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Resident Evil: Revelations Review for Nintendo 3DS

Resident Evil: Revelations Review for Nintendo 3DS

The Ocean Beckons…

There’s something inherently creepy about the ocean. Sure, plenty of people take vacation cruises and have a great time sitting on the beach, but when it’s just you and open water, it can be pretty intimidating. Capcom has definitely taken advantage of this fact, and has finally put Resident Evil in the middle of the ocean. Resident Evil: Revelations takes place in 2005 and revolves around the remains of a floating city that was attacked by a bio-terrorist group.

Series mainstays Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine are on the case again, this time working for a biological recovery group that is trying to stamp out the rest of the infection left behind after the collapse of the aquatic city. For a handheld game, Resident Evil: Revelations is surprisingly cinematic, and each chapter of the story is presented with lengthy introduction and conclusion cutscenes. If you don’t like your handhelds with a bunch of story content, then you might as well write this one off right now, because Resident Evil: Revelations is filled to the brim with juicy plot details.

Resident Evil: Revelations Screenshot

Since the game takes place in 2005, there are no Las Plagas (in fact, Resident Evil 5 has yet to happen) but there is a whole new class of genetic mutant lurking about. These guys aren’t really zombies in the traditional sense, but feature some truly terrifying design, and come in all shapes and sizes from giant swollen toothy creatures to limp bags of flesh that nip at your heels. These creatures are engineered and used by an evil terrorist organization (aren’t they always?) so you’ll have to fight against both human and nonhuman enemies throughout the game.

Though the plot in the game is actually fairly good, the question most fans probably have in their heads is whether a shooter can really work on the 3DS. Splinter Cell 3D didn’t exactly leave a good taste in our mouths, but mechanically, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D worked fairly well. Resident Evil: Revelations works almost the exact same way as Mercenaries, but since the gameplay requires a lot more in terms of exploration and discovery, the little tweaks to the control scheme are a bit more noticeable here.

Resident Evil: Revelations Screenshot

The game still features the series’ signature stop-and-shoot style of control, but the addition of a very active camera ensures that you can find a good spot to plant yourself in before you start unloading your clip. And though the game is compatible with the second circle-pad attachment, you are unlikely to need it; running around with the default control setting is effortless. Shooting in the game is also fast, and though there are shortcuts on the touchscreen, changing weapons is a lot easier if you just use the button-based commands.

I am very impressed with how well Resident Evil: Revelations works on Nintendo’s little handheld, and I have to hand it to Capcom for creating a competent shooter experience on what would otherwise be a poor platform choice. Everything feels very natural, and even if you are a hardcore home console player, you’ll feel right at home with the 3DS’ control setup.

Equally impressive are the visuals. Pre-rendered cutscenes are on par with Resident Evil 4 and sport an impressive amount of detail. In-game graphics naturally take a hit, but character animation, as well as enemy design, still looks great. The 3D effect is used to give environments a little bit of depth, but those with 3D fatigue will be happy to know that the game doesn’t get into gimmick territory with the 3D visuals at all. You won’t see any zombies grabbing for you from the screen or anything like that, but things do occasionally pop into view with the intention of giving the player a little bit of a scare. But since we are talking about a survival horror game here, I don’t think that’s too much of a crime.

Resident Evil: Revelations Screenshot

A lot of the 3D content is also related to atmosphere, which is incredibly important in a genre where jump scares have unfortunately become the norm. Dimly lit cabin rooms and rollicking ocean waves come to life in stunning detail, creating a world where something as simple as just peering around the corner doesn’t feel safe.

Sound in the game is also done very well. Though the game features the cheesy dialogue we’ve all come to expect from Resident Evil, it is delivered very well and with conviction by the game’s voice actors. The music is also done very well, and the game features a deep and moody score designed to get under your skin.

Resident Evil: Revelations Screenshot

In addition to the eight-hour story mode, Resident Evil: Revelations also features some nice additional content for those who aren’t quite ready to say goodbye to the creepy seas. There’s a StreetPass-powered mission mode that allows you to take on missions in the context of the story mode that have been shared with you by other players. There is also a co-op mode that allows you to team up with a friend either locally or online. This mode is arcade in nature and allows you to take on waves of oncoming enemies to get a high score. Both of these modes augment the experience nicely and definitely add value to this bundle.

Resident Evil: Revelations proves that you don’t have to be on a home console to enjoy an expansive game. The story is one of the best in Resident Evil’s recent history, and the shooter controls are pretty much perfect. Fans of the series should definitely pick this one up, and even those who aren’t necessarily into the Resident Evil franchise would do well to check it out. Though Resident Evil has had a bit of a rocky relationship with handheld consoles, Revelations perhaps redeems the franchise while providing some legitimate scares along the way. This is one trip on the ocean that you are unlikely to forget any time soon. Bon voyage!

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.5 Graphics
Visuals look great, and 3D helps flesh out an intensely creepy atmosphere. 4.3 Control
Though newbies will have to get used to the stop-and-shoot system, shooting controls otherwise feel perfect. 4.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Music and voiceovers are top-notch and sound great coming through the 3DS’ speakers. 4.3 Play Value
A lengthy story mode and bonus multiplayer and StreetPass content make this a fleshed-out experience. 4.3 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • Experience Resident Evil in a new way.
  • A new story unfolds like never before.
  • A new strategy RPG from the creators of Trinity Universe.

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