Reviewed on Xbox One
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March 3, 2015
With its furious pace, tough boss battles and punishing lack of supplies, Resident Evil Revelations 2: Episode 2 makes the first episode feel leisurely in comparison. While still defiantly an action game, surviving in Revelations 2 is now a much tougher prospect. In other words; now we’re in business.
In Episode 2: Contemplation, Claire Redfield and Moira Burton continue to be taunted by a cryptic puppet-master in an intriguing story that’s getting more Saw-like by the minute. This baddie isn’t scary, per se – like a number of Resident Evil villainous overlords, she’s all pantomime – but I’m enjoying the mystery of her, and the way in which she’s particularly adept at ushering her unwitting minions toward dastardly cliffhangers. Breaking Revelations 2 into episodes is a bit of a strange choice, but there’s something to be said for a bit of rest and contemplation between these breathless encounters.
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As our villain becomes more wicked, so do the enemies that populate Revelations 2. One of my complaints in the first episode was the mundanity of its monsters, and while they haven’t grown more interesting, they’ve certainly grown more resilient (and in greater numbers).
Coupled with a genuine scarcity of supplies, there are are a handful of of boss fights – and a ridiculously tense chase sequence – in Episode 2 that I had to do over multiple times. One in particular essentially required me to get a headshot with every pull of the trigger, while dodging charge attacks and fireballs; as you might imagine, the exhilaration of toppling the guy was immense.
Considering both character pairs – Claire and Moira and Barry and Natalie – are unevenly balanced in terms of physical strength, such encounters require strategy, particularly when playing split-screen co-op. As the toughness ramps up, Moira’s weaknesses are put into stark relief; without a weapon, there’s little she can do but run. This can become frustrating, but on the other hand, it can be a thrill to play as “the bait” for your partner’s trap, if you’ve got the cojones for it. That you’re required to be so considered in co-op is a strength of Episode 2.
More teamwork is required in this episode in general, and it’s better for it. Natalia’s formerly useless ‘pointing’ ability is suddenly given meaning in the presence of invisible enemies that only she can see, and her ability to see monsters through walls lends itself to a stealthy approach. The Last of Us vibe I felt in the first episode is even more prominent here, and the occasional opportunity to not go in shooting is refreshing.
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On the other hand, I continue to find Revelations 2’s environments bland. While crumbling villages and deserted medical centers might be a traditional staple of the Resident Evil series, they’re boring, and the lack of environmental detail seems odd in 2015. Boxy design made sense in the Revelations console port in 2012, given its 3DS origins, but here it’s less excusable.
Fortunately, Raid Mode continues to offer more variation, with its colourful urban arenas and the odd level plucked from Revelations’ Queen Zenobia. Episode 2 unlocks two new characters to play, Pedro and Gabe, whose Drill Charge and Ground Pound specials are wonderfully efficient at clearing out big groups of enemies quickly.
