Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Episode 2: Contemplation

An improvement upon an improvement, Revelations 2 keeps reinvigorating the Resident Evil franchise, though stale environments, generic enemies and disappointing visuals leave it firmly rooted in the "good, but not quite great" category.

If you bought the first episode, nab the second.

Injecting some much-needed adrenaline into Resident Evil: Revelations 2, Episode 2 ups the ante with intense boss battles, creepy new creatures and some interesting plot developments.

Fans of the series will appreciate the plot twists, whilst newcomers can get stuck into a well-grounded Resident Evil game that is so far living up to its heritage.

Contemplation certainly doesn’t let up in terms of action and horror. The increased variety in enemy types and game mechanics is certainly welcome, and with the story picking now too, it will be exciting to see how the mystery unfolds.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 strengthens itself with a solid second episode packed with compelling gameplay and some decent story developments.

Contemplation, the second episode of Resident Evil Revelations 2, is more focused on action than exploration but, in any case, still offers something interesting to look at and some really scary sequences. If you liked the previous one, go for it.

Keeps the rhythm of the first episode, without adding or changing anything on its way. The history is interesting, and the gameplay remains as fun as it was. Could be better, but also it could be much worse.

This second chapter has the same success and failures as the first one. Some remarkable moments, balancing action and suspense, trying to get back the essence of the genre. It may not be perfect, but it's what it looks like: entertaining without complications.

In the end, Resident Evil Revelations 2: Episode 2 is another “of course” purchase. If you liked Episode 1, picking this episode up will be a no brainer, and frankly the game is only getting better. If you didn’t, Episode 2 isn’t going to turn heads and convert naysayers. It’s just more of the same with a welcome tweak to difficulty, and honestly, that’ s exactly what I wanted.

The Raid-mode is still the most enticing part about Resident Evil: Revelations 2. The gameplay is great, but unfortunately the lack of variation starts to break up this mode already. Thankfully the campaign mode is getting more interesting now.

The second episode of Revelations 2 offers a bit more action than the first one, and is not quite as good. Barry Burton is a pretty boring character and the setting isn’t that interesting. Still, it is a title that every Resident Evil fan should take a closer look at.

A few technical issues still remain, such as the unreliable stealth mechanic where enemies will arbitrarily sense a player’s presence even if they are properly concealed, and the AI-controlled character still has a habit of staying behind and/or failing to pull their weight during more heated skirmishes. Nevertheless, this latest episode has gone a long way to raise optimism over Capcom’s latest RE experiment.

This is another enjoyable romp, though, which sprinkles just enough new ideas into the experience to make it stand on its own. Most importantly, the action is much tenser this time around, and while it's still largely ridiculous, it will have you squirming at points.

Episode 2 has some good design choices and more balance, with a story that finally unfolds. Moira is the worst character, while Natalia is really interesting and seems to be tied directly to the main plot.