Resident Evil Revelations: The Complete Works 

Review by Paul Fiander
ISBN: 9781783295012
Published by Titan Books
First of all apologies for the imagery of the book cover on the right though it does have a reason. I took this picture to demonstrate something unique about this book. It's a paperback with a dust-cover, I know this is not a new format but it is still the first book I own in this style. The dust-cover though hides the same image with a darker hue that I actually prefer. This mix of images helps to set this book in its place. It is a visual smorgasbord for anyone who is interested in Resident Evil Revelations or zombie/monster games in general. The various views we get through the creation process are what help to set this book apart.

The book itself constitutes two hundred pages of behind the scene imagery of this excellently received edition to the Resident Evil franchise. The scope of the work covers concept art, storyboards and an in-depth look at the characters and monsters that make up the game. Pretty much all the pages also have a creator commentary where we can start to understand some of the design choices that go into creating the onscreen personas.  Everything is covered in detail giving you a great look at the whys that art books can sometimes gloss over for the prettier images.

My section of choice though has to be the Creatures; here we get to meet the real stars of the Resident Evil games. I stay real stars as any type of horror game falls apart if the enemies you are looking at cannot give you at least a sense of unease. From the Fenrir to the Draghignazzo we get to see a variety of images that altogether make up the finished creature. Each set of images however do not follow a set pattern and some will give you more information on the creation process. It sounds a little haphazard but it does work to help bring you into the world of the creators.

The book was translated from its original Japanese and took some time to be published in the UK. This is a shame as the game was released in January 2012 and some may not be looking to read a book based on a three year old property. I would have to say though that is a lovely physical object, the pages are thick with a gloss to them that can be a little too reflective in harsh light but overall it still is a great art book to own and savour.

PUBLISHERS SYNOPSIS

Resident Evil Revelations: Official Complete Works takes readers on a behind-the-scenes look at the art, storyboards, concept and more behind the smash hit game, featuring exclusive looks at characters, locations monsters and more. Published for the first time in the English language.
Review Copy provided by the publisher