Resident Evil Revelations 2 PS VITA Review.
Developer Capcom
Publisher Capcom
Platform PS Vita
Release Date Out Now.
Resident Evil Revelations is Capcom’s response to the fans who felt the traditional series had deviated from its original survival horror roots, this “spin off” has much more in common with the original titles than the more recent action orientated outings. Resident Evil Revelations 2 first released on Next Gen consoles (to a generally favorable reception) back in February of this year. Frima Studios have spent the last few months taking that full package and stuffing it into a Vita with surprisingly little lost from the game.
It goes without saying that there will be some loss in terms of performance/looks during the porting over, but it is very unfair to compare the different versions. Vita players know it’s a hand held console and just want to know how this version performs not how it compares. This is why this is a Resident Evil Revelations 2 PS VITA Review not a comparison.
The game itself was released in episodic format however this package comes with all four episodes included (Penal Colony, Contemplation, Judgment and Metamorphosis). In terms of the greater Resident Evil timeline Revelations 2 fits between the events of 5 and 6.
Revelations 2 focuses on four main characters, each one you control at different sections of the game. Claire Redfield and Moira Burton (Barry Burton’s daughter) start the game, and later Barry Burton and a young girl called Natalia arrive for the second timeline to give an extra alternative view of the story. While playing you can swap between the different characters to make use of their different skills and get past sections that require cooperation. Generally you have one character with a gun that can fight off enemies, and one that is more vulnerable but better at stealth and sneaking into smaller locations. I found I did stick with the one with the gun until I absolutely needed to switch.
Performance wise the load times as quite large, while his is not a deal breaker it is a little off putting for a handheld platform where I prefer my games to be a bit more snappy. However the pay off is you have a deep engaging game that is rarely seen on the Vita, this is more for those long bus trips than grabbing 5 mins on the toilet.
Visually it is less than amazing at times, small on screen text and button prompts make it a little difficult to follow on screen instructions. The character models and environments are lacking in places, this is slightly disappointing as we know what the Vita can do, but the visuals are not of a low enough quality to affect the overall enjoyment.
Controlling the game for the most part uses the standard sticks and buttons rather than the touch screen which is only used for easier interactions like crouching, healing or turning on torches. During the more intense frantic portions I did struggle to effectively maintain a steady aim in game, but this is more to do with my clumsy big fingers and small buttons than the game itself.
Overall: It would be easy to hammer away at this game and knock it down for loading times and occasional drop in visuals but these are small prices to pay for an otherwise enjoyable game. The Vita is crying out for games like this that offer a more in depth experience. For those who like the Vita and don;t m,ind the absurdness of Resident Evils stories then snap it up.
