Resident Evil Revelations: The Genius of Genesis

Adding a new device to a game is nothing new. After all, every new title in the Resident Evil series seems to arm heroic characters with new weapons, gadgets and bizarre contraptions to fight various twisted creatures. However, Resident Evil Revelations does something clever with the addition of a scanning device called "Genesis." Though simple in application, the equipment strongly affects how the game can be played.

As I've mentioned several times, Revelations attempts to find a balance between the high-paced action of RE5 and the slower, more grounded feel of the RE games that came before. In a way, it's looking to achieve something similar to RE4, but in a segmented fashion. Some chapters, characters and settings lend themselves to faster styles of play. Others slow things down, calling upon the best elements of survival horror.

The Genesis plays into that survival horror idea in a unique way. Throughout the game, you're often left wanting for health and supplies. Generally they are in short supply. The Genesis scanner, which is acquired relatively early in the game and is typically available via your touch screen, allows you to search the environment for items that you might not ordinarily see - a hidden pack of ammo here or a grenade there. The boost in resources is invaluable, though I never found it tipped the scales to the point where I felt completely overpowered. Besides, the reward for searching your environment exhaustively should give you at least a slight edge.

Scanning also plays a role once you've stopped your foes. As you run across bio-organic weapons and fill them with bullets, you'll be able to use the Genesis on their remains. This process will fill a percentage counter that continues to increase as you engage more creatures. When you get to 100% you're granted an herb for your troubles. It's admittedly a bit nonsensical, but then again you're using herbs and first aid sprays to heal what must be life-threatening wounds. Regardless of realism, the scanner once again can reverse your fortunes. I found these "gifted" items to be instrumental to my success.


More importantly, using the Genesis does something else unrelated to item acquisition - it affects the pacing of the game. Though by no means necessary, anyone interested in being fully prepared for battle will play the game slower, pulling out the scanner and looking for whatever might be hidden in each room's dark corners. That means you're not charging to the next door. That means you're taking the time to look around your environment and, as you scan, searching every corner.

Not only are you often low on supplies, you're in a claustrophobic, eerie setting where enemies can slither out of any and every opening. Best of all, if you actually want to be well-suited to fight your foes, you have to play the game slowly. It's incredibly clever, making an optional exercise not only feel necessary but add to the overall tension in the game.

Resident Evil Revelations continues to impress. Fingers crossed the rest of my time with it meets these great opening hours.


Rich is an Executive Editor of IGN.com and the leader of the IGN Nintendo team. Follow his ridiculous adventures through MyIGN and Twitter. Keep it cool, Koopalings.

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