Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Episode 1: Penal Colony

Overall, this first foray into Resident Evil Revelations 2 is a good one.

Resident Evil is finally back! Well, almost anyway. The first episode of Revelations 2 is a step away from the action spectacle that was Resident Evil 6. Instead it feels like a cheaper version of Resident Evil 4, with a real interesting story and well written characters.

A definite step in the right direction for the Resident Evil franchise and the promising start of a new horror series in its own right.

While the graphics in Penal Colony are pretty disappointing, the atmosphere, pacing, and amount of content are easily worth the price of admission.

Either way with its back to basics approach to narrative, and its deeply satisfying gunplay, early signs are that Resident Evil: Revelations 2 will be a worthy addition to the series.

Penal Colony provided just the right amount of backstory and twists to leave the player wanting to find out what’s next in the story. Survival horror makes a triumphant return with Revelations 2 and this is another significant step in the right direction for the decade-old series.

Despite being only an appetizer from a bigger plate, this first episode leaves a good taste, being capable of retaking the mystery of the original games on this franchise.

Resident Evil Revelations 2 is neither the return of the series to its Survival Horror roots, nor the action disaster that was Resident Evil 6. It's a digital experiment that unfolds as a brief but enjoyable (and replayable) adventure, that certainly falls short in its technical aspects, but at least it has a strong selling point in offering a lot more content for 6 euros than some full priced titles for 70.

The first episode of Resident Evil Revelations 2 is perfect to establish the mysteries of the game, offering a good balance of characters and solid gameplay mechanics. It's a little short, but but the game has some cool unlockable content and great replay value.

Revelations 2 starts as an interesting game, although its length, typical in episodic games, can cut against it. Assault Mode makes it more enjoyable, and it ends up as an entertaining game that leaves you wanting more, something that is a success for any game of this type.

A fair remaster of a classic, Resident Evil is a game that holds up pretty well, but one that those not nostalgic enough likely won't enjoy as much as returning STARS veterans will. [Issue#253, p.64]

The Raid mode alone would make us buy this game. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 combines challenging strong gameplay with depth, which makes for a very entertaining product. We would have liked to see a bit more variety in this mode. Let's see what the other episodes will add to the story-driven campaign.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is a promising start to this four-part horror title, with some interesting gameplay dynamics let down by dodgy presentation and some technical hiccups.

It’s too early to have a real judgment but Revelations 2 doesn’t start in the best way. We hope to see better gameplay in the subsequent chapters.

The game has some flaws, but for now it’s just a setup and as a setup, it’s decent.

With no real gameplay innovations unique to the episodic format and the fact that Resident Evil's weakest quality has traditionally been its story, Revelations 2 is putting an awful lot of eggs in this samey-feeling basket.

Although light on plot and suffering from a flow-breaking episodic release, Resident Evil: Revelations 2 introduces interesting new characters and unique co-op in an entry that has more than enough scares and personality to become a fan-favorite.

It's hardly a revelatory release thus far – but this could yet be great.

The gameplay is functional, carrying over much of the mechanics introduced in RE4 while adding enough restrictions that players don’t feel invincible, and the extra Raid Mode does away with the traditional time-trial focused Mercenaries and introduces a more interesting mission-based mode that features RPG-like skills and weapons unlocked through exp and currency.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2’s first episode is a welcome return for the franchise, but it’s a little lacking in the depth department.