Resident Evil Revelations 2 Episode One: Penal Colony is a survival horror game released for PC that launches the episodic narrative centered on a remote prison facility overrun by hostile creatures. Players control characters navigating confined spaces, managing limited resources, and uncovering the circumstances that led to the outbreak.
Gameplay
The core loop revolves around exploration and combat within the penal colony setting. Claire Redfield pairs with Moira Burton, who provides support through a flashlight to reveal hidden items and a crowbar for stunning enemies or opening certain barriers. Barry Burton teams with Natalia Korda in a parallel segment. Players can switch between the paired characters during play to handle specific tasks such as accessing locked containers.
Combat focuses on firearms including pistols, shotguns, magnums, and assault rifles. Encounters involve zombie-like foes and larger, more resilient monsters that require careful positioning and resource management. Light puzzle elements appear through power switches and object retrieval, often highlighted by the partner character. The episode builds tension through its prison environment and concludes on a narrative cliffhanger.
Game Modes
Episode One structures its content around two distinct campaigns experienced in sequence. The first follows Claire and Moira as they awaken in the facility and begin their escape. The second shifts to Barry and Natalia, offering a separate perspective on the same events with adjusted enemy encounters and progression paths. Both segments emphasize single-player progression with AI-controlled partners handling auxiliary roles rather than direct combat assistance.
Narrative and Setting
The story opens with the protagonists discovering the abandoned penal colony and its mutated inhabitants. Environmental storytelling reveals details about the facility through documents and visual cues scattered across cells, corridors, and outdoor areas. The episode establishes key relationships and mysteries that continue in later parts of the series without resolving them here.
Is It Worth Playing?
This episode serves as an accessible entry point for players interested in survival horror experiences that blend shooting, light puzzle-solving, and partner-based mechanics on PC. It delivers a self-contained segment with a strong opening hook and competent AI support that keeps the focus on the lead character. Those who enjoy methodical exploration and resource-driven encounters will find the prison layout and enemy variety engaging. The title remains available as a standalone purchase, making it suitable for anyone seeking a shorter horror session or the start of a longer episodic campaign. Reception at launch highlighted the satisfying partner interactions and atmospheric tension, positioning it as a solid choice for fans of the genre who prefer structured single-player campaigns over open-ended multiplayer options.
