After weeks of rumors, Capcom finally confirmed that it’s bringing 3DS horror romp Resident Evil: Revelations to consoles and PC. Due out in May 2013, Revelations not only includes a high-definition facelift, but a heap of extra content including new weapon upgrades, playable characters, a brand new foe and more. Given the amount of backlash Resident Evil 6 received from fans, the arrival of Revelations couldn’t have come at a better time. While those of you who have already played the game on 3DS will know of Revelations’ merits, the game is bound to find a new audience for legions of PS3, 360 and PC owners who haven’t experienced this survival horror classic.
With that said, here’s 3 reasons why Revelations is the best RE game in years, and why you should be saving those pennies.
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1) Classic Survival Horror action
Simply put, Revelations is probably as close to the old-school Resident Evil paradigm as you are going to get for a while, if ever. The game utilizes the same over-the-shoulder camera as the last few games, yes, but scales back the action considerably. As such, Revelations places far more emphasis on exploration and puzzle solving, offering a far more cerebral adventure in comparison to recent entries. Ammo is far less common, environments recall the claustrophobic nature of the classic RE games, and enemies are pretty tough, requiring some pinpoint accuracy if you want to hit them where it hurts. It’s actually refreshing to sometimes find yourself at such a disadvantage that you have to feel an opponent as opposed to gunning them down because you have a copious supply of bullets. Sure, there’s some action-packed scenes, but overall this is a nod to the glory days.
2) New enemies and gameplay that add something fresh
Even though Revelations evokes elements of classic RE games, it still offers something fresh for newcomers and fans like. In this case, it’s the Genesis; a special device used to scan things such as B.O.W.s and pieces of the environment. Using this equipment, the player can obtain useful information such as enemy intel and hidden ammo and healing items. This adds a whole new dimension to gameplay, as you won’t often find everything in plain sight, encouraging you to explore every inch of your surroundings. Scanning foes also yields bonus items, which means there’s more to killing enemies besides eliminating an immediate threat; if you clock up 100 per cent on the Genesis, you’ll bag something useful. In addition, the new Ooze foes offer a fantastic middle ground between Ganado and Zombies, combining the shambling nature of the latter with the speed and ferocity of the RE4 and 5’s foes. Throw in the returning Hunters and some brilliantly grotesque bosses, and Revelations has possibly one of the best bestiary’s in the series’ history.
3) It’s actually scary
Revelations does something the last couple of RE games – notably the more recent RE6 – failed spectacularly at – scaring the player. Indeed, this is inherent of Capcom’s decision to place gamers in narrow environments that recall the mansion-like setting of RE1, and implementing some old fashioned scare tactics. Enemies will leap out of closets, drop down through air vents even appear seemingly out of nowhere directly behind your character. Okay, so you’re unlikely to fall for them a second time after completing the game, but how many of us cowered behind the sofa after the dogs jumped through the window for the first time in RE1? Or when Mr X smashed through the wall in RE2? Nemesis in RE3? Exactly. Bottom line, Revelations brought back some genuinely scary moments, and not all of them were limited to jump-out-of-your-seat moments. Thanks to the appropriately spooky score, the game excels at perpetuating an uneasy knot of dread in your stomach as you explore the Queen Zenobia, creating a disturbing atmosphere that refuses to let up.
Will you be picking up Revelations on PS3? Let us know in the comments section below.