Game Review: Resident Evil: Revelations 2 – Episode 4 (Xbox One)

Previously on Resident Evil: Revelations 2…

Claire Redfield & Moira Burton are kidnapped & dumped on a spooky island. They both have bracelets that measure their fear & should it go red the virus in their system will activate & they will transform into monsters.

Their journey to find answers & escape is watched & controlled by The Overseer whose identity is discovered at the end of Episode 2 (NO SPOILERS HERE).

Meanwhile 6 months later Barry Burton arrives at the island to find his daughter, Moira & meets Natalia, a young girl who has been surviving on the island. Together they make their way to the Overseer’s tower where Natalia shows off a mysterious power.

Both pairs arrive at the tower but with 6 months between them. Claire & Moira do battle with the man that betrayed them; Barry & Natalia face off against The Overseer who tries to kill the girl.

If you want to read deeper explanations of the first 3 episodes as well as a review please click on the relevant link:

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3

The final episode opens with Claire & Moira arriving to face off with The Overseer. This does not go as planned (does it ever?) & they have to escape the facility before it is destroyed. The time limit here might seem generous but with a few tricky sections & enemies to fight it can be a close call.

It has to be mentioned that the initial climb down can be frustrating as a misstep can result in a fall to your death & restarting the section again.

This race against time ends Claire & Moria’s section of the game completely. I was surprised by this & there is no more than 10/15 minutes of actual Claire/Moira gameplay in Episode 4.

Happily though the Barry & Natalia section is lengthy & filled with original ideas. One of the criticisms levelled at previous episodes was the amount of areas that were re-used for Barry & Moira with very little having changed in the 6 months. This is not a problem in Episode 4…

At this stage of the game your goal is to find The Overseer & stop her once & for all. This involves a trip across a dangerous crane that requires a team effort to get across, through a gas-filled mine that puts you under additional pressure & into a Resident Evil classic.

Yes, there is a mansion…of sorts as well as an underground facility.

I really enjoyed this section of the game & one part actually managed to make me jump…well done, Revelations 2.

The build to final showdown is excellent. As the player you are aware of certain things that Barry & Natalia aren’t. As Barry’s light fails, creepy-ass dolls litter the walls & the far-away tones of Moonlight Sonata play out I was seriously excited for the final boss.

Sadly it doesn’t quite live up to expectations & ends abruptly…

The ending though…oh man, I’m genuinely interested to know what it means for the series’ future.

So Episode 4 goes out with a bang…so to speak. There is no variation in enemies but the battles are well placed if not easy to spot (an increase in ammo just before a tough section). Using Natalia’s abilities to spot enemies & potentially gain a stealth kill is encouraged as always as you will need loads of ammo for the final boss.

It’s not the best of the episodes but as a complete package Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is one of the best modern Resident Evil games. It’s combining many of the good things while trying to create a serious survival horror environment. It may not hit the heights of the classics but it is a serious step in the right direction.