Capcom goes all in for the 25th Anniversary of the Resident Evil series. Alongside Resident Evil: Village, Capcom is releasing a multiplayer game called Re:Verse. It is a six-player deathmatch game that allows us to control key characters and infected from the Resident Evil universe in quick, five-minute rounds. Does that sound simplistic? Re:Verse is about as simple as a Resident Evil multiplayer game gets. Welcome to my short and sweet review!

What is Re:Verse

The game’s official description reads:

Resident Evil Re:Verse is a thank you bonus to fans features striking comic-style visuals and sets popular Resident Evil characters against each other in four to six-player deathmatch battles in iconic Resident Evil locations. Players can choose from a fan-favorite roster, each with their own unique skillsets to master.

• A fight to the death that all Resident Evil fans can enjoy! In Resident Evil Re:Verse you can test your skills against other players in four to six-person deathmatch battles. Play as beloved characters from the Resident Evil series and turn the tides of battle with powerful bioweapons. Take part in 5-minute Deathmatches, where the player with the most points wins! Use the weapons and items you find to take down even more powerful enemies!
• Turn the Tides with Bioweapon’s Revenge! When your character is taken out, their body transforms into a powerful bioweapon which can be used against other players. Pick up multiple Virus Capsules to transform into even stronger bioweapons. Getting revenge with a bioweapon is also a great chance for more points!

The Re:Verse Closed Beta drops players into the Racoon City Police Department as one of six iconic characters. We spawn at random points and then set off to hunt one another down to accrue the most points. At the end of the round, the game tallies points and displays the top 3 players. Rinse and repeat. That is the basis of the beta.

It’s important not to think of this as a Resident Evil game. Re:Verse will be bundled with the new Resident Evil and is a competitive shooter above all else. Keep that in mind because I didn’t, and my initial thoughts on the beta were not favorable. My first match was an eye-opener, but I kept playing to see what Capcom wants players to get out of the game. At the moment, I’ve settled on believing Re:Verse is meant for fun, quick bursts of distraction. To that end, the closed beta delivered. 

The Gameplay

There are six human characters to choose from: Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy, Ada Wong, and HUNK. Each character has their own loadout, and their usefulness varies wildly. Leon is armed with a pistol and a shotgun and has a powerful roundhouse kick. Claire has a taser of sorts that allows her to stun players and then quickly gun them down with a sub-machine gun. Considering the health pool is low, there is little to combat characters once you’re in their crosshairs. Each character can roll, but the ability is tied to a stamina wheel that varies for each character. Leon may roll three times while others can only roll twice.

There are a few items to help along the way. We can pick up herbs to heal. Rather than store them in your inventory, players use them the moment they touch the herbs. Your weapons run out of ammo quickly, but there are ammo boxes to replenish your supply. Players can also pick up virus capsules. Collect two, and upon death, you will transform into incredibly powerful bioweapons such as Nemesis. There are also a few single-use weapons that spawn around the police department, like a grenade launcher.

Honestly, the creatures of Resident Evil are the highlight of the characters, in my opinion. The bioweapons pose a significant threat to human players. I had the most fun playing Resident Evil 3 Remake’s Tyrant and Jack Baker, from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Tyrant’s one-hit kill ability is devastating; He runs along the map for a lengthy period and then impales players with his claws. Jack Baker is a fast character whose attacks cover much ground. While it’s fun to play as Nemesis, I didn’t feel like the ominous beast because I couldn’t smash through walls. That’s a Nemesis staple! 

Where Re:Verse needs work

Capcom’s game is in the beta stage, so there is a lot that will change between now and the full release. One thing I’m happy not to have to wait for is the ability to remove the comic book overlay. All it serves to do is cement how much of a departure this is from a typical Resident Evil title.

Respawning as a human character in Re:Verse is a gamble. Sometimes, I’ll respawn somewhere that allows me to regroup. Other times, I found myself spawning in the middle of combat, only to die right away. It makes sense that you mutate right where a player killed you, but this does allow them to make a plan of attack before you’ve completely transformed. Since the game isn’t a traditional Resident Evil, I would welcome a quick respawn elsewhere as a bioweapon.

The worst thing I encountered is stun-lock. “Stun-locking” means to render another player out of control of their character, and it is a tactic easily exploitable in Re:Verse. The bioweapons are great at this. Unfortunately, they can stun-lock every playable character. When a small bioweapon can kill Nemesis or Tyrant are because they can’t move due to stun-locking, there’s a problem.

My Final Impression

When it comes to a multiplayer Resident Evil, I believe that Mercenaries is difficult to top. Re:Verse has not changed my mind in the slightest. It’s a relatively simple multiplayer concept that doesn’t feel like Resident Evil, but it’s entertaining. Once I understood the mechanics, I did start to enjoy my time with the game.

There is a learning curve to the game, despite my comment about its simplicity. It’s possible to choose one human and perfect them, sure, but the bioweapons are a different story. Since we turn into a random one, players must stay on their toes and learn how to use their perks effectively. Every match was a learning experience, and you will start to enjoy the game more the abilities and perks make sense. 

Capcom is sure to put many playable characters and maps into the final game, so I don’t think it would be fair to hold that against the closed beta. Capcom should not ignore the balancing issues between humans and bioweapons. The free-for-all mode often leads to utter chaos, and the experience can go either way for players. Still, Re:Verse has the potential to secure a fanbase. Resident Evil Village will undoubtedly be in the spotlight.

Capcom stated they would not optimize Re:Verse for the Xbox Series X|S or PS5. That makes sense. That’s a lot of resources to spend making an intricate multiplayer mode. For now, the dedication to the Xbox One and PS4 means this game will run smoothly for everyone. 

Resident Evil Village is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows on May 7, 2021. Re:Verse is bundled with the game for free.