even when that vindaloo you had for tea forces you to dash for the bathroom!

The control setup is perfect for the 3DS. Movements are made with the analogue stick, while weapons options (switching, reloading, etc.) are assigned to the D-pad. It took me a bit of time to get used to the D-pad controls (a lot of times I would accidently switch weapons when I only wanted to reload my current one) but after a while they felt comfortable. Aiming can be done by holding down the R shoulder button and using the analogue stick, and then pressing the Y button to fire. It feels so easy; so flexible; so smooth. Lovely.

Interesting use is made of the touch screen. Most of the time it displays maps of areas, but at certain points you'll need to whip out your stylus and use the screen to complete mini puzzles, such as completing circuits in order to open certain doors. The puzzles are quite clever, but they can get a little bit repetitive. I would've liked to have seen a little more variation in the number of different types of puzzles you come across.

The graphics for the most part are very good. They run smoothly both in the game and during cutscenes; the characters' mouth movements and facial expressions are quite neat; and there's plenty of impressive detail, particularly in the designs of the monsters. It's especially gruesome how some of the earlier monsters can grab you and start trying to munch away at your face. It's like Futurama's Dr.Zoidberg trying to give you a French kiss. There is however some pretty bad slowdown in certain doorways as the game loads up new rooms. They're not frequent, but they may annoy those who are looking to complete the game in the fastest time possible.

The atmosphere and the monsters that create that atmosphere are simply terrifying, and not just because they're trying to eat you. These monsters were once human beings, and some of them may still have a human conscience. The next bit is something of a story SPOILER, so skip to the next paragraph if you don't like that sort of thing...!...Still here? OK, listen up. One of the monsters you come across is called Rachel who was once a human being and an agent who came onto the ship to complete a mission. You have to floor Rachel in order to grab a key off of her so you can access other areas on a ship. But as you shoot her, if you listen carefully you can hear her distorted voice screaming "I'm scared! Someone...save me!!" It's very disturbing I must say.

When you're done with your Campaign, or you're simply taking a break from it, you can then check out the Raid Mode where so much gameplay depth can be found. Here you play through a series of stages in a sort of arcade styled game, shooting enemies before reaching the goal. Your performance is then graded between S and C. Rewards include new weapons, weapon upgrades and BP currency to buy new stuff from the store. It can be a case of "Decisions, decisions" at times regarding the upgrades. Should you go for more power? (duh!) Or what about a better fire rate? (shotguns can be slow firing sometimes) Or perhaps a bigger load capacity? (that and your machine gun would make great bed fellows) In any case it all provides welcome depth to the game.

The stages can be played either on your own or with a partner. The 2-Player game can be played either by Local Play or you can go online and search for a fellow horror survivor to help you get through the stages. I myself managed to find a couple of players willing to try a spot of teamwork with me. The end results? A little untidy in places, but we got the job done and I got the required grades. The latter stages in Raid Mode can be very difficult. So much so that a 2-Player game is pretty much essential to completing all the stages and with S rankings.

There are no major faults with the game itself. It has a great story, enjoyable gameplay, a scary atmosphere and ugly monsters. But there's just a little part of me that misses the old classic zombies. Sure fights with tall skinny-legged enemies with lances and shields are nerve wracking; but in terms of scare factor nothing beats a group of undead brainless people with rotting flesh, still wearing shirts and jeans, moaning for the fresh succulent taste of human brains.

As far as the RE series is concerned nothing will ever beat the PSone games, at least in my opinion. But Resident Evil Revelations is a gut wrenching, vomit inducing, outstanding game in its own right and it's great to see Chris and Jill back in the saddle once again. It's a more-than-worthy 3DS purchase, but a word of warning: This is NOT for the weak of heart.

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4.0 out of 5 stars its good
Not a bad little game this, especially for a handheld. the ludicrous story didn't put me off as the game play is top rank. Read more

Published 6 days ago by gareth

5.0 out of 5 stars Resident Evil goes back to it's horror roots.
A lot of people have commented on how the Resident Evil series has shifted towards a more action orientated approach in recent years, some long time fans were quite disappointed... Read more

Published 6 days ago by D. A. Tremlett

4.0 out of 5 stars A must-have
Currently, I'm only on Episode 3 in Campaign mode, but I believe I've got a pretty good feel of the game so far. Read more

Published 9 days ago by Misterbadguy

5.0 out of 5 stars very very gooooood from a non- RE player before!
i admit i was scared when i played RE years ago on the game cube.

Now i have the 3DS and what can i say but WOW IT IS SO GOOD. Read more

Published 9 days ago by little miss sunshine

5.0 out of 5 stars Back to its roots... almost
Codename Veronica was my last "good" R.Evil, at least until this Revelations came out. Great scary atmosphere, fantastic OST, claustrophobic environments, memorable bosses. Read more

Published 11 days ago by Francesco Marcolla

4.0 out of 5 stars I quite liked it
I'm not really a die hard Resident Evil fan myself as I used to play Silent Hill.
A friend of mine bought this, and it looked brilliant. Read more

Published 14 days ago by J. M. Weston

4.0 out of 5 stars Superb
RE:R is probably the best handheld game I have ever played. I appreciate that everyone has different tastes and a different idea of what makes a good handheld game, but what I... Read more

Published 19 days ago by Pica_Man

4.0 out of 5 stars Revelations
The initial teasers and trailers shown a game with a lot of promise, hell it was sold on me the moment we were shown and told zombies were to make a come back. Read more

Published 19 days ago by C. Simmonite

5.0 out of 5 stars A must own for the 3DS
I've always been a Resident Evil fan, and I've just completed this game, I wasn't particularly hyped for it, but have been more than pleasantly surprised, I've played and enjoyed... Read more

Published 21 days ago by Mr. D. S. Brewer

3.0 out of 5 stars Not quite what I thought it would be
This is a title many people including myself have been waiting for for a long time. It promises an almost console like experience and to some extent it does deliver that, although... Read more

Published 24 days ago by RoUnD

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