Resident Evil: Revelations is a survival horror game where the player must complete a series of scenarios collected together into episodes.[1] Although most scenarios involve the player controlling Jill Valentine aboard a ghost ship, some require the player to control other characters in different settings.[2] To progress through a scenario, the player must complete a number of objectives, ranging from solving puzzles to defeating bosses, collecting keys that open doors to new areas, and reaching a specific point in the game.[2]
As a survival horror game, Revelations emphasizes survival, evasion, and exploration over fast-paced combat by providing the player with limited ammunition, health, and movement speed. The player has the ability to run, climb ladders, swim and dive underwater for a limited period of time.[2] Up to three firearms can be carried at one time, in addition to grenades and the standard combat knife. Firearms range from handguns to shotguns, submachine guns and rifles.[3] The game is played from a third-person perspective, but switches into a first-person or over-the-shoulder perspective—depending on which platform the game is played on—when aiming a firearm to shoot enemies.[4]
As Valentine, the player can upgrade firearms by finding special items throughout the game.[3] The player may also perform melee attacks when an enemy has been stunned after being shot at the right time. Ammunition and health items are dispersed throughout the game to help players manage their resources.[3] A device called Genesis can be used to scan and find hidden items in nearby environments.[4] An automap feature is available to help players navigate the game.[3]
In addition to the game's single-player campaign, Revelations features a more action-oriented mode, called Raid Mode, where one or two players may fight their way through a selection of altered scenarios from the single-player campaign.[5] These usually feature enemies of varying power for the player to defeat. Once a scenario has been completed, the player is rewarded with experience and battle points that can be exchanged for various weapons and items at a store. Gaining experience and acquiring new equipment allow players to progress to higher and more challenging scenarios.[5] As the player progresses throughout the game, the player may also unlock numerous characters for use in both the single-player campaign and Raid Mode, with each character having a different set of abilities and melee attack.[6] The game supports a StreetPass functionality that allows different players to exchange items for use in the game.[7]
