Resident Evil is in desperate need of a reboot. We continue to get the impression that Capcom doesn't know what to do with the series, nor where it sits alongside the mass of survival horror games emerging on Xbox One. But it shouldn't be this hard, should it? This is a franchise that set the bar on what to expect from interactive horror back in 1996 with the original Resident Evil and then successfully redefined modern action games with Resident Evil 4 in 2004. It’s a franchise that demonstrated time and time again its ability to push boundaries while still finding the space to deliver stupid characters, convoluted plots and sofa-wetting scares. But now? It’s an embarrassment.
Resident Evil: Revelations sought to reclaim some face, bringing the original duo of Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine back into the fold with a heavy emphasis on survival horror. The gameplay was wicked fun, but the story? Not so much- but it wasa solid step forward. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is following this trend: stamping out some of the series’ laboured mechanics in an effort to rediscover what fans truly want from Resident Evil.
That’s easier said than done, of course. The characters are loaded with so much inane backstory now that even the world’s biggest superfan will struggle to unravel its mysteries without a flow chart.
With Revelations 2 set between two of the worst games in the franchise Resi 5 and 6 expect things to only get more confusing. If the studio is still so insistent on tying every little thing in the Resi
universe together, we only hope Barry Burton’s daughter, Moria one of the new playable characters, alongside S.T.A.R.S mainstay Claire Redfield shares her father’s love of idiotic humour and schlocky sandwich-related dialogue.
With Konami giving Silent Hill the reboot it deserves with Hideo Kojima's Silent Hills, it’s time for Capcom to follow suit. It isn't enough for Resident Evil to just be Resident Evil, that name doesn't carry the same weight it did a decade ago.
From what we've seen of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 in action, it's shaping up as a fun and scary addition to the canon, but doesn't feel revolutionary. If you like the potential of the original, then you’ll find that conceit expanded here, but with too few other changes made to the formula.
Resident Evil: Revelations sought to reclaim some face, bringing the original duo of Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine back into the fold with a heavy emphasis on survival horror. The gameplay was wicked fun, but the story? Not so much- but it wasa solid step forward. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is following this trend: stamping out some of the series’ laboured mechanics in an effort to rediscover what fans truly want from Resident Evil.
That’s easier said than done, of course. The characters are loaded with so much inane backstory now that even the world’s biggest superfan will struggle to unravel its mysteries without a flow chart.
With Revelations 2 set between two of the worst games in the franchise Resi 5 and 6 expect things to only get more confusing. If the studio is still so insistent on tying every little thing in the Resi
universe together, we only hope Barry Burton’s daughter, Moria one of the new playable characters, alongside S.T.A.R.S mainstay Claire Redfield shares her father’s love of idiotic humour and schlocky sandwich-related dialogue.
With Konami giving Silent Hill the reboot it deserves with Hideo Kojima's Silent Hills, it’s time for Capcom to follow suit. It isn't enough for Resident Evil to just be Resident Evil, that name doesn't carry the same weight it did a decade ago.
From what we've seen of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 in action, it's shaping up as a fun and scary addition to the canon, but doesn't feel revolutionary. If you like the potential of the original, then you’ll find that conceit expanded here, but with too few other changes made to the formula.
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