Resident Evil Revelations

Genre: Horror / Third-Person Shooter

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

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Review:

(Note: This game is included in Resident Evil Revelations Collection along with Resident Evil Revelations 2)

Resident Evil Revelations is a Horror game with Third-Person Shooter gameplay originally released on the 3DS in 2012, with an HD version of the game coming out on consoles in 2013, and this HD remaster making it to the Nintendo Switch in 2017. The game’s original release was between Resident Evil 5 and 6, but features a story that takes place between Resident Evil 4 and 5 and has series protagonists Chris and Jill investigating a bio-terrorist threat on a ship out at sea.

While the original game was graphically impressive on the 3DS, its presentation feels more modest on the more technically-capable Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Switch version benefits from improved resolution and framerate, with the game playing at 1080p in docked mode and 720p in portable (thanks to Digital Foundry for the numbers). The improved framerates fluctuate, however, ranging anywhere from 30FPS to 60FPS depending on what’s going on, with the game mostly hanging around 40FPS.

It’s still a fairly smooth experience, but one would expect as much (and arguably more) given what’s on display here. The character models for the main characters are good, but just about everything else is somewhat lacking – environments are simple, textures range from decent to a blurry mess, and for the most part this looks like a game that could have released on the PlayStation 2. In other words, this is not impressive by any stretch.

In terms of gameplay, I’m pleased to say that Resident Evil Revelations manages what none of the numbered entries in the series on the Nintendo Switch seems to have pulled off – it has a creepy atmosphere and a decent control scheme… at the same time! Those who caught my reviews of the numbered Resident Evil games will know that this has been a balancing act this series has consistently faltered on, usually toppling to one side or the other. However, in this game, we have some decent third-person shooter controls (made better with optional gyroscopic motion controls) while still maintaining the earlier Resident Evil games’ slower-paced and horror-inspired game design.

However, that’s not to say that this game is the best of both worlds. Its handheld roots are readily apparent here, with a much more modest and limited design, fewer enemies at any given time than modern installments in the series, smaller environments… all of this culminating in an experience that makes this feel like a lesser entry in the franchise.

What’s more, this game isn’t without its own quirks and flaws as well. The game introduces a scanning system that allows players to scan downed enemies and other parts of the environment to find items. Unfortunately, this system slows down the game dramatically and feels like it adds little to the experience.

I should also mention that this release does include the game’s Raid mode, which lets players play through small sections of the game’s levels in a more Action-focused co-op mode via local wireless or online connectivity. This mode makes for a fun and lighthearted distraction, but clearly is not the meat of the game, so don’t expect to be spending a lot of time with it.

In the end, Resident Evil Revelations is a decent Horror game that combines the slower pace and atmospheric focus of the earlier games in the series with the more modern control scheme and more forgiving item management of later Resident Evil games. For some, that would mark this as an ideal entry in the series, except its handheld roots clearly show in its more limited scope and unimpressive visuals. Still, this is one of the more playable games in the series, and those looking for a Horror game with a bit of action will probably find this to be worth a look.

tl;dr – Resident Evil Revelations takes the 3DS entry in the series and brings it to the Nintendo Switch with upscaled visuals, resulting in a Horror game with some decent action that plays well and still manages a creepy atmosphere, although the game’s handheld origins are definitely apparent in its smaller scope and lacking visuals. Despite this, it’s a decent game and fans of the series should find it well worth playing.

Grade: B-

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