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Resident Evil: Revelations 2 – Episode 3: Judgment PS4 Review

The last episode of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 was a significant improvement compared to the debut of Capcom’s episodic spinoff. This was thanks in part to the extra dose of action, recalling much of the best moments of Resident Evil 4 while also edging ever closer to the more traditional horror aesthetic of the original trilogy.

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It only seems fitting then that the third episode contrasts its action-packed predecessor with a bigger focus on puzzle-solving, another classic staple of the series. In classic RE fashion, players must use their noodle noggins to proceed to the next plot-point; as a nod to the series, Episode 3 features both kinds of puzzles familiar to old school fans: the Greek mythology-inspired puzzle that requires the collecting of special keys and odd ornaments, and the missing electrical component kind where several machines must be manipulated with the right kind of battery part. Anyone who has played the original trilogy should have no problem figuring out how to solve these sequences, but there may be a few moments that might stump people over the simplicity of their solutions.

Fortunately, there are still plenty of zombie fodder to gun down in-between the problem solving, and the partner-switching mechanic continues to be utilized in new and interesting ways. While the enemy variety remains unchanged from the previous episodes (save for a couple of boss encounters), a new mechanic that doubtlessly draws inspiration from the Resident Evil 1 Remake will now cause players to double-check the bodies of foes they seemingly dispatched. This is also the first episode to feature an equal split in both quality and length between Claire and Barry’s campaigns, though the latter still gets extra points for managing to take a few moments to display some honest-to-goodness character development. We learn a bit more about what caused the rift between Barry and Moira, and the display of the character’s long-repressed grief and his relationship with Natalia result in some earnest emotional moments, a shocking thing to witness in this series.

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Revelations 2 continues to steadily climb upwards in both quality and content, with episode 3 possibly being the longest experience yet. The decision to distribute the episodes weekly also prove that the Resident Evil series makes for a surprisingly good episodic series. Even the hokiest of story beats end up becoming good cliffhanger fuel, as each episode’s climax makes those weekly waits just a little more unbearable. Hopefully Capcom will be able to keep things up during the second half of this game, and also apply much of the positives from this experiment into future entries in the series.

8 out of 10