Resident Evil Revelations occupies that awkward middle-ground of being better than just a "bad" game, but also missing the mark of some of the series' heights. There's a lot about this particular entry that's really interesting though. For one, it utilizes the 3rd person over-the-shoulder gameplay popularized by Resident Evil 4, but it was originally released on the 3DS and (mostly) works. That's perhaps less impressive today now that you can apparently play the latest RE games on your phone, but for its time, this was quite the feat, all the more because elements of the 3DS were implemented into its design, rather than it being a port of an existing title. It also presents a side story to the ongoing timeline of the mainline games, and features prominent characters from it, while being very intentionally side content. The game definitely has its flubs that keep it from being truly great, but in the context of its goals, Revelations does pretty well at what it's going for.

The story aspects are fairly hit-or-miss. Some of the purpose of the Revelations games (there's since been a sequel of sorts) is to fill in the timeline of events that occur between the mainline games. This one takes place in the period prior to Resident Evil 5 and establishes some of Chris and Jill's (the primary playable characters here) prior work within the BSAA. This mostly works okay and it does help develop their post-Raccoon working relationship. But in seeking to create a story of its own, the game's story references and involves some rather out-there events that are rather odd as they are, confined to these side games. For instance, the game flashes back repeatedly to the "Terragrigia Incident," where some kind of fictional man-made island metropolis powered entirely by solar energy was attacked by a horde of hunter-type bioweapons, forcing the city to destroy itself with some kind of space laser. That's an event arguably far grander than Raccoon City, but is never mentioned again to my knowledge outside of Revelations 2 (and maybe the CG movies?). Further, the story is really convoluted, involving multiple overlapping factions, a non-linear structure, and quite a few new characters to keep track of. I've finished the campaign probably 5 or so times by now and only this time did I sort of feel like I followed it. Still, despite these issues, the story isn't really "bad," just felt like it could use some simplifying and polish, as long as you don't mind how outlandish and cheesy the dialogue and plot can be. I also in theory like the idea of how these games are supposed to parallel and quote literature (Dante's Divine Comedy in this one, and the works of Kafka in the second entry), but it feels very surface level and hamfisted in execution.

The gameplay for this one is kind of hit-or-miss. I've played this on PS3, PC, and 3DS at this point. While it was built for the 3DS, that is definitely the platform where I struggled most with the controls, unsurprisingly. It's just not a system that lends itself well to the kind of controls you're dealing with in this kind of game. Playing it with a controller or mouse and keyboard is totally natural, to the point it feels weirdly like the 3DS version is the port. Controls aside, the action itself is mostly decent once you get the hang of it. We get new kinds of monsters birthed from the T-Abyss virus that offer an aquatic taste that's fresh, even if the enemy designs could've used a bit more color. The gun variety is functional, though the upgrade system feels unnecessary. The exploration side of the gameplay however, is where the game really shines. While it doesn't do it perfectly, this game offered some ray of hope for classic Survival Horror fans after the disappointment of Resident Evil 5 in that Revelations features lots of non-linear exploration, solving puzzles, finding keys, and exploring a much more tense and spooky environment than the near war zones of 5. It's still a bit action-focused for my tastes, but this game definitely felt like a step in the right direction to getting back to the series' roots.

And that exploration is only enhanced by generally strong presentation throughout. Despite the limitations of the 3DS, the game looks quite good for its time. The areas radiate the moist texture of the haunted ship environment. There's an excellent variety of backdrops throughout as well, with living areas, the mess hall, and even a casino. It's a rather beautifully-designed ship that manages to still feel like a ship and not just a rehashed mansion. Some of the other characters you play as go to different areas as well for some variety, but the ship setting is definitely the main one that shines. The atmosphere mostly fits this well, though again, the game feels just a little too action-y at times and the fast pace of the monsters and combat did often take me out of it here and there.

There was a time I was trying to get the platinum trophy for every Resident Evil game with trophies and this one was easily the most work (yes, even if we count RE4R's 4-6 long playthrough trophy list). This is because Revelations features an online "Raid Mode" which is like a very developed Mercenaries mode complete with online co-op comprising 60 levels with tons of unlockables and multiple character loadouts, which can easily take dozens of hours to fully conquer. While I did eventually find it fun, this mode could be a bit of a grind, especially as the 60 levels are really 20 levels on 3 difficulties. I did appreciate how dedicated the mode was and that it was far more intricate than just a quick Mercenaries mode you play for a few hours after you're done with the main game. All that said, I have not touched it in any of my replays of the game over the years so I definitely had enough after one time.

I've always had a bit of a soft spot for this game. It might just be because my expectations for it were so low going in and the fact it wasn't that bad made it feel better than it was. Admittedly, I've felt a little more negative about the game pretty much every time I've replayed it (despite the story making a bit more sense each time). But there's still a lot about it that I think is pretty neat and while it seems like Capcom is unsurprisingly much more interested in pumping out its successful series of remakes between mainline games, I do kind of miss this side-story style we haven't really seen since 2016.

My other Resident Evil reviews:

• Resident Evil (1996) - ★★★★★
• Resident Evil 2 (1998) - ★★★★★
• Resident Evil 3 (1999) - ★★★★★
• Resident Evil: Survivor - ★★★
• Resident Evil: Survivor 2 – Code Veronica - ★★
• Resident Evil Remake - ★★★★★
• Resident Evil Gaiden - ★★
• Resident Evil 0 - ★★★
• Resident Evil Dead Aim - ★★★
• Resident Evil: Outbreak - ★★★
• Resident Evil 4 - ★★★★★
• Resident Evil Outbreak File #2 - ★★★
• Resident Evil Deadly Silence - ★★★★★
• Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles - ★★★
• Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles - ★★★
• Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D - ★★
• Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City - ★★
• Umbrella Corps - ★
• Resident Evil 2 Remake - ★★★★★
• Resident Evil 3 Remake - ★★★★★
• Resident Evil 4 VR - ★★★★★
• Resident Evil 4 Remake - ★★★★★

So I wasn’t sure what to expect bc this was originally a DS game, and I can see that DNA imbedded in it, but this game still feels pretty decent to control most of the time. I like playing as Jill because she’s my favorite protagonist, and I like seeing her and Chris interact.

Realistically, this is a 3.5 rounded up, because while the Jill parts of the story are really good in my opinion, there are a fair amount of segments played as these two random guys- and some played by Chris and Jill’s partners when they worked together in the past. The story is somewhat convoluted, as well, but I think the setting makes up for it. They’re on a cruise ship, which I think is pretty cool, and I probably should have gathered that from the game cover but it was a pleasant surprise for me when I started playing blind. Theres a genuinely creepy encounter that I found really worth it (the first boss).

The gameplay is pretty good, but not perfect. There’s a scanner mechanic that you scan enemies for health items, and you also find hidden collectibles and items. I actually like this, and you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to after the game introduces it to you, so even if you don’t like it it won’t take away from your experience. The combat feels ok but some of the enemies are pretty tough, because in some wave areas they literally reuse bosses you had to beat earlier in the game. And the final boss fucking sucks, it takes a shit load of damage and its just not fun, because the controls are slightly too slow for you to fight him consistently. And every attack from him knocks you down, and you cant get away from it unless you hit him and make him stagger. It sucks I hate it, worst RE boss.

Overall I did enjoy the experience except for the setbacks I outline in this review. ITs a direct middle ground between 5 and 4, with aiming and movement similar to 4 and combat similar to 5, but with notes to read that 5 lacks.

Capcom already took Resident Evil out to sea in the underwhelming RE: Gaiden (as someone who bought Gaiden on release, do not overpay to get a copy of it - it isn't worth any of the silly money people try and sell copies for - go try it out by other means if need be) which provided to be a good idea but didn't have the technical chops to pull the concept off so obviously decided to revist it many years later on another Nintendo handheld. I played this on the PS4 and they did a good conversion; it certainly doesnt look like a native PS4 game but doesn't look like a handheld game running in HD. The whole game is chopped up for snacksize gameplay into episodes something a leftover mechanic from designed for a dip in and dip out handheld however I quite liked the break in gameplay (I started this months ago, real life got in the way and finished it now, so the "previously on" really helped!).

Overall I'd rather have some of these lower budget, traditional Resi Evil experiences over the first person weirdness they seem to be doing these days. The story is dumb, the set pieces are predictable but it's like comfort food to me. Call it nostalgia or whatever but I'd spend time with Jill and Chris any day.

This is a very fun Resident Evil game. As a big fan of the series, I definitely missed out on not playing this spin-off game until now. Being aware that this was initially a 3ds game, I played it all on the steam deck, and it runs great there. The game has:

• Returning Resident Evil characters Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, as well as some new characters
• The majority of the game set in a ship, which is a great setting and re-exploring different parts of the ship when you unlock new keys evokes a vibe akin to the first RE mansion
• The gameplay definitely has the vibes of Resident Evil 5, except you can shoot while aiming, and I found it all to be fun
• There is a light weapon upgrade system, not as satisfying as the mainstream games, but servicable
• The story is just a kooky as other RE games, which is a plus to me.
• RAID mode acts as an alternative to mercenaries, which is a fun mode, and I'll probably keep the game installed because this mode is fun

The only negative to this game for me is the last few chapters, which were not on par with the rest of the game. They were lackluster, and then the final boss was extremely annoying.

It took me about 5 or 6 years to finish this, but feeling bored over the weekend, I finally decided to give it a go. It took maybe 11.5 hours to beat the main campaign on Normal Difficulty, and I tried one or two Raid Mode maps.

The graphics are not that bad, the environments are pretty good and for the most part, the challenge was moderate - Like other Resident Evil games, you'll need to conserve your ammo, though there were situations where I unloaded on everything in a chapter without the game punishing me too harshly.

Good points aside, the game has a number of unfortunate shortcomings:

• For a game that is meant to be action oriented, the controls can be slow and frustrating (esp. when some enemies disappear and then jump right in front, or in back, of you), and using the Genesis scanner got tedious pretty quick.
• The game tries to tell a far more complicated story than the writing can actually carry, and the episode-like structure for the narrative was a bit goofy - I suppose it was meant to create cliff-hangers and suspense for the next chapter, but there was really no need to make folks watch a video recap of a previous chapter, seconds after finishing the chapter. The game throws out a bunch of plot twists during the 2nd half of the game, though I'm not sure I would describe any of them as memorable.
• The voice acting is ho-hum. The voice actors for the series-established characters (Jill, Chris, etc.) do an OK job given the script, but the others like Lansdale or O'Brian are subpar at best, and Keith + Quint are outright awful.
• The difficulty spikes through the roof once you get to the final boss. If you enter combat without the right weapons equipped and don't have a manual save prior to entering combat, then this ends up being incredibly frustrating 😨. Since you don't have the option of restarting a chapter or lowering the difficulty, I probably died 30 times before I finally got past the guy (after dying maybe 2 or 3 times during all preceding sections of the game)

The review probably sounds overly harsh and gives the impression that I didn't enjoy the game at any point (which isn't true). If i had the option of giving it 2.5 stars, I probably would - But 3 stars would be too much. If your a huge Resident Evil fan, it's probably worth a purchase, but only when on sale.

Resident Evil Revelations does exactly whats it sets out to do and actually manages to be a better game than RE5 and RE6.

It's definitely not the series' best effort and it feels too much like these two previous titles, but it surprisingly works.

The first thing that I have to say here is that it felt good having Jill Valentine back as a protagonist. Especially when you join with Chris later on. Jill's a very strong character for the franchise and I hope Capcom uses her (and a few others often ignored) better.

With that said, I also have to give credit to Revelations' new characters. I'm pretty sure that they'll never ever show up again, but Jessica, Parker and Raymond had their own strong personalities and motivations, aiding the plot to move forward with Jill and Chris.

Speaking of plot, the interconnected story in Revelations is good. It's Not amazing, but it got me interested. The whole FBC/Terragrigia revelation didn't make any sense to me, which kinda weirds things a little, but it works for the most part. Sure, the writing is still VERY cheesy, like a 'B-Movie', but that's part of RE's classic charm at this point.

The only problem is that it is very inconsistent in its constat change of characters and that problem leaks to the gameplay.

Jill's campaign is great and the game should've just been that. Exploring the ship carries a bit of RE4's taste and the level design, although not perfect, is decent. But when you go back and forward in time, with different characters, in different places, it slowly breaks the pace and atmosphere that the game itself builds up.

I mean, you go from elegantly doing puzzles and running away from Rachel with Jill, to completely changing your weapon loadout to play as two bland new characters (Quint and Keith) fighting hordes of hunters or an on-rails shooting moment with Chris, facing a giant worm monster, in a totally different map...

Add this to a few gameplay setbacks and Revelations starts losing a lot of its steam. The dodging mechanic sucks and it feels mandatory sometimes, using the Genesis isn't always fun or useful, movement is a bit clunky, inventory management is nonexistent, backtracking decelerate things and the final boss is the worst in the franchise.

And this is a shame because everything else in the gameplay DOES work. The atmosphere, shooting mechanics, Raid mode, cool unlockables, gruesome enemies (Rachel scares me), nice exploration and even SOLID water levels.

I am not sure how to accurately rate Resident Evil Revelations. I liked it a lot, but when I think too much about it, I can see its cracks. And there are plenty. Maybe the game just works better on a 3DS, but I played it on the Switch, so I can't tell.

But it's a grower. Short and sweet, like a Resident Evil should be. But despite its mishaps, I definitely recommend it.

Note: This was played on the PS4 version, but why not gush about 3DS technical achievements?

Coming from a portable system, it's almost clearly obvious how rough Resident Evil: Revelations looks, with its jagged shadows and limited textures, but hot diggity am I impressed such a game was brought to life. Revelations proves you can take the action packed formula of 5 or 6 and process it in a way that manages to balance survival horror resource management and action-packed encounters (unlike 6, cough cough)

Taking place in the aftermath of some city nobody has heard of until now, Revelations takes the cake for cheesy set pieces, right up to splitting the chapters into TV episodes. Despite this, Revelations holds some spooks in places, such as a mutant jumping at a door or giant tentacles breaking the glass. If you've lived up to this point, though, you'll know it's basically action with limited bullets. Monsters will crowd you in areas but Jill/Chris/whoever you're playing as will be tactically aiming for the head as much as possible, with limited evasion and the chance to punch out a monster. There's also the chance to scan enemies for health pickups and areas for items, encouraging exploration and giving an extra edge over just hoping somebody dropped enough bullets to survive.

Graphically the game is amazingly impressive for 3DS, featuring a variety of grotesque monsters and a few stunning showdowns. The cruise ship that most of the game takes place on attempts to bring back the spooky mansion feel of the original, and mostly succeeds before getting back to shooting mutant wolves in snowfields or infiltrating secret labs.

There's a Raid Mode, but it's mostly the type where you'll be leveling up a character shooting down as many goons as you can. Serviceable and addictive to the right crowd, but the meat is in the campaign, which feels like just the right length.

Revelations doesn't break ground like a Resident Evil 4 or Resident Evil 7, but as a 3DS game/PS3/PS4/Wii U/Switch/(what are you planning on porting this to next you monsters), it's a stunning technical achievement that has enough quality gameplay to forgive the ugliness of it being spread over a big screen.