Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Episode One

If there's one thing that's clear about Resident Evil 2, it's that it's a labour of love. Not the kind of obsessive love that results in remakes unchanged apart from graphics, but instead a love that wants to see this classic reborn at its absolute best...

Resident Evil has been the pinnacle in survival horror dating back to its initial release in the mid-'90s, but slowly shifted gears with each subsequent release, becoming more action oriented and less about survival. This departure caused much ire from...

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 offers an interesting campaign in a unique format, cleverly promoting switching between four diverse...

Capcom has got something here, something that is worth looking into. While not exactly brilliant by any means, Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is a fun game to play and can be turned into something great if Capcom aims a little higher next time. I love the...

Resident Evil Revelations 2 has some flaws, but it recaptures some of the magic lost since the heydays of the series. It fosters a great survival-horror/action balance with excellent monster design, foreboding atmosphere, an imposing setting, and...

Resident Evil: Revelations 2's two teams of complementary characters make this a fantastic cooperative experience, whether you're playing through the story or the ever-engrossing Raid...

It’s just too bad that Moira’s artificial intelligence isn’t all that reliable and there’s a lack of online cooperative play at launch. Regardless, the first episode of Resident Evil Revelations 2 is off to a solid start, but Capcom has a ways to go before convincing players that this is a good direction for the series.

The locations could be more attractive, and the game as a whole could be a bit more polished, but this opener has all the right hooks for hardcore fans and more casual players, and shows new signs of vitality in the once-great horror franchise.

Though you have to wade through mediocre puzzles and endure cringe-worthy dialogue and references to past games, episode one successfully entices you to look forward to the next episode. Just before you feel like its antics are wearing you down, it commands your attention by redeeming itself during the second half, just before sealing the deal with an impactful cliffhanger.

Revelations 2: Episode 1 is let down by dull environments and creature design, but a terrific co-op mode, intriguing story, and replayable Raid Mode balances out its flaws. Not quite a headshot, then; but it’s left a bloody impression on me nonetheless.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 feels like a budgeted release at times visually, but given the interesting environments and insanely detailed Raid Mode, that's okay.

For me a spin-off has a responsibility to do different things, to take the core subject-matter and do something that for whatever reason the 'main' games can't. By these lights Revelations 2 is a good spin-off. But if you hold off for a month, it might yet turn out a great one.