Resident Evil: Revelations 2 serves up free first chapter on consoles

By Danny Cowan Published November 18, 2015

The first chapter of Capcom’s episodic survival horror game Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is now free to download on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, giving fans the chance to check out the latest entry in the Resident Evil franchise before committing to a purchase.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Episode 1: Penal Colony is now available free of charge for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.

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The PC version of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is not featured as part of the promotion, though the Steam Deluxe Edition, which includes all chapters along with other bonus content, is currently available at a discount.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is a co-op survival horror experience in which players team up with a friend or AI partner while exploring an abandoned prison colony filled with undead creatures. The console versions of the game offer a local split-screen co-op mode in addition to online multiplayer features, continuing the persistent team-based gameplay mechanics featured in Resident Evil 5.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2‘s storyline is split across four playable episodes, the first of which is now free on consoles. Players can purchase additional episodes individually or as a full season at a discount this week.

Developer Telltale Games has experimented with a similar pricing structure in recent years, giving away the first chapters of games like Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Tales from the Borderlands for free in order to spur sales for its episodic franchises. Like Telltale’s games, Revelations 2 features a storyline that fully unfolds only after players have purchased and played all episodes.

In addition to its co-op campaign, Resident Evil: Revelations 2 also includes an action-focused Raid mode featuring 15 playable characters and over 200 stages.

All four episodes of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 are available in Deluxe Edition digital bundles priced at $30 on consoles.

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