Resident Evil Revelations 2

Genre: Graphic Adventure / Horror

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local Split-Screen, Local Wireless, Online), Online Leaderboards

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Review:

(Note: This game is included in Resident Evil Revelations Collection along with the original Resident Evil Revelations)

Resident Evil Revelations 2 is a Horror game that takes place between Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 and follows Resident Evil 2’s Claire Redfield and new protagonist Moira Burton after they are kidnapped and find themselves waking up in what appears to be a prison or asylum filled with mutated people (zombies? It’s getting harder to say what qualifies as a zombie in this series at this point), with the pair trying to discover what’s going on and hopefully make their escape.

While this game’s title indicates it’s a sequel to the Nintendo 3DS game Resident Evil Revelations, the plot of Revelations 2 is not directly connected to that game, and it was not released on the 3DS, instead releasing on multiple other platforms in 2015, originally in episodic format, before being brought together in a retail release shortly afterward. This release, along with all of the extra content released for the game, was brought to the Nintendo Switch in 2017.

Graphically, Resident Evil Revelations 2 is a mix of good and bad, depending on how you look at it. Unlike the first Revelations, Revelations 2 was originally designed for consoles and not the Nintendo 3DS, and so right off the bat this game is bound to look more visually-impressive. Compared to the first Revelations, you’re looking at more detailed character models, but more notably much more detailed environments and textures. This game also has some nice reflection and lighting effects that weren’t in the first game, and just overall this is a more visually-impressive presentation, albeit nowhere near as impressive as Resident Evil 5 and 6.

Having said that, the Nintendo Switch version does sacrifice a lot compared to other versions of the game. Right from the start, the load times here are atrocious, reaching nearly a minute when you first start one of the game’s episodes. When you get into the game, players of other versions will notice that the Nintendo Switch loses the nice shadows that were in the other versions of the game, as well as losing anti-aliasing (although thankfully the aliasing here isn’t too noticeable most of the time). There’s also some pop-in in some areas that’s noticeable here as well. And while the game plays at a very nice 1080p in docked mode and 720p in portable (thanks to Digital Foundry for the numbers), the 60FPS framerates seen in other releases drop down on the Nintendo Switch to a range from 30-50FPS. In the end, I would say that the game still looks good on Nintendo Switch, but it is clearly inferior to other versions of the game.

However, while the visuals are a mixed bag, there’s one area where I feel like Resident Evil Revelations 2 is a high point of the series, an area where the first Revelations already excelled – Resident Evil Revelations 2 is the absolute best game in the Resident Evil series on Nintendo Switch if you want a game that controls well and offers a great Horror experience. As I mentioned in my review of the first Revelations game, the numbered Resident Evil series has consistently had a problem with this, with some games having great Horror atmosphere but terrible controls, while other games in the series have had good controls, but have leaned more in the direction of Action. Here, Resident Evil Revelations 2 finds a perfect balance – it controls great (even better on Switch, where it gains gyroscopic motion controls), and is probably the scariest game in the series since Resident Evil 4, thanks in part to its dark, claustrophobic environs, its seemingly omnipresent antagonist, and its frightening monsters.

However, it’s not just the scare factor that works well here, as this game actually works out its two-character system Resident Evil has been attempting with varying degrees of success for multiple entries in the series now, giving players two characters they can instantly swap between, each with their own complimentary strengths and weaknesses.

Resident Evil Revelations 2 is also fairly unique within the series in that this is a game that actually manages to bring its co-op mode into the game while retaining its Horror-driven gameplay, having each player control one of the game’s paired characters. This mode is apparently only available in local split-screen, but to my surprise it doesn’t seem to have any noticeable impact on the framerates, resulting in a surprisingly solid local co-op experience, the one time I can say this remains the case on the Nintendo Switch.

Those looking to play the game in online co-op will find this game brings back the raid mode from the previous game, and greatly expands on it too, taking the more Action-focused game mode and adding in a lot collection and customization elements. This does give players looking to keep coming back to the game something to return to, but this mode still feels limited, in part because the areas you’ll be fighting in are pretty small. I would say that if you happen to know someone else who owns the game and wants to have some zombie-killing fun with you, you’ll find this a decent distraction, but it’s not really a major selling point for the game.

On the whole though, I was pleasantly surprised by Resident Evil Revelations 2 I feel like this game finally manages that “best of both worlds” thing the series has struggled with in every other entry – this is definitely a Horror-driven experience, but it’s one that’s accessible and not hampered by outdated controls like the earlier entries in the series were. Plus, this game really makes great use of its two-character mechanic, and it is by far the best game in the series for split-screen co-op on the Nintendo Switch. It’s not as iconic as the first four Resident Evil games, and it’s not as visually striking as Resident Evil 5 and 6, but for those looking for the best Horror game in the series by modern standards, this is the one to get.

tl;dr – Resident Evil Revelations 2 is a game that marries the Horror-driven gameplay of the series’ roots with more modern controls and game design that makes this entry in the series far more playable than those classic entries. It also makes good use of its two-character mechanic, and those looking to play in split-screen co-op will find this game is the best in the series for that style of play on the Nintendo Switch. While the prison setting and story may not be quite as memorable as the earlier games in the series, and the visuals aren’t as impressive as the later games, Resident Evil Revelations 2 is still the best Resident Evil game on the Nintendo Switch if you’re looking for Horror, and fans of that genre should definitely give it a look.

Grade: B+

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