Resident Evil Revelations 2 has been an extremely solid experience so far. The first episode, while a bit slow, did a good job of setting the overall story in motion, while the second episode expanded upon just about everything and innovated in some truly clever ways.

However, if there's any one episode that gamers would expect to slump, it's Episode Three. Was Capcom able to keep Revelations 2′s penultimate chapter from feeling like busy work, or is Episode Three extra padding before the game's conclusion?

As a whole, the story is a bit uneven in Episode Three. For Claire, much of the story is put on hold until near the end of her campaign; after that, the plot is dumped out all at once. It's not necessarily a bad thing, as the story makes sense and doesn't throw off the episode's pacing -- the only thing that may throw players off are all of the different names and the acronyms. It can definitely get confusing for those who are familiar with the rest of the Resident Evil lore. 

The only real weak spot is the "twist": Episode Three mishandles one of the biggest reveals so far, and a character that players haven't had time to connect with is given a generic motivation and a generic demise. These moments do play host to some of Claire's best characterization so far, but that can't stop the ending from feeling routine. Moira also gets some great moments in, though players will have to wait until Episode Four to see the full effects.

Overall, Claire's romp through Episode Three feels like a bit of a stopgap. At the end of Episode Two, players made it to the base of the tower, only to spend the entirety of Episode Three trying to find a way inside. It's clear that Capcom wanted to save the tower's big twist for Episode Four, but it comes off a bit forced.

Barry's story doesn't feel quite as uneven, though that's mostly because it's not there. It starts off with a bang as Barry confronts the main villain, but it quickly breaks away to leave Barry and Natalia stranded in the sewers. There's a lot of good backstory that builds upon events seen in Claire's campaign, but it's still relatively sparse.

The ending is also extremely abrupt, and the whole thing feels a bit jumbled. There are more hints dropped at just what Natalia really is (at this point, it's par for the course), but the whole finale comes out of nowhere. It's almost like Capcom couldn't think of a good ending for the episode, and Episode Three comes to a confusing and almost unsatisfying stop much earlier than most players will expect.

Again, the story within the campaign isn't necessarily bad, it just feels as if much of it could have been handled a bit better.

When it comes to the campaign itself, the only real difference is the length. Claire's campaign is a bit longer thanks to some extra (and optional) puzzles, while Barry's is roughly the same as it's always been. Expect to put three hours into Episode Three as opposed to the usual two.

However, the major gameplay themes have switched between the characters: Claire sees much more combat this time around, while Barry has to deal with more puzzles. Claire's campaign is far more balanced as a whole -- players will finally have enough supplies to succeed -- and aside from a few moments where the A.I. can't take care of itself, the episode never steers into frustrating territory. It also features the first traditional boss fight of the game, which serves as both a nice change of pace and a great conclusion to the episode.

Barry's campaign focuses much more on puzzles and survival: the first half is dedicated to using Natalia to open doors while Barry deals with the zombies, and the second half is dedicated to moving a generator through a level using conveyor belts. There are definitely a few notable combat sequences, but they're much more downplayed than usual -- in most cases, Barry is better off running and conserving ammo instead of fighting it out. Finally, the typical backtracking through Claire's campaign is refreshingly limited, and Barry actually ends up traversing through more unique environments.

To be perfectly honest, the episode does feel a bit uneven: this is truly Claire's show, especially with all of the optional detours and a longer run-time. Barry's abrupt ending leaves his campaign feeling incomplete, and while the focus on puzzles isn't bad by any means, it may throw players for a loop. That being said, while Episode Three doesn't innovate like the second episode did, the entire experience is far more refined than its predecessor.

Capcom can rest easy knowing that Episode Three doesn't feel like extra padding. The story definitely takes a backseat, but the entire experience feels more polished -- it's definitely more fun to play than the last episode. The focus on puzzles may come as a surprise to those looking for combat, but otherwise, Resident Evil Revelations 2: Episode Three is a great setup for next week's conclusion.

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