Resident Evil Revelations is quite possibly the greatest technical achievement on the 3DS, and is a blast to play.

User Rating: 9.5 | Resident Evil: Revelations 3DS
When I first played Resident Evil Revelations back in March, I was blown away. Never before had I seen a game look as good as this, and it sets the standard for the 3DS's graphical capabilities. It's the best looking game on the 3DS, but how does it compare in terms of gameplay? Rest assured that this game plays as great as it looks if not better.

The game begins with a jaw dropping cutscene of Jill Valentine and her Italian fighting partner getting on a sunken ship. It looks like something you'd see from a 360 game! After that you basically have to find your friend, Chris and save the world from an evil bio-terrorist plot. Didn't BP technically mark the beginning of this in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the waters of Cleveland?

The game features some new mechanics in the Resident Evil series, such as the inclusion of a dodge button, more customization, and the use of the Genesis gun, which allows you to explore hidden fingerprints and clues throughout the game. It's really fun to use because you'll also find plenty of secret items such as ammo and herbs to help replenish yourself.

The game is nothing short of spectacular. The gameplay is terrific, offering a nice blend of horror and shooting. The amount of ammunition you get is low, but that makes the game scarier, as it should be. I love on occasion you can use a quick time attack to finish off an opponent when he's tired. The level design is claustrophobic and well suited for portable gaming, as there are plenty of save points in each level. The game takes you from battling arctic demon wolves with a broken foot, going through a casino, killing an undead female zombie with huge breast (!!)destroying giant slugs washed on the beach, the sewers, a fight with a really scary human zombie with a chainsaw, and even in a pool of blood. The one level that truly stands out is the one where you have to kill the giant bug once you get off an elevator. It's really cool and is one of the things that makes Resident Evil Revelations great.

The single player is even more memorable because of its episodic style structure. It's pretty similar to Pulp Fiction in a way because of this, just with Samuel L Jackson or John Travolta accidentally shooting someone in the face. It doesn't make sense at first, but through repeated plays, it all adds up. There's even a few plot twists! The only thing I didn't like from the plot line is Quint and Keith, two idiots who try to appeal to today's wacky style of humor, but end up flat.

As an extra bonus, River Raid Mode extends the life of this already great game. It's basically like Mercenaries 3D, only 10x better. It's addicting as hell because you can see the scores you get after beating enemies. You can even unlock new characters, buy weapons with play coins, and get upgrades in clothes and ammo.

Graphically speaking, this is the best the 3DS has to offer. The environments, lighting effects, and attention to detail are amazing for a portable title. The 3D effect is also really good when you change it to its highest depth (options menu), and ranks as of the best uses of 3D on the handheld. The areas look more open and expansive, but in 2D, the game uses Anti alasing technology to make the visuals look smoother when in 2D. The framerate does stutter when you're on an elevator or trying to enter the Casino, which can be annoying, but not enough to detract from the awesome visuals. The sound is also the best I've heard on the Nintendo 3DS. The game is scary, and it's of course enchanted via the headphones. Ominous music and disturbing sound effects perfectly compliment the visuals.

Overall, Resident Evil Revelations is quite possibly the greatest technical achievement on the 3DS, and is a blast to play. It's also terrifying and will please RE fans, even though this is the first I've played (I know, I suck). Capcom went all out on this game, and it's proven by the quality. Fun, scary, great looking and sounding, this might as well be the best third party game I've played on the 3DS, and will go down as one of the handheld's more memorable classics in years to come.

Gameplay: 10/10- Amazing. Tons of things to explore, great balance between survival horror and action, and it controls even better with the Circle Pad Pro. One for the ages.

Graphics: 10/10- The best looking 3DS game to date. On par with 360 and PS3 titles, and a fantastic 3D effect.

Sound: 9/10: Excellent sound effects and music, but Quint and Keith and a few others are annoying.

Value: 10/10: River Raid Mode doubles the replay value, and Revelations plays like a dream, a F***ed up dream that you'll love. If you have a 3DS but not this game, what are you thinking? Get this amazing game.

Final Score: 9.7/10 (A)