Resident Evil: Revelations was my most-anticipated game for the 3DS, and I was thoroughly impressed with it last February. When the HD console version was announced earlier this year, I was happy to see that the Wii U would be getting some exclusive content. Now that I’ve played through Revelations a second time, I can safely say that those Wii U features aren’t all that exciting, but more importantly, Revelations is still one of the best post-RE4 Resident Evil games. If you haven’t played it already, this is definitely the way to do so.I won’t go into the core game here—you can read my previous review for that information—I’m just going to talk about what’s changed for the console release.

First and foremost, the game looks great on the big screen. While I initially mourned the lack of 3D, something that worked really well on the 3DS, having pretty HD visuals on your TV screen is just as good. I’d be hard-pressed to say how much better the game looks, though. Character models might’ve been touched up here and there, but nobody looks as impressive as, say, RE6 (which, despite being terrible, had nice graphics). Cutscenes are where the minor alterations stand out, such as sweat on Chris’ forehead or subtle animations on Jill’s face. Enemies tend to have a disturbing sheen about them. A certain shellfish-like opponent is MUCH easier to deal with on the big screen, especially since his weak points are much easier to make out.

Gameplay-wise, nothing has really changed. You use shoulder button combinations for aiming, shooting, scanning, and grenade-throwing. Although the game doesn’t tell you, you can press ZR by itself to stab things (like crates) with your knife. The window for hitting a successful dodge has been lengthened a bit, I think. The only irritating change is that the final boss is more aggressive and now has a “window of vulnerability,” as if he wasn’t hard enough on 3DS. I recommend saving a rocket launcher and all your magnum ammo for him. As in the 3DS game, you get New Game Plus here, too.

While the Campaign is basically the same, Raid Mode has been significantly changed. There are a lot more weapons and mods now, and weapons tend to have more mod slots than they did on 3DS. The downside is that things seem to cost more BP (earned in the Campaign and in Raid Mode), so you might not acquire a sizable arsenal as quickly. You can sell guns and mods that you don’t need for extra BP, which is a nice way to pad your wallet. Raid Mode can be played solo or online, and I highly recommend online. Traipsing through any given stage with a friend will make it easier on both of you, and you’ll probably end up with a higher grade at the end (which nets bigger rewards). Unfortunately, even though the game’s been out for a week, there aren’t many people playing.

Replacing StreetPass missions are in-game Achievements, and hitting certain Achievements will unlock new weapons, characters, or costumes. For example, if you manage to get through a Raid Mode mission at a lower-than-recommended level without taking damage AND killing every enemy in the area, you’ll unlock Rachel in Raid Mode.

Now, let’s talk about the Wii U-specific features. Both are extensions of Miiverse: in Raid Mode, you can send out a message that will appear in a speech bubble above a random enemy’s head in a random game. It’s pretty worthless. More impressive is the “death message:” when you die, a bunch of Miiverse messages pop up from people who also died in that spot—and you can post your own message, too. Most of the time, it’s gamers bitching about dying, but sometimes somebody offers a helpful tip! As usual, however, the real Wii U takeaway is Off-TV play, which was invaluable for me, as my wife recently became addicted to Gossip Girl. The game actually constantly gives you the option of playing just on the GamePad, just on the TV, or on both, in which case your weapon selection is on the GamePad so you can tap to equip weapons. You can also play with the Classic Controller Pro, but for once I actually preferred playing on the GamePad—I know, I’m scared, too.

I’m not sure how much I can recommend this HD remake for people who already got their Revelations fill on the 3DS, but if you haven’t played it before, Wii U is the way to go. It’s a fantastic game, and while I still disparage the plot and the insistence on having a partner everywhere you go in the Campaign mode, there’s nothing quite like it. Also, as I’ve said before, Jill Valentine in a catsuit in HD is reason enough to at least try the demo.