Modern Game Weekly - Resident Evil Revelations 2

Welcome to Modern Game Weekly, this series will be focussed on more recent releases and is based around the 0 to Z of Playstation 1 Games series, with information on what the game is, the gameplay, story, critical reception and availability of the game. The story section will not be the entire games story, just a small section to give you an idea of the plot, spoilers will be kept to a minimum where possible.

The games chosen for this series are at random from my own ratings database, the database currently contains the majority of console releases from 2016 to February 2018 with releases up to March of 2015 added as well, with each game rated and ranked. Each game has their own rating broken down into five different sections.

The first is the numbered ratings, this uses a scale of 0 to 100 with a total of 10 of these ratings. One of the things that a part of this rating are critic review scores, these scores come from all console platforms the game is released on.

So for example Okami HD, which was recently released on PS4 and Xbox One, as well as previously being released on the PS3, all three of these releases factor in on the games overall rating. As a result shoddy ports of a game will seriously hurt the games overall score.

The reviews section takes a total of 12 reviews for the game if that number are available, both the six best review scores as well as the six lowest scoring reviews for the game, this covers reviews for console releases only. Information here will not be full reviews but snippets that stand out from the reviews.

The Availability section works exactly the same with a look at how available the game is assuming they are not digital only releases, with retailers Gamedude, eStarland and Amazon.com, while Retrogames may feature as older games are added to my database, the site currently only covers games up to the Xbox 360 and PS3 era.

   

Resident Evil Revelations 2 also known as Biohazard Revelations 2 in Japan, is an episodic survival horror game developed and published by Capcom, and is the follow up to the events of the original Resident Evil Revelations from 2012 and 2009’s Resident Evil 5. The game marks the tenth major instalment of the Resident Evil franchise and the twenty second entry overall In the series.

This edition of Modern Game Weekly will be covering the final release of the game which released on PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PSVita in 2015 in North America, Japan and Europe. 

More recently the game along with the first Revelations released on the Nintendo Switch, on the 28^th of November 2017. The PC never received a release for the retail version of the game, the various chapters however were bundled together on Steam.

Notable people who worked on the game, Masachika Kawata has had a long history with the Resident Evil series dating back to 2005 and his work as a producer on Resident Evil 4. prior to his work on the Resident Evil series he largely worked in the Art/Graphics side of the industry.

Way back in 1996 he worked as a Object Designer on Mega Man 8 Anniversary Edition, it was in his early career that he would first work on the Resident Evil series, namely Resident Evil 3 Nemesis where Kawata worked as a Background creator.

Prior to making the move to the Resident Evil series, Kawata worked on the Dino Crisis games in 1999 and 2000, first working as a Stage Model Creator for Dino Crisis, before moving on to work as the Chief Background Creator for Dino Crisis 2. In 2001 he worked as a Background Creator on Onimusha Warlords.

In addition to working on Resident Evil 4 and both of the Revelations games, Kawata also worked on the pair of Chronicles games, The Umbrella Chronicles and The Darkside Chronicles in 2007 and 2009. Before working as Co-Producer on the 2009 released Resident Evil 5. Most recently Kawata is credited as the Producer for the very well received Resident Evil 7 Biohazard which released in 2017.

Erina Shimamoto who worked on the first chapter of the game as a Game Designer, she only has one credit since then which was for The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, with Shimamoto credited for working on the Games Design as well, I believe that she has since moved to Monolith Soft.

Shinji Mikami not that Shinji Mikami, also has a long history with the Resident Evil series, starting back in 2005 with Resident Evil 4 where he worked on the games Art Production. Before working on Resident Evil 5 as an Art Designer he worked on the Devil May Cry series, working on the games CG.

Mikami also worked on the 2006 released Dead Rising, working as a Background Designer on the game. Since then up to 2015 he has worked on the Resident Evil series, as either an Environmental Artist or Background Artist. Most recently Mikami moved away from Resident Evil and worked as an Environmental Artist on Street Fighter V.

This will be based on the Playstation 4 control scheme, Resident Evil Revelations 2 opts for an identical camera view adopted by the previous entry in the Revelations series, the game also opts to stick with the more survival aspects of the first Revelations game opposed to the more action orientated Resident Evil 5 and 6, with a stronger elements in ammunition management as well as stealth and sneaking aspects that will come into play.

The game also features a new enemy type, this new type is known as the Afflicted, this new enemy is described as being very violent and will attack the player on sight. There appearance is that of a heavily modified and mutilated Ganado that appeared in Resident Evil 4.

The Afflicted also have the ability to use weapons against the player, with melee weapons such as axes, wrenches and saws. The game also features enemies made from the Uroboros virus, these enemies take the form of standard enemies as well as bosses.

Another major change from the first Revelations game is the main campaign is now co-op, this campaign however is not an online co-op campaign but a local offline one only. The game also features the return of characters swapping between the two protagonist in Claire and Moira, with the player able to freely switch between the two characters using the Triangle button.

You can also issue basic commands to the none controlled character, With Triangle and up on the D-Pad to tell the AI character to go to a specific location, and Triangle and down on the D-Pad to get them to stay in position. These commands are only relevant is playing the game solo.

Each of the games two main protagonists Claire and Moira have a different and unique style of play. Claire is the firearms specialist of the two and is able to used the handgun and shotgun that she comes across in the Prison facility. Clair also has free access to a knife she can use, as a result it will fall upon Claire to deal with any enemies the pair come across as they try to make their escape.

If you are a more aggressive Resident Evil player and like to take on the infected, Claire is able to heal herself using herbs that the player has found, one major change to many of the previous games is healing which is not an instantaneous action, instead the player must use the use and hold the R1 shoulder button for Claire to deposit the herb into a sprayer so she can administer the healing to herself.

Moira on the other hand is more of a support role character, with her primary item being the flashlight which is found when Claire finds her knife. With the flashlight Moira is able to provide light for Claire but also blind or stun the Afflicted, the flashlight also works like the Genesis scanner from the first Revelations game and reveal hidden items and secrets that Claire would otherwise be unable to see.

Moira also gains access to a crowbar, this can be used to detach boards that are blocking your path, Moira can also use the crowbar as an offensive weapon, with Moira able to incapacitate an enemy if she attacks them from behind, she is also able to do a finish attack on enemies that have been knocked to the floor.

The inventory menu returns for the game as well, with both Claire and Moira having different inventories, with Claire having a spacious 10 slot inventory, Moira on the other hand only has to make do with 5 inventory slots. Ammunition, throwable items and quest items all take up valuable slots in your inventory. Items can be discarded, when an item is discarded they will be dropped at the feet of the character, players can also switch weapons in a very similar way to Resident Evil 5 with the directional buttons used to switch items.

Revelations 2 also features the ability for both characters to be able to crouch and sneak, with this new opportunity for stealth allowing players to potentially bypass enemies. Crouching can be done by pressing on the L3 analogue stick, when crouched or standing up the left analogue stick is used for your characters movements, while the right stick is for the games camera controls. The game also has a dodge mechanic, unlike the first Revelations game this is no longer situational, instead the Circle button is used along with a directional input for the direction you wish to dodge in.

Other basic controls for the game the L2 shoulder button is used to ready your weapon, while the L1 shoulder button is used to aim your weapon. To fire your weapon the R2 shoulder button is used while holding down the ready weapon button.

Players can perform Melee attacks, with both characters having access to a melee weapon, to perform a melee attack the fire button R2 is used when you don’t have the ready weapon button L2 pressed. The R3 analogue button allows the player to switch off their flashlight or adjust your scope.

To access your status screen the touchpad is used, when interacting with an item or object the X button is used to examine or perform an action, the X button is also used to make your character run, this is pressed down when moving. You can also perform a quick turn, this is done when moving backwards, pressing the X button will result in your character doing a quick 180. Items and reloading is done through the Square button.

The Raid mode minigame also make a return for Revelations 2, but this mode has gone through many core mechanical changes, with the player now able to visit locations from other games in the Resident Evil series. These include Tall Oaks and Edonia from Resident Evil 6, as well as fight monsters from other games such as the Scagdead and Hunters.

The Raid Mode takes place in a hub room called the Vestibule, here the player is able to walk around and interact with the set pieces to customize their equipment and go on missions. The basic goal of each Mission is to locate the coin at the end of the mission and break it. 

After completing a Mission, the player receives the gold and experiance they've earned in the stage, vinyls, custom parts, and Medallions if they fulfilled any requirements. After earning so much EXP, the character being played will level up and earn Skill Points which can be used to upgrade their skills

Each character has their own level, this level will grow as they earn experience, with a new max level for this mode being 100. With each level gained the player will earn a certain amount of skill points depending on what level they have reached. When a character reaches the level cap of  100 they still continue to earn skill points after a certain amount of experience has been earned, but they will no longer level up.

You can also unlock skills for your characters, these are special abilities that are both active skills and passive skills. As you level up your character you will unlock more skill slots to use, these skills can be levelled up using the Skill Points you earn in Raid Mode.

Active skills work like sub-weapons in the campaign mode, Instead of being based on if the players has the items themselves they are based on the kill they can have a set number of usages, and specific cool-down period. Player can have up to 4 equipped at a time.

There are also the passive skills, these skills are used all the time and may even be automatically used depending on the conditions. Players can have a maximum of 6 Passive skills equipped at one time. A variety of weapons are also on offer in Raid Mode, ranging from handgun’s to shotguns and Magnums, the latter having five different variants available.

Each of the weapons available in Raid Mode has between 2 and 6 part slots that can be equipped with parts either obtained from the store or from albums, these parts have varying levels, usually between 1 and 20. In addition to finding higher level parts you can also combine like named parts at the toolbox.

The toolbox which allows you to combine like-named parts becomes available after the player reaches a certain point of progression. The individual parts all have differing effects and are used to either boost a weapons base stats, or add elemental features to the round fired from that particular weapon.

This section will just cover the beginning of the game and small parts of the first chapter, later chapters will not be covered to avoid spoilers. Resident Evil Revelations takes place between the events of Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6, the game sees the return of Claire Redfield as the game main protagonist, she is joined by Moira Burton, the daughter of Barry Burton. The pair work for a biohazard prevention agency called Terra Save, during an event the pair are kidnapped by masked assailants and taken t the facility on Sushestvovanie Island.

An unknown woman calling herself the overseer watches Claire and Moira via cameras, and tells then the bracelets they have been fitted with record fear. The pair are able to escape to a radio tower and call for help, Barry Burton arrives on the island, and almost immediately encounters a young and strange girl named Natalia.

Together the pair head off to the radio tower that Claire and Moira signalled from, unfortunately Barry has arrived very late, as it turns out the distress signal from Claire and Moira was sent 6 months ago, Barry then suffers from a severe headache, after which Natalia claims that Moira has died.

Starting with the Zero2Zed rating for the game, Resident Evil Revelations 2 starts off with a good run of scores in the first half or ratings, with the game peaking at a very good 88.3, along with some very solid ratings in the 83 to 80 range.

The second half scores do take something of a dip, with the game receiving a couple of 70 ratings to balance things out however, with the game dropping down to a low of a 50, with a 58.6 rating as well, the game also received an above average rating of 66 as well.

Critic reviews play a major part in this scoring system and Resident Evil Revelations 2 didn’t do too badly when it comes to critic reviews, the game did earn itself a couple of 90 rated critic reviews, as well half a dozen reviews scores in the 83 to 85 range over multiple platforms, as well as receiving a slew of 80 rated review scores.

At the other end of the review scale the game received a low of a 40 from one reviewer, as well as a couple of 50 rated reviews. The game also received a handful of 60 rated reviews but most the games low review point was around the 70 mark, like the 80 rated reviews the game received a good number of 70 rated reviews.

Grading wise the games first half grades were very solid with the game receiving a single B+ grade to go along with the four B grades it received. At the other end of the grading scale we find the game earning itself a couple of C+ grades as well as a C grade. The game did take a slump however gaining a D+ and D grade as well. Averaging out the game earned itself a C+ rating overall, with an overall rating total of 729.5, which averages out at a rating of 73.

On to the first of the critic reviews, these reviews are for console versions of games only, so in the case of Resident Evil Revelations 2 this will include Xbox One, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Switch reviews only and no PC or handheld reviews. Getting down to business with the first review which comes from PSN Stores who rated the game at an impressive 90

The reviewer found Resident Evil Revelations 2 to be a surprise, while the game is not without faults, the reviewer found it really difficult not to fall in love with it. They continued by saying that the game has so much here for fans of the series and a level of self awareness that makes me feel confident about the future of Resident Evil. 

The reviewer concluded by saying. This is a big step in the right direction for the franchise and I can only hope that things continue that way in the future. Also, thank God for Barry Burton. He is a Legend.

ZTGD are next up with another 90 rated review, the reviewer commenting that Revelations really knocks it out of the park when it comes to bringing that classic Resident Evil feel, but a bit more modernized. They continued by saying.

You’ve got a great combined clash of some of the old and new, interesting locals to explore, puzzles to solve and intense enemy encounters. Concluding the reviewer said, This might not be a main entry in the Resident Evil series, but it doesn’t mean it can’t compare to the best. Revelations offers quite the punch when it comes to quality and content.

The next review we head over to the Switch version of the game and the review from NintendoWorldReport who rated the game at a good 85. The reviewer commented on the clamouring of Resident Evil fans for a return to form for the series and with Revelation 2 it was clearly a step in the right direction.

They continued by saying, Blending light puzzle solving and survival horror elements with the more modern over-the-shoulder perspective delivers a truly menacing experience. The reviewer was not without some criticisms, mainly some unfortunate design decisions like being forced to switch between characters, hold the game back from being among the pantheon of greats in the series.

The next review comes from Italian publication MondoXbox who rated the game at an 85 as well, the reviewer called the game a good adventure, with nice story ideas and lots of fan service for the lovers of Capcom’s saga.

The reviewer did find the episodic structure of the game did get in the way of a more fluid gameplay rhythm, the reviewer also found the graphics of the Xbox one version a little disappointment, they review concluded however by saying, but it’s surely a suggested by for Resident Evil fans.

XGN are next up with an 85 rated review, the reviewer called Resident Evil Revelations 2 absolutely great, the review also praised the raid mode, which the review called addictive. They also praised the episodic format which they found offered a compelling story. The review did find some minor graphical flaws and some simple enemies, but overall they only found them to improve the nostalgic experience.

Spanish publication Hobby Consolas are the last of the top half of the reviews and their 84 rated review. The review finding the game is not a return to the classic survival, nor the title that stands out in anything. They continued by saying, it is noted that Capcom has not put all the meat on the spit, but this approach is very fun and replayable, which is already a step in the right direction.

Heading to the other end of the review scale we find Twinfinite and their review of the Switch release, the review rated the game at an above average 60. The reviewer found Revelations 2 to be a constantly fin game that will keep you hold on its plot all the way to the conclusion.

They continued however to say. But be aware that the port is full of little grievances that can test your patience. Loading times were one issue the reviewer commented on, especially when starting up an episode and when you go into Raid Mode, with load times of over a minute or longer. The review also had an issue with a cutscene that was suppose to be a smooth transition but instead they got a minute or more loading screen just to watch a short cut scene.

Deaths in the game also resulted in another lengthy loading screen for the review, they also found the old bugs that affected the earlier releases of the game are still present, with enemies fusing into the ground. They continued by saying, all of these tiny annoyances add up to make Revelations 2 look shockingly unpolished on the Switch.

Another 60 rated review up next with Spanish publication LevelUp, with the reviewer finding Revelations 2 a bit of a disappointment. The reviewer did find the story to be well rounded, and a story that will appeal directly to fans of the series. They concluded however by saying, this was not enough to make up for the gameplay and graphical shortcomings.

Digitally Downloaded are next up with the first of two reviews from them, this review is for the Playstation 4 release of the game. The reviewer finding the returning Raid Mode to be not as exciting as what we saw in previous titles Mercenaries modes, but it does add an incredible amount of longevity to the game.

They continued by saying. Capcom are very lucky. It’s rare to have a formula that works so well. From the episodic formats, (not to mention the brilliantly produced “previously on” and “next time on” segments), to the strong enough gameplay, there’s enough content here for a lot of people to enjoy. I am disappointed about the features that have taken a step back, however if you’re looking for a solid, single player, B-grade horror game, this is where to go.

The second review from Digitally Downloaded which is for the 50 rated review, this review is for the more recent Switch release of the game. The reviewer finding the first Revelations game has the edge over this game, the review finding the boat setting is really up there with the original Resident Evil’s mansion and Resident Evil O’s train as a distinctive and brilliantly designed environment. Otherwise the reviewer found the Revelations games to be unremarkable, entertaining but unremarkable.

The Penultimate review comes from The Jimquisition who rated the game at an average as you can get 50. Te reviewer Jim Sterling finding the plot of Resident Evil Revelations 2 fails to add bugger all to the wider Resident Evil world, and its one saving grace the Raid Mode has been a poorly veiled excuse to make even more money off the back of microtransactions.

He continued by saying, while the third person combat is practically an antique, and the sub par graphics betray how it was never intended to be the game it is. He concluded by saying Resident Evil Revelations 2 isn’t even notable enough to be considered bad either, that’s probably the bitterest pill. It’s simply old fashioned, greedy, and pointless – very much like the so-called “AAA” market attitude is so beautifully reflects.

The final review which comes from Quarter toThree and their 40 rated review of the Switch release. The reviewer felt like the game was shovelware, with the reviewer questioning if Capcom consider this game as passable. They continued by saying.

It’s worth noting it was released on the same day as a port of the first Resident Evil: Revelations. I wonder how long it takes a Capcom Switch port to load a game originally developed for the Nintendo DS. I don’t aim to find out. I like Revelations 2 a lot. But I don’t like it on the Nintendo Switch.

This is the part of Modern Game Weekly where is visit four online retailers and see what the availability of the title is, and what price you would be looking at if you wanted to pick this title up, the sites that I will be using for this are Amazon.com, eStarland.com, retrogames.co.uk for older generation titles and Gamedude.com I know the last one is very location specific, but from a podcast I listen to, I’ve heard they have a huge stock of games, Ebay has now been dropped unless the game is unavailable at other retailers.

So lets get down to business with Gamedude, where we find the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions of the game listed. Starting with the PS3 version of the game, if you are looking to trade this in your will be looking at a trade in value of $8.

If on the other hand you are in the market for a used copy of the PS3 version you will be looking at an outlay of $16. They also sell a new copy of the game which can be picked up for $19.95. This pricing range is also the exact same for the Playstation 4 version of the game.

Next up is the Xbox 360 version of the game, if you are looking to trade in your copy of Resident Evil Revelations 2 to Gamedude, you will be looking at a trade in value of $7. If on the other hand you are in the market for a used copy of the game, you will be looking at an outlay of $15.

If you are an Xbox One owner and wanting to trade in your copy of the game, your will be looking at a low $5 for your copy of the game. if you are however in the market for a copy of Resident Evil Revelations 2, your will be looking at a cost of $14 for a copy of the game.

Next we head to the Nintendo eShop for the Switch version of the game, here we find the game priced up at $19.99 when visiting the site from the United States, switching to the UK we find the game listed at £19.99, this is a significant price increase over the US store with a £5.57 overcharge when you convert the $19.99 into british pounds which comes to £14.45.

Heading to Retrogames.co.uk where we don’t find this game available or even listed, even with the site covering PS3 and Xbox 360 games. So we will quickly move on to eStarland.com where we find the game listed for the PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, XboxOne and the imported version of the PSVita release.

Starting with the PS4 version we find a used copy of the game without the case priced at $11.17. A used  and complete copy of the game is priced at not much more than that at $14.50. Also on offer is a new copy of the game which can be picked up for $19.95, in addition eStarland also offer a trade in with up to $8 paid for a complete copy of the game.

The Xbox One version is next up, where a complete used copy of the game can be picked up for $13.50. A new copy of Resident Evil Revelations 2 will cost you exactly the same as the PS4 version coming in at $19.95. A trade in is also offered with up to $7 being paid for a complete copy of the game.

Going back a generation now with the Xbox 360 version of the game, a used copy with no case will set you back $11.94 from eStarland.com. They also have on offer a new copy of the game, and like the previous two versions this version is priced at $19.95. A trade in is also offered with up to $8 paid for a complete copy of the game.

The penultimate version of the game on offer is the PS3 version, with eStarland currently out of stock of used copies of the game. When in stock a used copy usually retails for between $11.50 and $14.95. They do have a new copy of the PS3 version, as before this is priced at $19.95. A trade in is also offered with up to $8 being paid for a complete copy of the game.

The final version on offer at eStarland.com is the PSVita version of the game, this is the imported version of the game from Japan. This version at the time of writing is currently out of stock, when in stock a new copy retails for a substantial sum of $57.95. a trade in is offered for this version as well with up to $28 paid for a complete copy of the game.

Lastly we head over to Amazon.com where we find all bar the Switch version listed, starting with the PS4 version of the game, where you can pick up a very good condition used copy of the game for $20.35, a like new copy of the game is also available for $21.99. Used copies of the game price wise peak around the $26 mark for the majority of used copies on offer, with the usual few overpriced copies available as well.

New copies of the game are far more abundant with four pages of new copy listings, the cheapest of these coming in at $21.31. a large number of the cheapest copies however are shipped by Amazon so the free shipping only applies to Prime users and those spending over $25.

For a few cents more you can get a none Amazon shipped copy for $21.48, with another couple of none Amazon shipped copies for $22.28 and $22.98. prices from this point steadily climb from this point up to the $30 mark, before taking a significant jump in price to $48.47, with prices continuing to rise up to the current high of $92.24, this and the penultimate copy both ship from Japan.

Next up is the XboxOne version of the game, where we find a like new copy of the game the first on offer, this copy is priced at $14.99, another copy this in very good condition is also available for slightly more at $15.54. Most used copies on offer jump up to around the $20 mark with some going beyond this, as with the PS4 version the usual overpriced copies are present as well.

For a new copy of the Xbox One version of the game prices start from $15.73, with another new copy available for one cent more at $15.74. a third copy is available for $16.99 and another with free shipping can be picked up for $17.39.

Like the PS4 version there are a plentiful supply of new copies available with a large number available for less than $20. Above this price point the vast majority of copies don’t increase much in price with the vast majority priced lower than $25. There is of course some increase in price with the Xbox One version of the game currently hitting a high price of around $50.

Staying with Xbox with the Xbox 360 version of the game next up, with a good condition and complete used copy of the game, available for $12.71. if you are looking for a better quality used copy, a very good condition used copy can be picked up for $16.54. There are also a couple of like new copies on the market, these two are priced up at $23.99 and $26.

Moving on the new copies of the game, we find a good supply of the available on Amazon.com, with prices starting from $17.24, with several copies priced between this point and the $20 mark, a few are however shipped by Amazon, so the free shipping only applies to Prime users and those spending $25.

Prices for a new copy of the 360 version steadily rise up to around the $25 with this being the high price point for the majority of copies for sale, these are a couple of copies that go beyond this point, with the current high price for this version being $52.44.

Moving on to the PS3 version of the game we find the cheapest complete copy of the game is a new copy, this copy is priced up at $24.75, the second complete copy on offer is another new copy of the game as well. this one is priced up at $29.94, with another new copy priced at $29.95, with another copy also priced at this.

The cheapest complete used copy of the game is a like new copy of the game, which will set you back $32.78. Prices take a considerable jump with quite a few copies that ship from Japan, the cheapest of these are $73.47 for a new copy, prices for one of these Japanese version peak at $99.16.

The final version on offer is the PS Vita release, this is the Japanese imported version of the game. We find two very good condition and complete used copies of the game priced up at $36.68. Another very good condition used copy of the game can be picked up for $39.88 as well. Prices for a used copy continue to rise steadily up to the current price high of $62.89.

An abundant supply of new copies of the Japanese Vita version are on offer as well, with prices starting from a quite steep $52.60. A good number of the new copies on offer are priced between this and the $67 mark, prices for a new copy continue to steadily rise from this point, reaching a peak of $83.98 for a new copy of the game.

Written by

P J Gibbon