What's great about the game is how it balances elements from earlier titles with recent ones to create a game with..
Set in between the events of Resident Evil 4 and 5, Revelations puts you in the shoes of STARS-turned-BSAA agent Jill Valentine for most of the game as she searches for her long-time partner and fellow former STARS agent Chris Redfield aboard the Queen Zenobia. As usual, our protagonists are put in the middle of a large-scale bio-terror, and certain characters flesh out the rest of the story. Besides Valentine, short segments of the game also have you play as other BSAA agents. Chris Redfield with new partner Jessica Sherawat bring the more action-oriented scenes into play, along with sections from Parker Luciani in the past and Keith Lumley with his tech-savvy friend and partner Quint Cetcham. These short bursts of action are fun, and they provide some information on certain portions of the plot, but sometimes it can feel a bit lacking. The story is actually quite confusing at times; it's hard to figure out who works for who or where at first, and this continues way into the game.
The core gameplay of Revelations follows the mechanics set in Resident Evil 4 and 5, with a third-person, over-the-shoulder view coupled with a more fast-paced version of the tank controls made famous throughout the series. Players use the right trigger to aim, and the face buttons are assigned to different functions such as shooting, using secondary weapons and performing melees. The Circle Pad is used to move around while the D-Pad is used to switch between weapons and sub-weapons or to reload. Playing the game feels quite nice, with most buttons mapped appropriately to maximize play time and to minimize the need to maneuver around numerous menus and items. It has been a common questions as to whether or not the new tank controls take away from the scares, but it really doesn't rely on that. The game is scary as it is even with the newer controls, and it wouldn't really make sense that agents would be restricted to aiming just right in front of them or if they couldn't throw grenades and the like.
The weapon system brings a new take to inventory management in Revelations, with most of your time spent assigning upgrades to the weapons in your storage. You may only carry three weapons at the time, but other weapons collected throughout the game may be found in storage boxes scattered throughout the campaign. Some upgrades allow your weapon more firepower, and some will increase your chances of landing a critical, and it takes some careful placement to create a loadout to suit different situations.
The game also looks and sounds nice though it looks better than it sounds. Environments are varied, from the cruise ship to a snowy mountain to environments reminiscent of a mansion. The 3D in the game adds a great sense of depth (with the inclusion of 3D strength and depth settings,) and makes even the cutscenes look better although anti-aliasing is eschewed in favor of keeping a consistent framerate even in online playthroughs. The sound, on the other hand, is used to great effect to highlight action or horror, and while the guns are varied and look good, some of them might not sound as powerful as they look or should be. In the long run though, the auido and visuals, coupled with the gameplay, provide and experience that rivals even some seen on consoles.
The game introduces plenty of new things to the series such as swimming sections. Parts of the game will have the player swimming to get from Point A to B, but that does not mean you are not in danger. The tank controls have also made way for a dodge mechanic, a feature absent from the many games in the series besides the quick-time events presented in 4. Dodging is useful because it reduces any damage taken, and it also sets up characters to attack the enemy from behind. The timing it takes to dodge can be strict at times, but it feels fresh and it's fulfilling to master such a maneuver. Sub-weapons such as knives and grenades (of which there are a variety) now have their own dedicated button and remove the need to aim before throwing. As with many Resident Evil titles, Revelations also features a brand-new game on the side called Raid Mode. Taking short stretches of locations from the Campaign, Raid Mode allows players to use characters from the story to make short action-oriented runs through the game's locations. The objectives are varied, and each game plays differently and provides different kinds of loot, from custom parts to new weapons. Raid also gives a sort of RPG feel with the inclusion of a level system and weapon upgrades and can be played solo, locally or online with friends or strangers. Collecting everything in Campaign and in Raid Mode is a fun experience and provides plenty of replay value especially for those who go for playing through the game before trying to complete everything. The biggest thing one might not like about the game is the removal of some tension though, as the framerate tends to drop when enemies spawn, removing most if not all surprise as to when it's time to fight.
Overall, Resident Evil: Revelations is a solid game. What's great about the game is how it balances elements from earlier titles with recent ones to create a game with the just the right amount of everything. Revelations helps put the Nintendo 3DS on the map, and it puts the Resident Evil franchise back in the game. It lives up to the hype; it looks good, plays well, and there's just not a lot of negative things to point out about it. The game might just be one of the best on the 3DS for a long time to come, and you must play to see why.