Resident Evil Revelations - DRM controversy leads to review bombing on Steam

Resident Evil Revelations, the third-person shooter spin-off from Capcom in 2012, is currently experiencing a wave of negative reviews on Steam. This follows claims that Capcom recently updated the game with digital rights management (DRM) software. Since the criticism began on Wednesday, January 10th, the game's rating on Steam has dropped to "mostly negative," a significant shift in community sentiment.

DRM software causes unrest

The controversy ignited after players on the Steam forums reported technical issues and performance degradation. These include unstable frame rates, crashes, and more, which coincide with the recent updates to Resident Evil Revelations. One player pointed to Enigma Protector, a third-party DRM solution, as a possible cause for the problems.

Capcom's Stance on Mods and Cheats

In an October 2023 presentation, Capcom addressed its anti-cheat and anti-piracy measures in its PC games. DRM software is intended to prevent or restrict cheating and piracy in games and is used by many studios such as EA, Sega, and Ubisoft. In its video, Capcom equated community mods with cheats and referred to all mods as cheats, "unless officially supported."

Enigma's Response to Allegations

In response to comments from Resident Evil Revelations players on the Steam forums, Enigma, the creator of the alleged added DRM software, replied on their own forum. However, Enigma's response to an inquiry regarding performance issues and the impact on mods was defensive, indicating that the use of their software does not automatically lead to problems.

Capcom's Response and the Update Rollback

Capcom published a brief statement on the Resident Evil Revelations Steam page, explaining that the recent update has been "rolled back" but will ultimately be re-released. "Due to an issue with the latest update, we have rolled back the corresponding update," stated the developer. "We apologize for the inconvenience and will re-release the update once the issue is resolved."

Impact on the Community and Reviews

Since January 10th, 196 negative reviews have been posted on the Steam page of Resident Evil Revelations, resulting in an "overwhelmingly negative" rating based on recent feedback. However, the overall rating of the game, based on player responses throughout its lifespan, remains "very positive."

Steam page of the game, leading to an "overwhelmingly negative" rating based on recent feedback. However, the overall rating of the game, based on player responses throughout its lifespan, remains "very positive."

The Importance of Community Feedback

This development underscores the importance of community feedback in the gaming world. Players use review platforms like Steam to express their dissatisfaction with developer decisions, especially when they result in technical issues or gameplay restrictions.

A Sensitive Topic in the Gaming Community

The introduction of DRM in Resident Evil Revelations and the subsequent community reaction demonstrate how sensitive the topic of DRM and modding is in the gaming world. While developers have the right to protect their intellectual property, it is equally important for them to consider the needs and gameplay experience of their community. Capcom's decision to rollback and reassess the update could be a step in the right direction to regain players' trust.