Resident Evil Revelations 2 is an episodic game so we are doing an episodic review. Stephen will be looking at all of the episodes of RE Revelations 2 and putting together a small review on each. You can check out Episode one here, Episode two here and Episode 3 here.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Episode 4: Metamorphosis
It all ends here, folks – well, it would, if Capcom didn’t include a cliffhanger finale that practically screams sequel, regardless of the ‘moral choice’ players made in Episode 3. If you haven’t jumped on the Revelations 2 bandwagon yet, Episode 4 probably won’t prompt you to climb aboard given that in some respects, it’s the weakest entry in the episodic series.
As with my previous reviews of Revelations 2, I’ll be covering the plot points of Episode 3 whilst doing my best to leave Episode 4 spoilers to a minimum – however, if you’ve come this far and are playing along, I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now.
When I last left off with Claire and Moira, they had just succeeded in killing mutated TerraSave member Neil – although which one of them pulled the trigger has a large impact on the events of Episode 4. Unbeknownst to anyone not paying attention, Neil had in fact been working with Alex Wesker the whole time and managed to come off fairly surprised by her sudden but inevitable betrayal as she injects him with the Uroboros virus. Angry at the world, but mostly himself, he attacks Claire and Moira, the final moments of which determine whether the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ ending will be received. I use these terms loosely, as neither ending bodes well for all involved.
Opening with our heroines finally ascending Alex “Overseer” Wesker’s tower, what follows in Episode 4 is a criminally short end to Claire and Moira’s part of this story – even with a few cheap deaths to invisible enemies, I had the chapter wrapped up in 15 minutes and I have no doubt there are speedrunners out there knocking it out in far less. By this point in the episodic series, there are no new gameplay surprises – indeed, this particular chapter is almost devoid of gunning and instead focuses on running with some easy puzzle solving thrown in for good measure.
Fortunately, in terms of playtime Barry and Natalia’s chapter delivers the goods, running close to two hours on my initial playthrough. Episode 3 left our heroes standing on a cliffside, Natalia having just given Alex Wesker the heebie-jeebies with her glowing stink-eyes, thus sending Wesker scurrying off to prepare for her predictable last minute appearance in Episode 4. After conquering a routine crane puzzle and descending once again into a warren of tunnels within the island, Barry and Natalia end up in an underground mansion, the ultimate Resident Evil location if there ever was one. While nowhere near as engrossing as the Spencer Mansion, it serves well as area to tie up Revelations 2 with only a small amount of backtracking. Again, there is nothing new gameplay wise added, instead relying on enemies that spawn at the last minute and a ‘slow elevator’ trope thrown in for good measure, sure to please fans of Destiny.
The finale can run its course in two different ways, depending on whether it was Claire or Moira who finished off mutant Neil during their Episode 3 chapter. For players who made the choice incorrectly, there is an extended closing sequence that will be missed, requiring a second playthrough of Episode 3 and 4 at a minimum to experience. Having seen both endings, it is the extra gameplay that is the true loss rather than the story – either way, the games close is a real bummer. Never fear, as Capcom will no doubt deal with this unresolved thread the same way they always do – a sequel!
Be sure to stay tuned for my next and final article in this series, as I wrap up my thoughts and feelings on Revelations 2 as a whole including the events of Episode 4.
Stephen del Prado
