Resident Evil Revelations - The Official Spoiler Thread

[Smiley]

Late to the party, but finally had some time to play it. since I'm not a stickler for spoilers I already knew the plot, but what I was really looking forward to was playing the game and seeing how they incorporate survival horror again.

So far I'm wondering if the current release of casual titles has soften the gamer in a lot of fans. This game is a breeze, and leaves little difficulty as far as I can tell. Maybe Hell Mode will provide the proper thrills and challenge, but on normal I'm going through the game just fine. The Jill moments are admirable, but the scanner introduces a fare share of health and ammo, and even after running out my sub-weapons handle the job accordingly. I haven't felt the desperation or tension that I was hearing about. It's pretty close to RE4's game play.

This has more restrictions than RE4, but not as many as the earlier games. I've gone over the camera before and how this over-the-shoulder style doesn't install the fear of not seeing what's all in front of you. So I'll spare that.

The way the episode structure (and recaps) are handled reminded me of when I was playing Siren. So it gets a plus there from RE4's "chapter" progression. The earlier games had none of that though. Limited saves were common and each save came at the cost of losing a space on your menu.

Continuing from that, the back tracking was in part due to (knowingly) a majority of simple puzzles, but also handing your items, health and weapons in a single system. Here, there's none of that. You find an important item and it's there for you. Weapons are separate. And instead of managing or combining herbs you'll come to find that a single green herb cures you off the bat. And you store them separately. So the herb management is even more simplistic to RE5. Ammo and health might be in limited supply, but the enemies I've encountered haven't given me much of a problem and I've yet to run out of everything. I was under the impression the only kind of puzzles I'd come across are the door encrypting ones. But I guess you can factor in other occasions of solving a puzzle.

The earlier games also had objectives, but didn't give you a step-by-step list on what to do. In RE2 you were to go to the station and then look for survivors. But going about that had meant you had to memorize locations. My map gives me a nice bright marker on where to head next with an objectives list on what to do each step of the way. I know I'm supposed to find Chris because that's the point of Jill and Parker being there. I don't need to be reminded.

Then you have the action segments with Chris and Parker. Raid Mode was already supposed to cater to the action/RE5 crowd. Guess it seems like we need to keep them interested in the campaign. That also shows because for a single player experience this has all the workings of a game designed for co-op. That notion seemingly creeps into view with the amount of time you spend with a partner character at your side. What I liked about REmake was that the jokes were mild compared to the original. Barry wasn't standing next to Jill throughout most of the game and only showed up as support accordingly. When he did he never beat you over the head with bad humor or terrible dialogue as you were venturing and fighting monsters. Your radio was broken and you spent the game not talking about what should be scary, but exploring and finding out for for yourself. Save the plot and witty dialogue for the cutscenes if you must. A horror environment works best without the laughs. When the game play relies on sound and atmosphere.

That's the thing too. I played Dead aim and Gaiden. Both RE games taking place on a ship. The one in Revelations is so much more eerie. The music, layout and files all give off a real sense of dread. The monsters in this game are even more creepy and disturbing than las plagas. If they cut down on the dreaded dialogue and character interactions and just placed Jill on the ship looking for her friends by herself then this game would be ten times scarier. To some, that just translates to boring because they need an interaction to wake them up from these visuals and music that's taken for granted.

In any case that's just in regards to going back to form. It's still too casual, and that doesn't mean it's bad. If people find this convenient then good for them. I like that restrictions make me plot out my next course of action. And this game certainly doesn't make it one of the scarier titles, but it does get props for trying to differentiate on the action fest of the new games. I did like the instance where Jill and Parker were separated and had to look for their items and regroup. Think the event in Lost in Nightmares only instead of finding a couple flash grenades and luring monsters to traps you just maneuver and dodge your way through it. The game also gets points for bringing back a female lead up and center.

If they do make another Revelations type game it'd be nice to see Claire in the lead or another female character. Chris and Leon are getting all the fun these days.

Anyway I still have to complete the game and try raid mode later. Agree/Disagree with me? I'd like to know.

[Det. Beauregard]

Smiley, I couldn't agree more. The hand-holding that this generation's gamers need makes me sick.

Some of my annoyances (many of which you already covered) include:

- The constant dialogue from unneeded AI partners to flesh out the story (to many modern gamers, the "experience" is more important than the actual gameplay itself). Sickening.
- The blinking gold icon that tells me what my destination is. Telling me where to go takes all the exploration and mystery out of the game. With the objective markers, the player is encouraged to explore less in favor of rushing to the next objective. Couldn't there have been an option to turn these off? This is one of the biggest problems in RE these days, made even worse by the fact that the characters are now mostly on "missions" as opposed to being trapped in terrifying situations. The radio chatter constantly telling you what to do next also kills the horror feel. This isn't a military shooter; it shouldn't have the objective-based mechanics of one.
- The "one size fits all" health system. RE4 got rid of the blue herb (but added another herb type, so that's okay), RE5 killed the blue and yellow herbs, and now Revelations only has green herbs. What does this mean for RE6? The system has been dumbed down for casuals, and it's extremely annoying. I liked mixing herbs.
- The tone of the game switching to Operation: Action-Packed whenever Jill wasn't involved (and sometimes when she was). Switching to the different characters isn't a bad concept in theory, but in a game that is supposed to be horror, it just doesn't work. How am I supposed to feel alone and isolated on an eerie ship when I'm whisked away every other sub-episode to fight a bunch of enemies in linear arenas?
- The lack of a complex inventory system. RE4 nailed the perfect inventory in my mind, and it could have worked for this game, too (albeit with a smaller case). The inventory in this game felt so streamlined, like I was playing a phone game or something. The idea of ammo and herbs not taking up inventory space drastically reduced any horror vibes present.
- The size of the ship bothered me a bit. I just didn't think it was big enough. We only really saw a fraction of the Zenobia; why couldn't we see the rest of it? The map felt like the RE Lite.
- The game's length in general was not to my liking (I personally beat it in two sittings, with full exploring). One of the few good things RE4 and RE5 brought to the table was their length; they dwarfed the classic games in playing time (particularly RE4). Unfortunately, like many modern games, at least a fourth of Revelations was taken up by cut scenes. This simply isn't good gameplay design; it's lazy, and it shows. Perhaps it has something to do with the guy who develops RE's cut scenes? I think it's been the same guy since RE4, and I believe he has a penchant for making over-the-top action scenes (think Ada's grappling hook BS in RE4). RE needs a cinematic developer who knows horror, not action!

That said, not all of Revelations annoyed me. The good things:

- Actually finding weapon upgrades as opposed to buying them. This is what it's supposed to be like in a horror game, as it promotes exploration!
- No rewards for killing enemies, just like old times. RE4's and RE5's system of enemies dropping goodies upon death promotes action play, not horror.
- Raid Mode is a far more interesting side mode than Mercenaries (in any of its forms) ever was. Just my opinion. I loved the RPG elements.

[Smiley]

Those are good observations although I still get the feeling people think I harp on the game where as I give something like Operation: Raccoon City a pass. I haven't played ORC yet, but I look at that as a spin off action title. And so far it looks to deliver on that whether the game is good or not.

Revelations is tricky because like Code Veronica it is a main "canon" entry in the series despite lacking a number. So it has standards to be met especially if the game is marketed to fans of old school survival horror. I'm not a guy driven to take the plot of these games seriously, but I do have fun (and genuine scares) going through the main horror set because those generally have the most effort placed into them as opposed to the spin offs.

I do give passes based on the limitations of having this game on a hand held. The menu system is actually great because it's placed on the bottom screen leaving the top screen free from the HUD taking up space.

The stalker enemy (Rachael) is effective. Most of us have complained about her design based on the TGS trailer. Even in monster form the look can still be silly with her "mutated hair", but where she makes her thrills work are the times when you hear her and can't be sure when she'll spring out. I had a lot of fun with that, and it goes to show how well the game can maintain some fear with a well established recurring monster. RE4 had Dr. Salvador and then abused him giving us instances of taking on multiple versions of him (like clone chainsaw wielders) thus breaking the tension of seeing him as a single threat. But here Rachael has a place with Lisa Trevor and Nemesis as classic stalker foes to run from. I'll admit intimidation from a woman in need of a hair stylist (and a doctor from the look of her).

The files have some good nods to the original games as well. Some previous games like RE5 did. Most like to reference the Itchy//Tasty file because it was memorable. I guess this is a case of "if it ain't broke don't fix". The files of people infected with T-Abyss add to the horror and disturbing nature of what they become. As does when they talk to you. It's not some comic book villain dialogue that you'd get from Salazar or Wesker. This is pain and fear coming from the host. Very creepy stuff.

Sadly if Paul Anderson had this material he would likely botch it up and make the crew look like they belong to Davy Jones straight out of a Pirates of the Caribbean film.

So what's left to say? There's interest already in another RE 3DS game. It goes without saying they need one more like Revelations and less like Mercenaries 3D. But how can they make it scarier?

1. You can intensify the plot, but tone down the dialogue and especially town down the comic relief. That is unless they hire writers who know how to characterize people in horrific situations. Very few of the characters are actually serious. The rest all have bad jokes and do not give off the impression that they are genuinely scares for themselves as opposed to the characters in the RE remake.

2. Keep rescue missions to a minimum. My suggestion of Claire isn't just another excuse to have a female lead. She's known for getting herself into trouble by being at the wrong place at the wrong time. She sometimes has to play babysitter, but it's always a priority to escape instead of venturing further into a bio war zone.

3. It doesn't have to be her either. As long as we have a character that's vulnerable then the game will feel a sense of helplessness. I love the Chris and Jill characters, but all these outbreaks have made them hardened. If other characters were introduced to be new to BOWs then the scares would increase. This is why we have characters like Sherry and Ashley. Even people capable of shooting guns can still be genuinely freaked out and be in over their heads.

Those are easy and require little changes to the game design. Exploration and fear would be a focal point if the story and characters allowed it to.

A single player experience should feel like a single player. The occasional encounter with friends is fine. Escort missions once in a while do not hurt. But the majority of the game should be focused on you fighting and running from the monsters. In horror it is most effective when it's one person against the world and you can't find or work with the people to properly back you up. It is a bad idea to separate and go off on your own. That's part of the horror experience. Parker, Quint and Jessica are hardly vulnerable either since they are FBC/BSAA agents with a variety of skills, experience and quirky humor.

[Pikminister]

The reviews are still coming in, it seems:

Resident Evil: Revelations is an excellent start to Capcom’s three franchise releases this year, as it’s not only a great game for the series, but also one of the best games to come out on the 3DS so far. The story is your standard over the top but enjoyable franchise fare, and the game is excellently presented on the console from both a visual and an aural perspective. The mechanics have been modified to work on the 3DS console, which they manage to do very well, and the controls are simple enough to work with on their own, though with the Circle Pad Pro add-on the game is noticeably improved overall. The game adds in its own unique mechanics to keep things interesting, and between the lengthy campaign and the extensive and well implemented Raid Mode you’ll have plenty of reasons to come back to the game long after you’ve completed it. The swimming sections can be frustrating when enemies get involved, the CPU allies the game sticks you with seem to be more for show than any kind of function, the lack of a manual save can be a pain at times and the lack of custom options for anyone but Jill is unfortunate, but none of these elements is significantly problematic. All in all, Resident Evil: Revelations is a fantastic second shot from Capcom after The Mercenaries 3D, and if the rest of the franchise releases this year are as good, this will be a great year for Capcom indeed.

http://diehardgamefan.com/2012/03/02/review-resident-evil-revelations-nintendo-3ds/

[Det. Beauregard]

Haha.

I love it when people make fun of Parker, because despite only co-starring in one main game in the series, he still shows more personality than Jill showed in all of her games combined. People only complain about his looks because he's not Beefy McBeefington Chris or suave metrosexual ladies' man Leon. I'm glad they put a character who is realistic looking into the game. Besides, Parker isn't that much heavier than Barry; he's just wearing a lot of equipment.

[Mr. Spencer]

I love it when people make fun of Parker, because despite only co-starring in one main game in the series, he still shows more personality than Jill showed in all of her games combined.

I couldn't agree more with this statement.

[Dracarys]

Parker doesn't have a deep personality or one much as all. I believe you are confusing it with 'accent'. I've played the game a fe times now, hen I think of him the biggest personality trait I can think of is 'useless fatso'.

[I_Am_Nemesis]

When he did he never beat you over the head with bad humor or terrible dialogue.

Yes he did! the jill sandwich comment is a perfect example of barry's bad humour and terrible dialogue. Resident evil has always been known for its bad jokes and poor dialogue (somethign they have tried to improve upon in the newer games). I always liked the cheesey jokes, its one of the few things the series has kept through out the series.

[Pikminister]

Haha.

I love it when people make fun of Parker, because despite only co-starring in one main game in the series, he still shows more personality than Jill showed in all of her games combined. People only complain about his looks because he's not Beefy McBeefington Chris or suave metrosexual ladies' man Leon. I'm glad they put a character who is realistic looking into the game. Besides, Parker isn't that much heavier than Barry; he's just wearing a lot of equipment.

LOL, So you're not going to mention Claire Redfield's ridikulas ninja/Neo-Matrix/Dragon Ball Z uber-skills in that same old post where you tried to put every RE character down?

OKAY..... Claire fans...

[Smiley]

Yes he did! the jill sandwich comment is a perfect example of barry's bad humour and terrible dialogue. Resident evil has always been known for its bad jokes and poor dialogue (somethign they have tried to improve upon in the newer games). I always liked the cheesey jokes, its one of the few things the series has kept through out the series.

You see that sentence you quoted? It had a little more going on there. Someone simply placed a period there to cut it off from its initial point so I'd suggest reading the entire thing. Now focus your efforts on the italicized portion of that sentence.

Now I'd like you to look at that paragraph from the sentence you quoted and focus your attention on the last sentence of said paragraph. It directly answers my point and your comment.

That is all. Dismissed.

[I_Am_Nemesis]

You see that sentence you quoted? It had a little more going on there. Someone simply placed a period there to cut it off from its initial point so I'd suggest reading the entire thing. Now focus your efforts on the italicized portion of that sentence.

Now I'd like you to look at that paragraph from the sentence you quoted and focus your attention on the last sentence of said paragraph. It directly answers my point and your comment.

That is all. Dismissed.

Oh you were talking about REmake anyway, I see my mistake and I apologise for it. I actually agreed with most of what you were saying, I just read that one part and thought you were talking about the Barry from the original game, he was much less embarrassing in remake.

[Smiley]

Haha.

I love it when people make fun of Parker, because despite only co-starring in one main game in the series, he still shows more personality than Jill showed in all of her games combined.

"That's the spirit cadet!"

Wait no. What am I saying? Parker was just as much of a goody-two-shoes as Chris and the other heroic male figures in the franchise. He doesn't read his manual and already people are treating him as though he's got more depth.

[Det. Beauregard]

Parker doesn't have a deep personality or one much as all. I believe you are confusing it with 'accent'.

I never said that Parker had a deep personality. I simply said he had more of a personality than Jill.

Parker's accent has nothing to do with it. To an Italian, Jill has an accent, but she's still as bland of a character as ever.

[Mr. Spencer]

When it comes to female protagonists of the series, I'd have to favour Claire over Jill. Whereas Jill is designed to cater to the hormonal mutant fanboys, Claire has a more conservative and reserved attire. You never see Claire wearing a mini skirt. See that's where I actually differ - Jill and Ashley both wear short skirts, except that when I talk about Ashley I'm going on about her relationship with Leon and how they have a protector/damsel connection between them. Ashley comes across as a more believable character than Jill. She has no combat experience, no training. She's vulnerable, she's scared. Yet she's able to improvise with rudimentary weapons, such as the gas lamps during her gameplay segment in RE4.

Jill has no personality. She did but what does she do now? She's pretty much in the shadow of Chris, who actually has a reason to keep doing what he does. Jill can't have the same reason, so what's her purpose? She's just eye candy, a pair of tits for pubescent scrotes to oggle. In fact, I reckon that Jessica is what Los Jilluminados WANT to see in Jill - ideally wearing as little clothing as possible.

Parker however, he just seemed very likeable. An average guy, very believable in that regard. He was experienced but he wasn't some superhero. A run-of-the-mill guy. He wasn't pretentious, he wasn't egotistical in any way. Just a really nice bloke.

Of all the souls I have met in my travels, his was the most...human.

[Det. Beauregard]

I agree with everything you said, Spencer. The Jill bits in particular are spot on! It's sad that one of the original characters has become nothing more than eye candy, but it's true. The writers don't even bother with fleshing out her story, since they realize that it's unnecessary - the average horny male teenage gamer will like her "character" regardless. In Revelations, she literally could have been replaced with a new character without altering the story whatsoever. She is that bland. The same could be said for Chris in Revelations, although at least he had a story arc that went beyond the Raccoon City incident.

Jill really has become nothing more than a walking bag of tits kept around for fan service.