Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Episode 1: Penal Colony

Resident Evil Revelations 2 might not move the series forward, but, at the same time, it isn't at all the cheap cash-in it easily could have been. If you're a survival horror fan in need of a Resident Evil fix, Revelations 2 will definitely be fulfilling.

Having come to the end of the first episode, I suspect this format may be a little redundant, and Rev 2 could equally well have been a fully game without the 'Up Next' and 'Previously On' gimmick. ...The rigid gameplay of Rev 2 has its appeal, and is bolstered by its unique co-op focus. It provides a solid foundation for Revelations 2 to grow on me if the PC multiplayer issue gets sorted, the levels diversify, and the storyline picks up. There's a lot to clean up, but there's plenty of time for the game to do it.

The problems that always plagued the Resident Evil like the backtracking, poor dialogue and general poor controls didn’t bother me as much since I only had to deal with in short spurts. I think this has to do with the fact the episode itself was around two hours.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is off to a pretty good start. It’s fun, campy, and even manages to throw in a few good scares. Once you get past the somewhat predictable first half, the game really comes together in the second with a blend of solid action, horror, and stealth. Dividing the game into episodic chunks is already shaping up to a successful experiment for Capcom, and we can’t wait to see where it all leads to in the coming weeks.

Resident Evil Revelations 2: Episode 2 bolts through its four-hour campaign at a breathless pace, thanks to some hard-as-nails boss battles and tense stealth sections. Despite uninspiring environmental design, stakes are getting higher, enemies are tougher, and co-operative play is more essential. Now that’s more like it.

Not much happens in this two-hour slice, although the ending of Barry’s section did a pretty good job of making me want to play the next episode. I’m not entirely sure the episodic structure suits a game like this, but at least Capcom is trying something new to rejuvenate the series. I was intrigued by the ending, but it didn’t leave me with the same fevered need to play the next episode as a Telltale game.