The first episode of Resident Evil Revelations 2 ended with me wanting more. More puzzles, more Claire, more Barry and more mutants. Can the second episode, ‘Contemplation’, progress the story in Revelations 2 enough to keep us interested?
Well, I’d be a liar if I said no. For the gripping story that was initially found in Capcom’s latest serial thriller has continued with superb aplomb into chapter two.
Whilst reviewing episodic titles such as The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us and now Resident Evil Revelations 2 is all good fun, we do try to hold back from spoiling any story for those who may not have taken in previous installments. That said, you really should have played the first episode by now anyways!
Set across two distinct segments, Contemplation first throws us back into the shoes of Resident Evil veteran Claire Redfield and her newbie colleague, Moira before whisking us forward in time to take in the story through the eyes of Moira’s father, the iconic Barry Burton and his creepy little sidekick, Natalia.
We start the episode with the two girls stumbling across other members of the Terra Save team, and with them in tow, both Claire and Moira will discover a bit more of the secret behind the virus that has inflicted them and the troubles that it can bring. With the ‘Overseer’ casting a vicious eye over things, setting up traps to stop the ladies in their path and spreading fear through the team, it isn’t long before disaster strikes, mutant hordes attack and Moira once again gets shining that killer torch of hers throughout the dark land.
And surprisingly the light she holds and the firepower that Claire packs come in very handy indeed as Episode 2 sees much less investigative work and a whole deal more of the killing and death type stuff. Even the puzzles that Resident Evil and especially the first Episode of Revelations 2 have come to be known for are strangely absent.
At least that is, whilst we’re taking in the story via Claire and Moira because once Barry and Natalia get involved, the old Resi style is brought back in a big way. With Barry running around with a full arsenal of weapons, and Natalia pointing out the evil ones with her cunning sense of zombie smelling, the latter team and story is much the preferred way of doing things. Indeed, the use of Natalia’s heightened senses have allowed the inclusion of ‘invisible’ mutants and it is here where you’ll need to switch between the two characters numerous times in order to survive.
We are also treated to a few new bad guys to rid the world of and the first time you come across the mutant killer pigs is a great one!
So, Episode 2 of Resident Evil Revelations 2 continues on from the super initial chapter well. It may not contain as many puzzles and focuses much more on the removal of mutants but the few hours it’ll take you to run through and complete is still highly enjoyable, with some fantastic insights into the story being thrust into your mind as you go about your unmerry way.
‘Contemplation’ does however end very abruptly and I’m still unsure why Capcom have decided to release the game as four weekly episodes, but it is what it is and the wait for the next installment isn’t too much of a killer. What does let things down slightly though is the dozy nature of the AI controlled characters with one moment in particular, that of trying to climb a ladder whilst escaping from a large horde of mutants, causing plenty of issues. Obviously, the local split screen co-op is most definitely the way to go and if you can get a friend to sit next to you whilst you both play through, there are absolutely no issues with the way things are set up for a two player co-op session.
‘Contemplation’ also brings new Raid dealings, with new characters and stages to get to grips with. With a much more arcadey feel, Raid is a great way of winding down after the intense nature of the main story. The experience points on offer come in very nicely when you need to rank up a bit too.
The clock is ticking. Make sure you get involved in one of the best Resident Evil stories of recent times.
