The highly anticipated Resident Evil 2 remake is finally out, and nostalgic gamers are chomping at the bit to get their hands on a copy. Yet, if you put down the sentimental rose-tinted spectacles, is the game still worthy of all the hype? Blog of Games investigates. Read on for our Resident Evil 2 remake review – should I buy it?
Developer: Capcom R&D Division 1
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Page Contents
Resident Evil 2: Remake – Story
Resident Evil 2 is a survival horror game that was originally released in 1998 for the PlayStation and has been rebooted for a second release on multiple platforms in 2019. In this Resident Evil 2 remake review, we will judge the game solely on the remake, so as to not be biased by any affection for the original.
The game follows the characters of Leon Kennedy, a rookie police officer, and Claire Redfield, a college student, as they find themselves immersed within a zombie apocalypse trying to escape Racoon City. Inhabitants of the city are being transformed into the undead by a biological weapon called the T-virus, developed by the big-pharma company Umbrella.
Leon, who is on his first day of duty, and Claire, who is looking for her brother Chris, discover that the majority of the police force at the Raccoon Police Department have been wiped out and then split up in order to find survivors in the city, encountering some interesting folk along the way.
The duo come to learn about a new G-virus that is capable of transforming humans into an extreme mutant bioweapon. Without giving too much away, the story then follows their journey to discover the truth about the G-virus and find a way to vaccinate it or escape from it.
If you’re enjoying this Resident Evil 2 remake review, you might also like our article on the best free PlayStation VR horror games available in 2019.
Resident Evil 2: Remake – Gameplay
The first notable difference between the original and the remake is that the Resident Evil 2 remake ditches tank controls in favour of an over-the-shoulder third-person shooter perspective, akin to Resident Evil 4. This is a great move, in our book, and makes the gameplay far more fluid, immersive and enjoyable, whilst still enabling survival horror to be the main focus of the gameplay.
The game frequently involves puzzles and problem solving, all of which are fun and fairly challenging but do require a lot of backtracking to previously seen locations which, for some, may become repetitive. As in the original, players are required to loot their surroundings in order to gather resources and find items, yet the remake makes this a less restricting task, and players are free to explore more areas and mix up the pace of the game.
In terms of graphics, the Resident Evil 2 remake does a great job at keeping visuals crisp and smooth with some high-quality textures and ultra-realistic environments (well, minus the zombies…). If you have played the original, it feels like a real treat to see these familiar environments touched up graphically but, even to a newcomer to the game, it visually stands up well to any other game in the survival horror genre.
The combat is aptly made for a survival horror experience – nothing too extravagant and does the basics well. Players can aim their firearms using the crosshair and fend off enemy zombies whilst trying desperately not to waste the scarcely found ammunition. There is also the option to fend off zombies with a combat knife after one of them grabs you, though you must remember to pick up the knife from the undead body before continuing on.
Resident Evil 2 Remake – The Good
If you’ve read any other Resident Evil 2 remake review, it has most likely been a positive one. The game has been well received by most who have played it, and for good reason.
The game stays loyal to the original while injecting a fresh perspective and a new lease of life in the form of a different camera angle, much-improved graphics, and smooth combat and gameplay.
With this game, Capcom have shown that a reboot can not only be as good as the original but shine brightly in its own light. They have also created a renewed buzz around the Resident Evil franchise and lovers of the RE series will now be waiting with anticipation to see what the Japanese game developer have in store next.
Resident Evil 2 Remake – The Bad
It is difficult to find a bad Resident Evil 2 remake review at this stage, and the game has received almost unanimous critical acclaim. That being said, a few gamers have certain gripes and complaints about the survival horror game.
Perhaps the most common complaint is the decision to use an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective camera as opposed to the fixed camera from the original game. Others have also suggested that the game would have benefited from 1st person camera, like that of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, in order to maximise the suspense and horror elements of the game.
Other complaints have been aimed at the sometimes-repetitive nature of puzzles, tracking back and forth to various locations in order to find and place items in the correct places in order to progress through the game.
Should I Play The Resident Evil 2 Remake?
In a word, yes. This game is a masterpiece, regardless of whether you have played the original or not.
If you are looking for an engaging survival horror title to immerse yourself in, or if you are just looking to take a trip down memory lane while marvelling at the impressive touch-up job that Capcom have done, you won’t be disappointed.
Games Like Resident Evil 2 Remake
If you have already played RE2 and are looking for another horror title to sink your teeth into, here are a few other games like Resident Evil 2 remake for you to be getting on with:
- The Evil Within
- The Last of Us
- Dead Rising 3
- Call of Cthulhu
- Dead Space
Get in Touch
If you liked this article, you might enjoy reading our post about the best free online horror games.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the content. Whether you agree or disagree with the content, it would be great to hear your thoughts, comments, and questions. If you have any, please get in touch below or contact me at richard@blogofgames.com.