14 DAY TRIAL // 
After the title came out on the Nintendo 3DS last year, Capcom has brought Resident Evil: Revelations onto high-definition platforms like the PC, PS3, Xbox 360, or Wii U, in order to give owners of these devices a chance to experience the survival horror game.
After the lackluster Resident Evil 6, which didn't really have a balance between action and survival, Resident Evil: Revelations promises a bit more horror. With better graphics, an improved Raid mode, and other such additions, the game is looking really good.
Can Resident Evil: Revelations deliver some much needed survival horror into the franchise or should the zombies devour it? Let's find out.
Story
Resident Evil: Revelations brings a new type of story that focuses on famous heroes like Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield, as well as on an array of secondary characters, not to mention a bioterrorism organization called Veltro.
The terrorists unleashed a group of monsters into an island city called Terragrigia and forced government authorities to burn the location from space. As you can imagine, that didn't exactly neutralize the threat, and now the BSAA needs to investigate the remnants of Veltro and its monsters.
While the action takes place in a variety of locales, most of the time you'll be on a derelict ship called Queen Zenobia, which has been infested with zombies thanks to the T-Abyss virus.
What follows is a pretty decent plot that puts players in the shoes of different characters in different time periods, which can be a bit confusing, at least at first. While there's still quite a bit of corny dialog and some twists can be seen a mile away, they're not that annoying and should remind veterans of the franchise's cheesy origins.
Gameplay
Resident Evil: Revelations has a pretty simple control scheme, largely because the original 3DS experience needed to make do with a more straightforward interface. Players can shoot and walk at the same time, and they can apply healing herbs with the simple push of a button.
There's no unwieldy inventory to manipulate, or resources to share with your companion, as the only external menu interface players will have to interact with is the one for the weapon upgrade system.
In terms of weapons, players can wield basic firearms like pistols, machine guns, or shotguns, not to mention a trusty cleaver to slash away at mutants. In the case of BSAA agents like Jill or Chris, they can also use a special device called the Genesis, which analyzes infected substances for certain advantages.
The shooting feels pretty good, but the actual aiming is a bit off, as the crosshair always tends to move a bit more than intended. The dodge mechanic is also pretty clumsy, as it can be activated either by pressing the move forward button or by activating the 180-degree turn function.
The whole game carries a retro feel, reminiscent of older Resident Evil games, thanks to tight and twisted environments, a distinct scarcity of resources like ammo or herbs, and some pretty resilient enemies that need to take a lot of damage before they go down.
Speaking of enemies, they are relatively varied but, at least on the Queen Zenobia, you'll get tired of shooting the same few types of monsters. Thankfully, due to the skipping between playable characters, you won't spend that much time in the same place fighting the same foes.
In order to help players keep track of what's happening, the story is divided into episodes, and before the start of each episode a small "Previous on …" montage is displayed, making the game perfect for short play sessions.
There are, however, quite a few glitches in Revelations. For example, there are shoddy animations, like attacks that go through obstacles or walls, not to mention plenty of erratic enemy behavior, especially when talking about faster opponents like the zombie wolves. Some of the puzzles are also a bit confusing, and the interior corridors of the ship are a pain to navigate even with a mini-map.
While the single-player campaign will certainly please veteran Resident Evil fans with its emphasis on survival horror, most players will find the most enjoyment in the game's Raid mode, which has been expanded by a variety of additions, including new weapons, enemies, or playable characters, like Hunk. The mode can be played with a friend via the online co-op system but we did encounter issues when connecting to other people.
Those who played Revelations on the 3DS won't find that many new things in this remastered version, as the main additions include an Infernal difficulty mode or a new enemy type called the Wall Blister.
Visuals and Sound
In terms of visuals, Resident Evil: Revelations looks like a lot of HD remakes from recent years, as the colors feel washed out, the textures aren't that great, and the visual effects, like explosions or the frequent enemy decomposition, aren't that impressive.
The game's low-res visuals really stand out during the in-game cut scenes, as there are some truly atrocious textures and some low-quality character models.
The soundtrack is decent and, when combined with the bigger emphasis on horror, there will be quite a few tense moments in the game. Sadly, the voice acting is a bit dull and lifeless, which once again reminds longtime fans of the cheesy first games in the series.
Conclusion
Resident Evil: Revelations is a pretty good game in terms of pure gameplay, although quite a few glitches and issues weigh it down. Even so, the entry is by far the most survival horror one the franchise has seen in recent years, and the Raid mode should entertain fans.
In terms of the HD remake, the results aren't that pretty, due to low-quality textures, especially on the PC, and due to some very simple mechanics or effects.
