10 Amazing Game Spin-Offs You Totally Forgot Existed
3. Resident Evil: Revelations 2
Certainly, nowadays the Resident Evil franchise sits comfortably on top as one of the few horror series backed by a triple-A budget and a major publisher. But when Resident Evil: Revelations 2 launched back in 2015, the series was on life support. After several entries had shifted too far into overblown action and cringeworthy storylines, long-time fans were desperate for a return to the tense, claustrophobic survival horror that defined the franchise. Rather quietly, this smaller spin-off delivered exactly that - well before Resident Evil 7 brought the series roaring back into the mainstream.
Revelations 2 stripped the formula back to its essentials, setting the action on a crumbling island filled with grotesque creatures, decaying corridors, and sinister experiments. Its inventive co-op system was the real masterstroke: one character was heavily armed and combat-ready, while the other was vulnerable but vital for spotting hidden dangers and solving environmental puzzles. This dynamic forced players to rely on one another, building tension through teamwork instead of undercutting it.
The game was intentionally modest in scale, a kind of experimental side project to gauge whether players still wanted survival horror. Sales were decent but not spectacular, and many wrote it off as an odd detour. Yet in hindsight, it feels like a vital turning point - the moment Capcom started listening again. Revelations 2 walked so Resident Evil 7 could run, ditching the convoluted Umbrella Corp lore in favor of grounded, grimy horror that reminded everyone why the series mattered in the first place.