Resident Evil: Revelations – Part 1

The header image for this post was created Capcom, and is the start screen for the HD re-release of Resident Evil: Revelations

Hey, nice to see you back here again. Big waves and hugs to you guys visiting this little blog once again.

The Game

Resident Evil: Revelations was a Nintendo 3DS game developed and published by Capcom in 2012. It was later ported to Windows, Playstation 3, Wii U and Xbox 360 in 2013; then ported to Playstation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in 2017

Before I get to the topic at hand, which is Resident Evil: Revelations, I would like to share a few opinions and thoughts I have with you guys; my own revelations so to speak.

I thinks it’s only fair because I’ve noticed, in my previous posts, that I talk about the game in question and that’s it. You don’t really learn anything about me, though I’d like to share some stuff with you.

Whoa, getting a bit personal ain’t ya?

Well the clue is in the title: The Gaming Waffles of the Taylor Boys.

Thus far have I mentioned what my favourite console is? What consoles I happen to own? The fact that I’m quite an avid PC gamer, or any clue to the rig I’m actually using?

No, no I haven’t. With this self revelation duly noted and well thought about, I thought it was high time I put more into these blog posts - a little about me if you would indulge me for a little bit - and more about all of my thoughts on the game, both good and bad.

Not that I’m going to link you to a YouTube video of me showing off my game and console collection but you get the idea.

Okay, point well made. Care to start you’re new way of thinking?

Yes. So I’ll start by saying I have 3 separate copies of Revelations: the first was on the 3DS (the circle pad came with it); then it was the 360 version; now I’m rocking the Xbone version.

psst… Xbone is what I call the Xbox One

Okay. So I don’t think this game should of gotten an HD remaster.

WHHAAATTT?

Hang on and hear me out please.

This is gonna seem like an attack on other people who do reviews but it’s not meant to be. So please hear me out because I’m not going to repeat this statement if I can help it. You ready?

You can like something and still have bad things to say and indeed criticise it.

I can see that, I just hope you’re going somewhere with this

I certainly am.

You see, while reading my previous posts back I realise that I didn’t really cover as much as I wanted with the other games in question.

Like, how you can get knocked to your death in Comix Zone in a quite brutal fashion; how the tank controls, albeit unrefined, can be a real pain in the first Resident Evil; and how finding items in Resident Evil: Gaiden can be an absolute nightmare at times - especially in times of desperation during gameplay

yes it can add to the survival horror experience but most times it’s just damn right unfair and cruel

So what follows is, I hope, a more realistic and less starry eyed account of my thoughts on a game that I have picked up again recently. Even though I remember it more fondly from the hand held version that I first played almost 5 years ago.

Let’s see if he goes somewhere with the “not a good idea to have an HD version”

Okay I deserve that. But before I can get to the real meat of that statement I’ll give some background info:

So I was a day one adopter of the 3ds, many moons ago. It was a powerful handheld with 3D. But the 3D functionality gave me headaches, so I tended to use it sporadically.

Cue: The Resident Evil - Revelations release.

I got the special edition. This was a bundle with a copy of the game and the new circle pad, and it was just a little over normal price for a new game.

Ordered it off the internet, I did.

On delivery day I remember nipping out to get bread, just real quick. When I was walking back from the shop, towards my street, I noticed the mail van whizz by.

Yep. You guessed it, that was my delivery. So I ran full tilt towards home, getting there just in time to sign for my package. Battering the poor bread loaf in the process.

Ah. So it was a baked goods assault?

Not assault per say, but certainly a rough ride for the loaf.

Added to this was the fact that I received my copy of the game and circle pad about ten minutes before I had to set off for work. So my keenness to play the game on release day had to wait until I got home, that night.

At that time I was working the 4pm until midnight shift, so after work I went straight to bed. The next day rolled round and I was ready for the task at hand.

FINALLY to the review.

Yeah, a bit of a long winded back story. But here we go.

A mysterious ship in the middle of the ocean, a search for survivors, and a desperate need to stop the terrorist organisation

such a popular phrase these days. Any Resident Evil 4 players about?

known as Veltro.

The story was so intriguing and gipping that it enticed younger me, all the way up to hurling myself into this handheld addition to the Resident Evil series full tilt.

Here we meet Parker, the muscular, possibly Spanish (judging by his accent) partner to the master of unlocking Jill Valentine.

He looks like the kind of guy that would risk his life to save yours, knocking someone’s teeth out in the process, while weeding out injustice and wrong doing while looking fabulous with his thick, almost shoulder length locks of hair. A smooth talking Spaniard.

remind you of anyone?

So your main character for this part of the game is the master of unlocking herself, Jill Valentine. Armed with her gun, a hair bobble/elastic, a Genesis gun (I’ll get to this later) and a form fitting wet suit

I ain’t complaining

she sets out on the mission at hand.

Justice and answers are sought after for all involved: Jill, the higher ups, the big suits at BSAA, and most importantly, you and me.

After a few jump scare-esque moments, you’re treated to a great little nod to an earlier game. Not just any earlier game though, one that hearkens back to the very beginning of the Resident Evil series.

Oh I get it: JOSEPH!!!!

That’s the one.

Jay: for those who don’t quite get it

We quickly realise that the passengers of the ship where infected with a virus. We can only speculate at this point, but the money is on it being some sort of variation of the T-virus that Umbrella is so famous for using.

A short jaunt and chapter completion later, and we are treated to a bit of back story in which we see Jill in familiar garb

Resident Evil 5 DLC get-up without the hat

and we find out that Parker isn’t one to read instruction manuals.

Men everywhere can relate to this I’m sure

At this point you’re taught how to use the Genesis gun, which is essentially an enemy scanner with no offensive capabilities at all. It’s a bit of a let down, but you can scan for useful items and fallen hand prints.

There are 30 of those in total, and a nice little achievement to boot

I’ve found this tutorial level to be the most fun for a few reasons.

Firstly you find out that your boss (O’Brian) doesn’t set off the bio hazardous creatures on the beach

Fan theories go wild here

and you start to get the feeling that the AI partner is a bit useless. And lastly, you are on what I call Opera Beach.

Why you ask, well…

Bloody Hell! They actually sing? Tell me they sing!

Unfortunately not.

Moving swiftly, yet unsteadily, on

haven’t got my sea legs yet

When you’re back in the main game, progression through the story is split into sections with each section being played with a different character. The three characters that are available for these sections are: Jill, Chris and Keith (and one small section as Parker). This helps to stop things from going stale.

Who’s this Keith guy then?

Keith gets partnered up with Quint, a tech expert for whom combat is a bit out of his league.

With double machetes and a bit more armour than the others, he’s the muscle sent in with the tech wizkid to find a location of the Veltro hideout. Which is quite an important plot piece in the grand scheme of things, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Keith is a bit plain vanilla, a standard character really, but Quint on the other hand, with a Dragonball Z scouter on his head and a serious hard-on for a certain computer, is hands down in my top five most annoying escort quest characters I have ever come across

he’s takes third place, if you’re at all interested

He is mostly oblivious to enemies, and his voice grates on my nerves: a slow claw at a blackboard kinda thing.

Shudder Those levels don’t last long right?

No they don’t, they amount to two of the chapters in the game.

Oh good… any other characters we need to know about?

Only one really, Rachel is her name. Parker’s old partner was sent to the the ship before you. Blonde McCleavage I call her. Its a non speaking

more screaming part

for her as you find her like this.

She is totally not a plot device or boss later on.

…What? No, my fingers aren’t crossed, not at all.

I’m only going to mention one more notable thing about the early stages, because I really want some of you to try this title for yourselves: One of the early bosses, the Comms room key boss. Anyone who has faced this guy will sympathise with me.

Who or what in the living HELL IS THAT??

That, my friend, is the mutated body of the guy who took the key to the comms office. He has an outward appearance that would be best suited to Ripley’s Believe it or not. And he can kill you in one hit, which with leave you ripping the controller apart with your bare teeth.

This boss is not to be taken lightly or twice between meals, just a blanket “Proceed with caution” moment. A Resident Evil boss wouldn’t be complete without some sort of challenge, and it seems that starting this fight alerts all of it’s friends on your side of the ship - and they’ll come running to help it.

Getting a clean shot at it is hard, and if you didn’t get used to the dodging skill by this point, then you are going to struggle to get past this boss.

I never got used to the dodging skill in the game. Not when I got it on the 3DS; not on the Xbox 360 and definitely not on the Xbone (Xbox one). So my playthroughs were challenging at this point on every version of the game.

I mention this boss in particular because not only, as I mentioned before, is he (or it, I suppose) a total Git. But with multiple enemies all around its hard to find tactics that work without dying a few times.

What I can say for people struggling with this, is if you want to find a way that works yourself with little help from other online sources…

Grenades and well placed sniper rifle shots help a lot

don’t forget that you can move while aiming in this game

Apart from this boss, the story progresses nicely and the difficulty curve seems to go back to a fair and steady increase afterwards. No massive surprises, gameplay wise, and the persistent and keen player will remember to backtrack at certain points for secret loot that gives you a one up.

Is that it then? More or less finished?

Oh no… not yet. You’ll have to come back for part two.

coming soon