Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition

I went into Revelations 2 expecting filler - a mid-budget side story to keep the lights on between numbered entries. What I got was a tighter, more focused Resident Evil than most people give it credit for, delivered in four episodic chapters that borrow the TV-drama structure of weekly cliffhangers and cold-open recaps. That format still holds up now that you have everything unlocked from the first launch screen, and it gives the pacing a momentum the mainline games often fumble. The campaign runs two parallel storylines. Claire Redfield and Moira Burton take the primary thread, set inside an abandoned prison on a remote island, while Barry Burton and the enigmatic girl Natalia fill in a second timeline that catches up to Claire's story from a different angle. Each pair handles combat differently by design. Claire shoots; Moira refuses firearms entirely, using a flashlight to stun enemies and a crowbar for close-up work. Barry is the firepower, while Natalia can sense enemies through walls and locate hidden items the combat characters would walk straight past. The asymmetry works best in local split-screen co-op, where two players can genuinely divide the labor. The AI partner in solo play is serviceable but never inspired - functional, not a teammate you trust. The over-the-shoulder shooting itself sits in comfortable RE5-era territory: a refined dodge mechanic replaces the acrobatics of RE6, glowing enemy weak points reward patient aim, and stealth takedowns let you conserve ammo on higher difficulties where resources get thin. The Deluxe Edition is where the value stacks up. Beyond the four main episodes you also get two extra episodes - The Struggle and Little Miss - that flesh out supporting characters rather than retreading the main story. Raid Mode, the arcade-style mission structure where you level characters, collect weapon parts, and chase leaderboard scores, is the real long-tail hook. It remixes locations from both Revelations games, floods them with tougher enemy variants, and hands you a progression loop that has more in common with a loot-shooter than a survival horror game. The Deluxe Edition includes Raid Mode characters Albert Wesker and HUNK, costume sets, the Throwback Map Pack, and extra storage slots - essentially all the content you would otherwise chase individually. For anyone who clicks with Raid Mode, this edition is the only version worth touching. The weaknesses are real and worth naming. Environments recycle assets noticeably across episodes, and the connective tissue between the two timelines is thinner than the storytelling wants you to believe. The PC version has historically had minor rough patches at launch that community patches addressed over time, and the visuals carry the budget origins of the project in plain sight - textures and lighting that look a generation behind the release year. The B-movie script either charms you or it does not; Barry Burton delivering deadpan one-liners in the middle of a monster ambush is either peak Resident Evil or a reason to skip the cutscenes. If you are working through the RE back catalogue, this is an honest mid-tier entry that punches above its production value once Raid Mode gets its hooks in. It is not where the series is at its scariest or most mechanically ambitious, but it is consistently fun on its own terms - and the Deluxe Edition makes the full picture available without chasing DLC piecemeal.

Alex · Scout Team

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