Resident Evil turns episodic…
The original RE Revelations was a breath of fresh air for the series, especially after the disappointment that was RE6. I was sceptical when I heard that the next instalment of the Revelations series would become episodic, with 1 episode a week for the next month but I was willing to give it a chance. How does episode 1 fare?
If you’ve played the more recent Resident Evil titles where you are paired with another partner, then you’ll feel familiar with how this plays, although you can actually switch between the characters with a tap of the Triangle button…which helps when trying to pry zombies off your ally. The first part of Episode 1 features Claire Redfield and Barry Burton’s daughter, Moira as they are taken prisoner at an event and put into what appears to be an abandoned prison of some sort, with infected roaming the corridors.
For the first time since Resident Evil 4, I genuinely felt scared during Episode 1. There were a few jumpy moments that I have longed for, especially after delving into the original Resident Evil back in January. Claire gets a knife and guns to use, while Moira aims more for a flashlight which stuns your foes in their tracks, while she or Claire can attack it while it’s dazed. Moira can also use the flashlight to find hidden items like ammo, jewels and healing herbs.
Barry Burton gets his own episode as well with another unknown character, Natalya. Both campaigns are brief, but set things up well for the next episode. Also included is the new Raid mode, which is highly addictive and has tons of replay value to add to the game’s already cheap entry fee. Given how much is in just this one episode, it looks good for the next 3 weeks.
If there’s one complaint to be made so far, it’s that the environments look a little bland at times and the character models aren’t as detailed as I hoped. Overall though, it’s a great looking game and while it doesn’t add much new to the formula of survival horror, it gives us a nice reminder of just how good the series can be.
The Verdict
Episode 1: Penal Colony is a nice introduction for Resident Evil’s first steps in episodic waters. It may seem low-budget at times, but overall it’s a superb entry for the series and I personally cannot wait for Episode 2…
