Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Episode 2: Contemplation

Revelations 2 is getting tougher, and that's a very good thing.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Episode 2 offers a few great action sequences, but it's still plagued by mundane puzzles and forced reliance on your partner.

If you enjoyed the first episode, it's safe to say you'll get your money's worth in the second. So long as you can deal with some backtracking, Resident Evil: Revelations 2: Episode 2 has enough action to keep you interested throughout, in addition to a few unique concepts. But really, it's Raid Mode that keeps me coming back for more on a daily basis. The episodic presentation is odd, but at this part it's starting to feel like a complete game.

Capcom already laid out its stall with the previous instalment, so Resident Evil: Revelations 2 – Episode Two: Contemplation can no longer be considered a pleasant surprise. This is another enjoyable romp, though, which sprinkles just enough new ideas into the experience to make it stand on its own. Most importantly, the action is much tenser this time around, and while it's still largely ridiculous, it will have you squirming at points.

Episode Two: Contemplation is hands down, a better, stronger, and more satisfying entry than the Revelations 2 premiere episode was.

There are certain elements to Contemplation that have been improved from the first episode, namely the more open environments and the new enemy types, but there are still apparent flaws to the story and combat scenarios. Claire's campaign once again trails behind Barry's, including a more direct conflict structure with no real puzzle solving elements to be found.

The intense boss fights and action-packed sequences jammed into this three-hour play make it an at-times exhausting experience. It suits the episodic nature to a tee, giving you a week or so to gather yourself before heading back in for more. Let's just hope Capcom can keep it up for the final pair of episodes.

Picking up where the first chapter left off, Resident Evil Revelations 2 is looking great after a good cliffhanger ending and looks like a promising entry in the franchise.

'Resident Evil Revelations 2' is making modest progress with 'Contemplation'. The ending in particular makes me feel like we're getting somewhere. A lot of the persistent 'Resident Evil' issues are still hanging around, but as more of the game becomes visible, more of its merits are surfacing at the same time. So far, so good.

Contemplation builds on the successful first episode of Capcom's latest foray into new distribution models, and piles on the difficulty, atmosphere and ever-thickening plot with satisfying results. Fans of the series will appreciate the plot twists, whilst newcomers can get stuck into a well-grounded Resident Evil game that is so far living up to its heritage.