The moment I finished playing the Resident Evil: Revelations demo a few weeks back, I could tell this game was going to be one of the best games on the 3DS. That short demo (only 15 - 20 minutes I'd say) showed off all of the games features and gave a solid impression of what I could expect (I even wrote a blog on how the game restored my faith in demos), making me even more excited to get my hands on the final product. When I finally did (misspelled cover and all) I was expecting one of the best survival horror experiences I would ever play, and that is exactly what I got.

Jill is back, and shines as the lead protagonist

     Jill Valentine leads the game's cast, with Chris Redfield being the only other Resident Evil all-star in the game. They are joined by a large group of new characters, such as Jill's BSAA buddy and partner Parker, and Chris's new partner Jessica. Why Jill and Chris aren't still partners is never really explained, but separating them does help us meet the new cast, and drives the story somewhat. The new cast also means a whole new cast of villains with a whole new plot (somewhat) that I won't describe here, but it is pretty normal Resident Evil fare, infections and all. While I wouldn't say the story is great, it keeps the game going and it kept me interested all the way to the end, and isn't that what is important?

     As for all of the new characters, I didn't think any of them were particularly bad. Jessica's voice actor's delivery will make you cringe at times, and it is unlikely you will wish to see any of them back in another game, but I didn't dislike any of them personally. They all have their own stories to tell, and some of the connections between them revealed at the end will satisfy anyone who sticks around to see them. As for the much hated Keith and Quint, I honestly kind of liked them. They were endearing to me in a "so bad they are good" kind of way, and I enjoyed seeing their short story sections.

The "Bad Boys" of Revelations

     So let's talk about those for a sec. At many points in the game, the story will leave Jill and Parker to explore what is going on elsewhere, letting you take control of Chris or Keith. Many gamers complained about these cutaways from the main story, but I thought they were just fine. None of them were nearly as strong as the boat sections (focusing more on action than horror), but if these didn't exist the game would likely have been much shorter, and the backtracking much more noticeable.

     But now for the most important part: Gameplay! The game uses the over the shoulder view started in Resident Evil 4 and continued by Resident Evil 5 and Mercenaries 3D. It works just as well in this game as it does in those ones, with a few new options. You can now opt for first person aiming instead of third person, but only while aiming down sights. It is a nice addition, and helps make aiming easier on the small screen, but I found the normal third person aiming works just fine. The first person aiming really shines when you couple it with the new gyroscope aiming (my preferred choice). Gyroscope allows for great precision aiming, but makes quick turning difficult, and removes the option of playing in 3D. Gyro aiming also allows you to move while aiming without the Circle Pad Pro, which is great given the games small environments.

     Quick tangent about the Circle Pad. I played through the entire game with Gyro control, so when I got my Circle Pad I started Hard mode to check it out. Honestly, I still preferred the gyro aiming for its precision, but many people will not feel that way. The Circle Pad is fully functional, and better than the traditional controls. For more, read Tim Turi's great article on the subject.

     Weapons and items in the game are the normal fare. You will find pistols, shotguns, rifles, machine guns, and magnums. Every weapon has a number of upgrade slots, and you can augment them with the many parts you find hidden throughout the game. Some are simple upgrades to firepower or ammo capacity, while others will allow you to charge shots and fire multiple bullets with one pull of the trigger. As a simplified weapon upgrade system, it works amazingly and you will spend plenty of time tinkering with your guns.

Simple, yet effective

     Revelations does away with any sort of inventory system for ammo or herbs. You get to choose 3 guns to carry with you, each with a limited amount of ammo you can hold. You will find ammo cases throughout the game that increase that amount, but you will still be leaving a lot of ammo behind. As for herbs, you will only find green in this game, which fully heal you. You can only carry 5 at a time however, and that number is permanent, so use them wisely. Grenades and other usable items are the same way, but I did not use them very frequently.

     The biggest addition to your inventory is the Genesis scanner. You can switch to the Genesis with a quick button press and using it is just like aiming a weapon. The Genesis is used to search the environment for hidden items, such as ammo and weapon parts. It is also used to scan enemies, and if you scan enough of them you will get an herb. However, while scanning you are completely defenseless, adding a risk reward system to scanning in combat. While I like the enemy scanning, I didn't think the item scanning was any better than simply finding the items like normal.

Jill shows off her new Genesis scanner

     I only have a few complaints, and they are all minor. The game introduces a new dodging system. By pressing a button combination when an enemy swings at you, you can dodge their attack. However, it is difficult to get the hang of, and most times I only pulled it off out of sheer luck. I also didn't like that the red dot still appeared on enemies that had died. In past games, when an enemy was dead, your laser sight went through their body, so having that red dot remain on the enemy led to some wasted shots. Some of the sound effects (such as dog's barking) are too loud, and get distorted by the 3DS speakers. Also, the lip syncing ranges from good to awful, so be prepared to wince your way through some cut-scenes.

     Okay, final thoughts. Is it scary? At times, yes. Resident Evil 5 forgot it's horror roots, but a few moments in Revelations had me on edge with their creepiness. Is the 3D good? Yes it looks wonderful, and so do the graphics. They are just below Resident Evil 5 quality, easily the best looking game on the 3DS. Another new feature, Missions, serve as it's achievements, and will satisfy completionists. Overall, it is a better game than Resident Evil 5, and just short of 4's quality. Possibly my favorite game on the 3DS.

Because my friends suck, I was unable to try out the Raid multiplayer mode, Impressions may be added later.