[Demo Spotlight] Resident Evil Revelations (3DS)

Resident Evil Revelations is the next portable installment of the Resident Evil franchise and features the familiar third person survival horror gameplay that we all know and love. I really enjoyed the old Resident Evil games. There is something about hoards of zombies trying to break into the building to eat your brains that is really thrilling. I was excited to try out the new demo for this game and maybe even kill some zombies. However, this game takes place between Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, so I didn't get my hopes up.

As the demo started, the spooky music that usually accompanies these games cued and the creepy atmosphere began to fall into place. I woke up in a squalid cruise ship and soon after a Silent Hill-type monster broke out of a closet and tried to kill me. It was clear that this was going to be a great looking game. I was not expecting this level of graphics when I picked up the 3DS, but this game did not disappoint. The only thing that I did not like was that I did not see a single zombie throughout the demo.

That is not to say that this game is going to be a bust. It still looks great for a portable and they did a great job at creating a dreadful atmosphere. The lighting and sounds of monsters lurking in the darkness really add to the immersion and I felt wary of turning corners. This might have been partially because the camera angles are kind of awkward, but this is typical of small handheld screens. Another little issue was that I kept wanting to see more of my surroundings, however, Jill is constantly covering up half the screen.

A cool feature was a scanning gun that can be used to search the area for hidden items like herbs and bullets. It is satisfying to watch the scanning animation and get needed supplies, especially since I kept finding myself in in shortage of them. It was difficult to aim as Jill kept pointing her gun at the monster’s feet instead of somewhere useful. It took a while to get head shots and by that time the monsters were already chewing on my neck. If you are used to playing third person shooters with one joystick, then maybe this isn’t a problem; for me, I felt that the controls were a bit awkward.

Overall, Resident Evil Revelations looks like it will be a solid release, but I’m just not as interested in these Resident Evil games that lack zombies. If you want to pick this game up, look out for it on February 7. I’m going to wait for Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City instead, where there will be plenty if zombies waiting for me.