Resident Evil Re:Verse review – A massive miss for Capcom

In the eyes of many, Capcom is firing on all cylinders right now. Since the release of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard in 2017, the Japanese publisher has been on an impressive hot streak. From Monster Hunter: World to Devil May Cry 5, this storied gaming institution has successfully reinvented most of its core franchises. It’s been thrilling witnessing the company celebrate its identity and history to such astonishing effect over the course of the last several years.  

Following the critical and commercial success of the subversive Resident Evil 7, Capcom has gone all-in on the iconic survival-horror series. As a connoisseur of the campy and macabre, I’ve adored the attention Resident Evil has garnered and celebrate Capcom’s commitments. While not met with universal acclaim, I’ve even appreciated the publisher’s multiplayer-focused experiments like the asymmetrical PVP tie-in for Resident Evil 3, Resident Evil: Resistance.  

When it was revealed that Resident Evil Village would ship with the arena-inspired shooter Resident Evil Re:Verse, I was morbidly curious to attempt this genre-shifting exercise. Unfortunately, after immersing myself in this multiplayer spinoff for the last several days, it’s become abundantly clear that Re:Verse isn’t worth your time or energy. This optional offering stands as a baffling fumble for Capcom that glaringly contrasts with the company’s recent release record. 

Disclaimer: This review was made possible by a review code provided by Capcom. The company did not see the contents of this review before being published. 

Resident Evil Re:Verse – What's good

Resident Evil Re:Verse is a six-player PVP shooter that pits legendary heroes and villains from the franchise against one another in appropriately themed battlegrounds. Players select starting human characters like Chris Redfield, Ada Wong, and Leon S. Kennedy and utilize their unique weapons and abilities to kill combatants. However, death isn’t the end. Re:Verse’s viral twist involves players’ post-death transformations into infamous horrors like Nemesis and Super Tyrant.

Neobards Entertainment painstakingly recreated memorable locations from the Resident Evil universe, like the Racoon City Police Department and the sprawling Baker House from Resident Evil 7. These impressive maps are brimming with carefully placed objects, and environmental details ripped straight from the games. As usual, the RE Engine shines with stunning visual quality and remarkably detailed models. To get the best global presentation, I’d recommend disabling the comic effect filter activated by default. It dramatically improves the sheen of the scenery.  

For players who connect with the PVP-centric escapades of Resident Evil Re:Verse, the package supplies a respectable amount of character customization. From weapon charms to character skins, you can accessorize your favorite Resident Evil protagonists like never before. Maybe I’m part of the problem with modern gaming, but I love nonsensical emotes in multiplayer titles. Call me simple, but there’s something undeniably hilarious about watching Jill Valentine capoeira dance on the victory screen at the end of a match. 

Resident Evil Re:Verse – What’s not good

While the graphics are pleasant and noticeably improved over the initial beta, the gameplay in Resident Evil Re:Verse leaves an aching amount to be desired. Character movement feels floaty and unnatural. Instead of incorporating a conventional sprint mechanic, Re:Verse opts for a meandering half-jog that forces our established Resident Evil figures into some of the strangest walking animations I’ve seen in a modern video game. Combine this with an absolutely weightless roll, and you have an action shooter that doesn’t stack up to its contemporaries.  

Your primary objective in Resident Evil Re:Verse is to shoot and kill player-controlled enemies and creatures. Unfortunately, the gunplay in this PVP arena game isn’t tight enough. Considering the team developed the project using the RE Engine, which has produced the best playing games in franchise history, I’m genuinely shocked by how unresponsive, and inconsistent the aiming feels in Re:Verse. Succeeding the popularity of Gears of War, we’ve had countless titles provide satisfying third-person combat, and unfortunately, this multiplayer spinoff isn’t one of them.

Amplifying the underwhelming gameplay is an overwhelming lack of balance. Resident Evil Re:Verse frequently devolves into a cluster of four to six players desperately flailing about as a synthetic blob of humans and monsters. The reliance on the “Revenge” system and your ability to instantly respawn as a T-Virus vessel encourages petty back-and-forth spats between adversaries. Characters like Hunk and Ada Wong also possess considerably better loadouts than their cohorts, leading to an unsurprising level of player repetition.  

As far as standalone Resident Evil multiplayer offerings go, Re:Verse’s content is nothing short of paltry. Six playable human characters, five monster variants, a measly two maps, and one game mode are currently available. The latest trailer showcased a new Resident Evil Village-based location and werewolf creature, but there isn’t much here for now. Minor character progression and a battle pass might be enough to keep some diehard players invested. Still, I can’t imagine anyone sticking with Re:Verse long enough for those features to matter.  

Resident Evil Re:Verse – Should you play?

Resident Evil Re:Verse isn’t plagued by bugs or performance issues, and the core experience, for all intents and purposes, runs quite smoothly. Unfortunately, neither the ideas nor the execution congeals to deliver a multiplayer title worthy of Capcom’s recent Resident Evil endeavors. Considering how consistent this publisher has remained for six years now, I find myself certifiably astounded by how much I didn't enjoy Resident Evil Re:Verse.   

I’m an enormous advocate of multiplayer horror and frequently celebrate the franchise’s fun but flawed previous attempts. While Re:Verse is bundled with any purchase of the excellent Resident Evil Village, with so many other outstanding titles like Evil Dead: The Game and Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed easily accessible, I can’t recommend anyone go out of their way to play the latest Resident Evil experiment. Unless there are transformative changes to the base game, I don’t see myself revisiting Resident Evil Re:Verse. 

Resident Evil Village Gold Edition  

Resident Evil Re:Verse is included with Resident Evil Village Gold Edition. While the multiplayer offering falls a bit short, this brimming bundle consists of the base game, the campaign expansion, a third-person mode, and updated content for the Mercenaries.    

Buy from: Xbox | Amazon