Resident Evil: Revelations Preview

Scanning for much more.

I was slightly skeptical about Resident Evil: Revelations for the 3DS handheld when the high review scores came in, even the 4.5 stars in GR's review. But after purchasing a copy of my own, I understand the praises for what is the best Resident Evil title since Resident Evil 4 (some would argue even further back than that). Likewise, I was slightly skeptical when I crept over to the station with the Xbox 360 port of this 3DS handheld title at a Capcom preview event. But after sitting down with the game for 20 minutes, my lingering doubts were justifiably shot in the face like the monsters that they are.



As you might suspect, the major gameplay elements of the original title have not been changed - not even the Gemini scanner sequences - though the graphics have made an incredible leap forward. From the small screen of the 3DS, the environments and character models have expanded to full 720p HD resolution. It essentially looks like a genuine main entry in the series, as if no one knew that it was missing and was found by surprise.

Most of the alterations are minor but will be significant for fans of the original title. The Hell difficulty mode, the hardest of them all, has been swapped with Infernal, which just by the sound of it is even more difficult. Enemies won't just have more health points and deal more damage, but they will come scrambling out at every corner and overwhelm you with numbers. Even if you succeed to dispatch them, your ammo will likely be drained. Of course, this is exactly the kind of challenge that Resident Evil experts love.



Raid mode has also been transferred with upgrades. There are new customized options for parts, new costumes for the primary cast, and the addition of new characters (Hunk is the only one to be revealed so far). As usual, you and a partner can go through a stage gathering better equipment, earn experience to level up for improved stats, and purchase new parts using BP earned by completing mission. Playing through the regular campaign eventually unlocks new stages for Raid Mode, notably more difficult stages where more BP and EXP can be earned.

Resident Evil: Revelations will arrive on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, and PC for $49.99 on May 21. Minor DLC has been planned, but there will be no on-disc DLC. (The rep said that they learned their lesson.)