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Resident Evil: Revelations 2, known in Japan as Biohazard Revelations 2 (バイオハザード リベレーションズ2 Baiohazādo Riberēshonzu Tsū?), is an episodic survival horror game developed and published by Capcom. A spin-off title in the Resident Evil series, the game is a continuation to Resident Evil: Revelations released in 2012. It marks the return of Claire Redfield as the protagonist.

The plot, which is set between the events of Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6, begins when Claire and her co-workers, including the newcomer and follow playable protagonist Moira Burton, are at a party in the headquarters of the biohazard prevention agency TerraSave, when they are attacked by unknown assailants and taken away to a deserted island.

The game was released for Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PlayStation Vita in 2015, and for Nintendo Switch in 2017 along with the port of the first Revelations. The reviews were mixed; the setting, story, characters and the co-op gameplay were praised, but the graphics and some technical issues were criticized. As of March 2020, the title reached a combined 2.6 million units sold, surpassing its predecessor.[1]

Gameplay[]

REREV2 Island

Zabytij Island.

For Resident Evil: Revelations 2, an identical camera view and style was adopted as that of its predecessor. Much like the original Revelations, the sequel bears a stronger tone to the concept of survival horror than Resident Evil 5 and 6, which Capcom admitted erred on the side of action very strongly. Elements of ammunition management as well as stealth or sneaking come into play in term of Revelation 2's gameplay.

A new type of enemy appears in the form of the Afflicted, described as being very violent and attack the player viciously on sight. Their bodies are heavily modified and mutilated and like the Ganado of Resident Evil 4 and other later enemies, the Afflicted are capable of using weapons such as axes, wrenches, and saws.

Unlike the original Revelations, Revelations 2 returns to co-op in its campaign, however the co-op is for local, offline play only. The title also includes the return of "partner zapping", a concept that was only previously seen in Resident Evil Zero. With this, players who are playing solo will be able to freely switch between the two characters: Claire Redfield and Moira Burton.

Each character has its own unique style of play. Claire is responsible for the firearms such as the handgun and shotgun she comes across in the prison facility, as well as a knife she is able to use freely. Due to this, Claire is the primary combatant and it will fall upon her to dispatch of any enemies they come across, should players choose to not flee. Claire is able to heal herself with herbs found, but unlike many previous games, healing takes time. The button must be held down as Claire deposits the herb into a sprayer so she can administer healing to herself.

On the other hand, Moira fills a support role. Her primary item is a flashlight found with Claire's knife. With this, Moira is able to not only provide light for Claire but also use the light to blind or stun Afflicted. The flashlight can be used similar to the Genesis scanner from Revelations, able to reveal hidden items and secret that Claire otherwise cannot see. Moira also finds crowbars which she can use to pry off boards that are blocking doors, and also swing them as weapons in self-defense. With the crowbar, Moira is able to incapacitate an enemy if she strikes it from behind and also perform a finishing attack on enemies that have been knocked down.

Inventory menu returns in Revelations 2 with Claire and Moira having different inventories. While Claire comes with ten open slots, Moira only has five. Ammunition, throwable items and quest items take up item slots. Items can be discarded and they will be dropped on the ground where the character is currently standing. The weapons switch system is very similar to Resident Evil 5 in terms of using directional buttons to switch items.

For the first time, both characters are also able to crouch and sneak for the allowance of stealth approaches or potentially avoiding enemies. Unlike Revelations, dodging is no longer situation and can be done with designated button and directional input.

Raid Mode[]

Revelations 2 also featured the return of the first game's Raid Mode minigame. Many core mechanics were dramatically changed from Revelations and players were able to visit locations from other games in the series, including Tall Oaks and Edonia from Resident Evil 6, and fight monsters from other games, such as the Scagdead and Hunters. The maximum level was raised from 50 to 100. The game's mission structure was also changed: 'main' missions cost in-game money to play, and money could only be earned by completing daily missions and event challenges. Main missions were now grouped together in packs, each containing six levels.

Raid Mode also now had a distinct plot, unlike in Revelations. The player assumed the role of an AI fighting in a combat simulator constructed by the Red Queen Alpha database. The AI, which was able to assume the forms of different characters from the series, must complete various combat missions while collecting audio logs detailing the true nature of Red Queen Alpha. A mansion-like area was confirmed to act as a central hub from which missions can be accessed.

Characters[]

Plot[]

Episode 1 - Penal Colony[]

Claire Redfield and Moira Burton, daughter of Barry Burton, work for biohazard prevention agency TerraSave. While attending an office party, they and several other TerraSave members are captured by armed mercenaries. Claire and Moira are taken to a facility on Sejm Island, where they are attacked by the "Afflicted", humans driven insane by torture and experiments. An unknown woman calling herself the "Overseer" watches via cameras and tells them the bracelets on their wrists record fear, as the pair try to find safety. Upon reaching a radio tower, they call for help. Once Barry reaches the island, he immediately meets Natalia, a strange little girl. Together, they head to the radio tower, encountering many dangerous situations along the way. Unfortunately, Barry arrives very late as the distress call was actually made six months ago. After suffering a severe headache, Natalia claims Moira is dead.

Episode 2 - Contemplation[]

Claire and Moira meet up with their co-workers from TerraSave, who have discovered a broken helicopter they intend to fix in order to flee the island. The Overseer explains that they have become her new test subjects for a virus that responds to fear, having previously injected each of them. They soon find themselves ambushed by a horde of Afflicted, separating Claire, Moira, and Terrasave member Pedro from fellow member Gabe and the helicopter; Pedro succumbs to fear and is transformed into a monster. Claire and Moira fight off both Pedro and the Afflicted until their boss, Neil Fisher, arrives to help them escape. They decide to make their way to the Overseer's tower, but are once again ambushed and Neil stays behind to lure the monsters away. Claire and Moira catch up with Natalia, who has been roaming the island alone, and they befriend her. Gabe fixes the helicopter and attempts to escape, but the Overseer remotely sabotages the controls, killing him. As Claire and Moira are distracted by the crash, Natalia is kidnapped and taken to the Overseer, who intends to transfer her consciousness into the little girl.

Six months later, Natalia takes Barry to the Overseer's tower, the last place she saw Moira alive. Along the way, Barry learns Natalia is an orphan as her parents died in the Terragrigia incident, the trauma having left her immune to fear. Inside the tower, they find a portrait depicting Albert Wesker and a woman; when Barry recognizes him by name, Natalia corrects him by stating the woman is named Wesker. They are then surprised by the Overseer, a grotesque hunchbacked figure who neutralizes Barry and reveals herself to be Alex Wesker.

Episode 3 - Judgment[]

Claire and Moira follow a note supposedly left by Neil to meet him at a factory nearby. However, they fail to locate him and end up walking into a series of traps, which they narrowly survive. After passing through the sewers, the pair gain access to the Overseer's tower, where they witness a meeting between Neil and Alex Wesker. It is revealed that Neil intends to release Uroboros to justify the FBC, having betrayed TerraSave. Wesker spitefully injects Neil with Uroboros instead, causing him to mutate into a hulking monstrosity. Claire and Moira have no choice but to kill him.

Six months later, Barry and Natalia escape from the mutated Alex and work their way from the sewer back to the surface. As they go, Barry tells Natalia about a tragic event concerning his two daughters; Moira accidentally shot her younger sister Polly when they were playing with one of Barry’s guns. Although the fault was his, Barry blamed Moira for the accident, causing a huge strain on their relationship. Polly survived, but Moira developed a fear of guns as a result of the incident. Upon reaching the surface, Barry and Natalia travel through a derelict mine infested with monsters. Alex ambushes them on the other side and throws Barry into a ravine, but when she tries to kill Natalia, the little girl impassively stares back into her eyes, causing Alex to withdraw in terror.

Episode 4 - Metamorphosis[]

After Neil's demise, Claire and Moira make their way up to the Monument to confront Alex Wesker, and the duo learn of her intentions to conquer fear and escape death. She shoots herself in the head, triggering a self-destruct sequence that forces Claire and Moira to flee. Unbeknownst to them, Alex experiences fear in her last living moments and begins to mutate. As they rush to descend the crumbling tower, Moira sacrifices herself so that Claire can escape; she is rescued shortly afterward. She regretfully tells Barry that she could not save Moira, but Barry refuses to accept his daughter's death and continues to search for her.

Six months later, Barry and Natalia pass through several toxic mine tunnels before reaching Alex's research facility, disguised as a mansion. They make their way through as Alex taunts Natalia via her bracelet. When the duo confront her, she injects herself with Uroboros and mutates a second time to fight Barry and Natalia. After apparently killing her, Alex suddenly springs to life and incapacitates Barry. She grabs Natalia and once again attempts to kill her. At this point, the story proceeds to one of two endings.

Endings[]

In the bad ending, where Claire defeats Neil (thus preventing Moira from overcoming her fear of guns), Moira dies after being crushed by falling debris during the tower's destruction. Alex then manages to squeeze Natalia to death. With her mind gone, Alex fully awakens in Natalia's body and easily destroys her former, mutated body. She then mocks Barry, who cannot bring himself to shoot the little girl he once knew. Alex walks away, leaving him in despair.

In the good ending, where Moira defeats Neil and subsequently overcomes her fear of guns, Moira survives and arrives in time to save Natalia, temporarily repelling Alex with gunshots. Barry, Moira, and Natalia escape the area, but Alex, mutating even further, gives chase and ultimately corners them on the edge of a cliff. Claire arrives in a helicopter to rescue the trio, and with their combined efforts, they manage to take down Alex with a rocket launcher. As they leave the island, Barry reconciles with Moira and expresses his intention to adopt and raise Natalia as his own daughter.

In an epilogue, Claire is informed that her brother is in China, to which she responds, "tell Piers to take care of him." She heads towards Barry's home, where Natalia, surrounded by newspapers reporting on the events of Resident Evil 6, finishes reading The Zürau Aphorisms and smiles ominously, revealing that Alex succeeded to some extent in taking over her body.

Extra Episodes[]

  • Little Miss - The episode begins as Natalia wakes up at the end of the six month period leading up to Barry's arrival. Natalia wakes up in a very strange room and meets up with 'Dark Natalia', who gives her letters from Lottie (Natalia's favorite teddy bear). With the help of Dark Natalia, Natalia has to venture through many places on the island without being spotted by the "monsters". On the way, Natalia is convinced by Dark Natalia to give up looking for Lottie and let her take over. Natalia refuses, and continues to search for Lottie. After Natalia finds Lottie, it is revealed that it was all a trap tailored by Alex's consciousness in order to take over Natalia's body. This plan failed however. Lottie and Dark Natalia disappear, and Natalia finds herself in front of the docks where she would eventually meet Barry Burton.
  • The Struggle - Moira Burton tells the story of her survival on the island during the six month period between Claire's departure and Barry's arrival. Evgeny Rebic rescued Moira from near death after Claire was forced to leave her behind in the crumbling tower. At first he was reluctant to assist her, but he allowed her to live with him as long as she agreed to follow his rules, carry her own weight and join him on his hunts. When asked by Moira if they could search for an escape off the island he refused, saying there is no point and that she needs to "face reality". When six months of survival had passed, food became scarce due to a new kind of monster killing off wildlife. Evgeny suggested increasing their hunts and stockpiling food before it was too late. Among the final supplies they found a document listing inhabitants taken to the nearby mines to be experimented on, and on that list one name shocked Evgeny: Irina Rebic, his daughter. Seeking an explanation on the whereabouts of Irina, they set off to the mines. Moira decided it was best to give Evgeny closure, something she feared her father might not get if she were to die on the island. After a tough fight with a number of Revenant and several Durga, they discovered a letter of Irina's last words. Upon reading it, Evgeny was completely overwhelmed with grief. It caused him to lock himself away from Moira to spend his last sick moments alone to be at peace with his daughter, only to inspire Moira further to survive on the island and to see her father once more. The episode finally ends with Moira walking in on the Uroboros-mutated Alex Wesker in the process of killing Barry and Natalia, where the end of Episode 4: Metamorphosis takes place.

Development[]

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 was developed and published by Capcom. They announced that the team responsible for the original Resident Evil: Revelations would be responsible for the sequel and a playable version of the game would be seen at Capcom's 2014 Tokyo Game Show booth. It was stated that not only would Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine not be part of Revelations 2, but the game would also not be tied to Revelations. However, the Revelations title would be used as its own series of games, existing to fill in gaps in the mythology of the Resident Evil series and expand upon lore for the main title series. During Tokyo Game Show, Michiteru Okabe explained further that the main Resident Evil series will remain more action-oriented, keeping it aimed at a wider audience to try and interest more people in the Resident Evil world. However, Revelations as a series will be fan-driven, intending to revel in the older horror style. With the side series, they hope to aim at their long-time fans and keep them supplied with something similar to the horror experience they fell in love with.[2] During Tokyo Game Show it was announced that Yūdai Yamaguchi, a director and writer known for his mix of horror and "goofy gore" with manga-based inspiration, was brought on to the Revelations 2 team as cutscene director.

Dai Satō, a well known screenwriter and musician, who was in charge of the story in fellow Capcom title E.X. Troopers and served as chief script writer for the original Revelations returned in the same role for this game. He was said to be a huge Claire fan and was adamant about her return, coming to Okabe and others with a number of ideas on how to include her. Alyson Court did not return to reprise her voice role as Claire Redfield in Resident Evil: Revelations 2, she was replaced by a woman credited under the pseudonym James Baker. Fans upset by the change began petitions demanding to have Court back.[3] According to Okabe, the reason for replacing Court is because they felt that the old voice sounds too young for the older and mature Claire, and also could cause a mess for the players between the voices of Claire and Moira, that is actually a young girl.[4]

The Czech novelist and story writer, Franz Kafka, was a major inspiration behind the game story; the idea came from Satō who served as scenario writer. Since the first Revelations title used passages from Dante Alighieri, the team felt that would be a common element from the Revelations series. In addition, that would give a deep meaning for the quotes and themes approach, like "The Transformation", to the story of the game. Furthermore, it would make the players feel more immersed, since a real writer became part of the setting.[5] The title of the four episodes of the game are allusions to his works; the first one, Penal Colony, is based on the short story In the Penal Colony. The second one, Contemplation, is based on a collection of short stories with the same name, the third is from The Judgment, and the fourth and final is from The Metamorphosis.

"Familiar Relationships" was a significant theme for the game, approaching more personal elements for the story. Barry's family has a great focus throughout the game's plot; Barry acts as a father figure for Natalia, who became an orphan due to the "Terragrigia Panic". On the other hand, Claire can be seen as a big sister for Moira.[6][7][8] The concept of sanity is also of great importance for the setting of the story, as exemplified by the wristbands the characters wear that display their level of fear, some song titles on the soundtrack (Insanity or Despair) or the name of the main enemies of the game, the Afflicted.[9][10]

Songwriter Kota Suzuki returns as the game's composer after working on other titles of the franchise like Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 6 and Resident Evil: Revelations. According to him, for this soundtrack, they decided to focus on “duality of sound”. Speaking about the concept of the sound design for Revelations 2 and his collaboration with Nima Fakhrara for this job, he explains: "His [Nima Fakhara] productions possessed that particular element of darkness that worked perfectly with our[s]. After many brainstorming sessions we decided to use ‘iron’ and ‘water’ as our concepts in creating new instruments. And, after recording, we edited and mixed the sound with other tracks to create a truly unique sound".[11]

Release[]

Capcom released the game in February 25, 2015 in a weekly episodic format for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Once the final episode was released, a complete version was launched.[12] Japanese rock band Dir En Grey was featured in some of the material promotion for the game. A full video of the song, "Revelation of Mankind", featuring scenes of the band and the game was released in the middle of 2015. That music was also part of their last album, Arche.[13] Sony Computer Entertainment published the PlayStation Vita version of the game.[14] The PlayStation Vita port was developed by Frima Studio and released on August 18, 2015.[15] The first episode of the game, Penal Colony, was made free to download for PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One on November 18, 2015.[16] After that, a collection was made for the Nintendo Switch with both Revelations titles, this package was launched at the end of November 2017.[17]

Reception[]

Reviews for the game have been mixed to positive. There was praise for the setting, story, characters and the co-op gameplay, but the graphics and some technical issues were largely criticized. According to Kimberley Wallace of Game Informer, the game has crazy plot twists, laughable dialogue, and campy moments, all of which come together in a satisfying way. She also praised the characters, as well as their unique story arcs and development throughout the game. The chaotic moments and the boss battles were also well received. On the other hand, Wallace complained about the dated puzzles and backtracking in Barry's campaign, saying that "these places lose their mystery a second time around".[18]

Polygon commented that "Revelations 2 finds a focus that recent entries have sorely lacked", they praised the game for including strong female characters, since three of the four main playable characters are female. Kollar was especially fond of newcomer Moira Burton, considering her a memorable and interesting character. However, he criticized the lack of horror, generic level design and the graphics.[19] Destructoid's reviewer, Chris Carter, described the atmosphere of the first episode as well done, praising the creepy bloody dungeons and the dark forests of the island, they also speak well about the action and the fun co-op gameplay.[20]

GamesRadar+ gave the game a score of 4 of 5 and spoke positively about the collaboration and teamwork, saying that both character teams are complementary and make the game a fantastic cooperative experience. However, they found the Claire/Moira campaign to have an unsatisfying ending.[21] IGN considered the game to lack the scares for which the series is famous for, while also criticizing the graphics and considering that the game provides an unmemorable experience. They nevertheless praised the elements of action-adventure, the co-op gameplay, the implementation of traditional puzzles and the interesting plot, which in the words of the reviewer, Lucy O'Brien, "kept me hooked right up until its finale". She also praised the bonus Raid mode.[22]

Many reviewers felt the third episode was the best one. Peter Brown from GameSpot considered the reason for this was the plot development and the presence of interesting puzzles, which were lacking in the first two episodes. IGN also had similar opinions, considering the balance between the action sequences and the puzzle solving to be exquisite.[23]

Sales and accolades[]

According to Capcom, due to the variety manners of selling, Resident Evil Revelations 2 had a strong beginning and quickly become a million seller for the company.[24] In Japan, in the first week of the release of the complete version, the game reached the second (PS3) and fourth position (PS4), selling 73,373 and 42,358 respectively. The PlayStation 4 hardware that week had a higher-than-normal sales, thanks to the releases of the Resident Evil Revelations 2 and Final Fantasy Type-0 HD.[25] In Brazil, the full game version became the 9th best selling game on the PS4 during the month of April, 2015. As a download content, the complete season, reached the 6th position on the same platform.[26] After that, in the same year, specifically in November, the second episode alone, Contemplation, was the 8th best-selling download content for PlayStation 3. A month later, the PS Vita version reached the 5th position.[27]

As of March 2020, the original release has reached 2.6 million units sold and, with that, Revelations 2 has surpasses its predecessor and became the 26th best seller of the company.[1] Furthermore, in the beginning of 2016, the title was selected by the readers of the Japanese game magazine Famitsu as the 9th most memorable game of the Xbox One.[28]

Gallery[]

Character artwork[]

Box art and merchandise[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 http://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/finance/million.html
  2. https://kotaku.com/capcom-explains-the-difference-between-resident-evil-an-1637148095
  3. http://gameranx.com/features/id/25053/article/8-things-we-know-about-resident-evil-revelations-2/3/
  4. https://residentevil.com.br/entrevistas/revil-entrevista-michiteru-okabe-produtor-de-revelations-2/
  5. http://www.relyonhorror.com/in-depth/interview-resident-evil-revelations-2-directors-talks-about-the-games-story-structure-and-cut-content/
  6. http://www.biohazardfrance.net/index.php?article=informations-du-magazine-gameinformer-sur-revelations-2&id=98393
  7. https://residentevil.com.br/entrevistas/revil-entrevista-michiteru-okabe-produtor-de-revelations-2/
  8. https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2014/10/08/video-preview-resident-evil-revelations-2.aspx
  9. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/capcoms-philosophy-behind-resident-evil-revelation/1100-6422511/
  10. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/resident-evil-revelations-2-official-soundtrack/967910015
  11. https://gameidealist.com/news/capcoms-kota-suzuki-discusses-newly-available-resident-evil-revelations-2-original-soundtrack/
  12. http://uk.ign.com/articles/2014/09/10/resident-evil-revelations-2-will-be-an-episodic-experience
  13. http://www.relyonhorror.com/latest-news/resident-evil-news/resident-evil-revelations-2-x-dir-en-grey-video-released/
  14. http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-experience-keynote-all-the-news/1100-6424037/
  15. http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/07/23/resident-evil-revelations-2-coming-to-ps-vita-august-18th/
  16. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-11-18-the-first-episode-of-resident-evil-revelations-2-is-now-free
  17. http://br.ign.com/resident-evil-revelations/51661/news/resident-evil-revelations-1-e-2-serao-lancados-para-nintendo
  18. http://www.gameinformer.com/games/resident_evil_revelations_2/b/xboxone/archive/2015/03/17/resident-evil-revelations-2-review-game-informer.aspx
  19. https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/25/8169759/resident-evil-revelations-2-review-xbox-one-ps4-playstation-4-pc
  20. https://www.destructoid.com/review-resident-evil-revelations-2-episode-1-287982.phtml
  21. https://www.gamesradar.com/resident-evil-revelations-2-review/
  22. http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/20/resident-evil-revelations-2-review
  23. http://es.ign.com/resident-evil-revelations-2-episode-3-ps4/91735/review/resident-evil-revelations-2-ep-3-analisis-multiplataforma
  24. http://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/news/html/e150507b.html
  25. https://gematsu.com/2015/03/media-create-sales-31615-32215#oThHSij5PJP5OYu4.99
  26. https://blog.br.playstation.com/2015/05/13/playstation-store-os-mais-vendidos-em-abril-de-2015/
  27. http://www.meups4.com.br/novidades/sony-revela-os-mais-vendidos-na-psn-em-novembro/
  28. https://kotaku.com/poll-japans-most-memorable-games-on-each-console-1780043369


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