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'Resident Evil: Revelations HD' a step in the right direction

Photo Courtesy of Capcom.
Photo Courtesy of Capcom.

Photo Courtesy of Capcom. Photo Courtesy of Capcom.

Resident Evil: Revelations HD

Release Date: May 21, 2013

4/5 Pitchforks

 

The Resident Evil franchise has had an interesting history. The brainchild of designer Shinji Mikami, Resident Evil is one of the best-known video game franchises to date, with a wealth of films, games, action figures and side stories under its belt. Recently, though, Resident Evil went through something of an identity crisis since the release of one of the best games in the series, and arguably of all time, "Resident Evil 4."

"Resident Evil 4" revolutionized gameplay mechanics, like the over-the-shoulder view. It was imbued with a relentless pace and narrative that spread across six different console platforms since its release. However, last year’s "Resident Evil 6" was met with mixed critical and fan reception criticizing the game’s overabundance of action instead of horror.

"Resident Evil: Revelations," a Nintendo 3DS game ported to the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, seeks to test the waters of a more intense and suspenseful Resident Evil game. It doesn’t always hit its proverbial mark, but it sets the franchise back in the right direction.

"Resident Evil: Revelations" stars series vet Jill Valentine in a classic role reversal as she looks for her longtime friend, Chris Redfield, on a cruise ship in the middle of open water. Plots twist in expected and sometimes nonsensical ways, and the game relegates most of the exposition through flashback sequences where players get to take control of Chris and other minor characters through snow-covered peaks and weak jaunts in maintenance rooms.

Capcom has chosen to not remove the episodic structure of Revelations, making the whole affair feel like a one-time SyFy television series. Each time players boot up the game, after playing a section of the story, they're met with “Previously on 'Resident Evil: Revelations.'” It creates a fragmented narrative through the long hours of time, but players will appreciate the narrative reminders if they play the game in bursts.

Gameplay from "Resident Evil 6’s" backwards controls and moves provide players with a happy medium between the controls of "Resident Evil 4" controls and "Resident Evil 6."

The avatar’s walking speed has increased, and players can now move and shoot, eliminating those frustrating firefights between players and the enhanced monsters that come in flavors of grunt, shooter and dog. Healing has been tied to the triangle button, which quickens the pace of combat considerably since players will never forget to put a healing item in their inventory.

Players are also able to upgrade their weapons with parts they find throughout the ship, increasing power, firing rate and even allowing guns to be charged for more damage.

Raid Mode, Revelations’ take on Mercenaries Mode, allows a maximum of two players to fight through a variety of beasties in an enclosed map. The change here has been made to the way damage is shown. Similar to Borderlands and Diablo, damage is visually shown to players, so they can know how much damage their upgraded shotgun is doing. There is a level progression system with a grade based on your accuracy, the damage and how long it takes to complete. New characters and weapons can be unlocked with a new character included in the HD version. It’s fairly standard for any Resident Evil veteran, but it makes for a quaint distraction for those looking for more bang in their buck.

"Resident Evil: Revelations," more often than not, delivers on the claustrophobic environments and enemies that look and walk like nightmares come to life. With gusto, "Resident Evil: Revelations" responds to the bipolar "Resident Evil 6" and "Operation Raccoon City" with a message that horror and suspense can be salvaged for this franchise.

Reach the reporter at spencer.fawcett@asu.edu or follow him @MaroonandGamer


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