Resident Evil games of last gen have been reasonably successful and they are also the subject of many criticisms. The prevailing theme is the addition of partner, which may boost the action but leaves the horror aspect unpolished. Revelations 2 isn't as big budget as a couple of previous titles, but this is probably the closest Capcom has ever been in mixing horror and action together.
Story follows two perspectives; Clarie's and Barry's, both with their respective partners. The campaign spans across four episodes, shifting between Claire and Barry repeatedly. This is a great direction since the narrative is pretty complex, but not to the point of overwhelming as Resident Evil 6 four campaigns. Clarie and Moira, Barry's daughter, are kidnapped and taken to an island. They are unwilling participants for a bizarre experiment. Meanwhile, Barry is going to said island later in the future to investigate the incident. There he meets with a strange orphan Natalia.
The two stories work dynamically as they complement each other. Things happened in Claire's perspective might have impact on Barry's and there are certain events that are revealed after completing the counterpart. The transition is smooth, and this is quite a feat since the areas for each episode are shared between the two. Characters are likable, I find myself caring about their ordeals, which is rare when playing Resident Evil games.
Dialogues are decent, it still has the campy feel of B-movie, but with more emphasis on humor this time around. Dubbers perform the voices to suit the characters, especially Moira who throws profanity at a whim. Plot may not be as bombastic as the fall of a city, although this smaller scale actually works to the game's benefit. It gives more focus and lets the players invest on the characters.
Unfortunately, graphic suffers a slight frame rate. For most of the time the game runs smoothly, but as it changes area or tries to perform intricate scenes the visual will screech almost to a halt for a few seconds. This will hamper the game more than a couple of times. Design for the setting is good, the island has all the bits of previous titles. Claire and Barry will go through prison, village, city and odd facilities. It's definitely leaning towards horror effect, its gritty corridors and abandoned outback are memorably fitting without being too flashy.
Gameplay is interchangeable between two characters, or you can get a friend to play the support character. Each main character has the ability to fight, while the support mainly dabble in finding items and are not too proficient in combat. The AI isn't shabby, but playing with another person is definitely better since AI still encounters some issues. For those who are familiar with third person shooter, Revelations 2 won't pose much trouble.
It has standard basic mechanic while offering simple upgrades with skills and parts. Previous titles are more like a corridor based shooter, players clear a segment with gun blazing and move on to next one. Revelations changes that with predominant horror thriller aspect, some simple puzzles as well as a bit of exploration. It's not large by any means, however this type of gameplay fits Resident Evil atmosphere very well in just the moderate amount so it won't plod the pace. Add quaint graphic and eerie sound effects, the game is a legitimate addition to Resident Evil lore.
Revelations 2 story has average playtime. It can be finished in about 10 hours. After player is done with Campaign, there are two separate extra episodes, each clocking at about one hour. There's also Raid Mode which is a gauntlet with different objective. This resembles Mercenary Mode from previous titles, where players can go through multitude of stages and unlocks different upgrades from main story. If one is interested, there are plenty of medals and records to achieve, but I don't think this will buff the playthrough more than once or twice.
For episodic title Revelations 2 has a lot of content, certainly the best bang for your buck. With likable returning as well as new characters and pleasantly good story, Revelations 2 is a great addition to the franchise and genre.
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Graph : Good design on characters and setting, but the technical aspect is flawed. 6.5/10
Sound : Interesting voice works and scores. Script has corny Resident Evil vibe and it's actually funny this time. 8/10
Gameplay : Presentable third person shooter with partner gimmick. The throwback to horror element is a nice touch. 7.5/10
Presentation : Improvement on story and hefty content will definitely entertain the genre fans and action enthusiast. 8/10
Overall 7.5/10
