Resident Evil 2
Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: January 25, 2019
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Rating: Mature
Genre: Survival Horror
Dead And Loving It
Written by Jesse Seilhan
It feels like remakes and re-releases are as inevitable as death and taxes. With every new console comes the opportunity to make money for fewer resources. Not that remakes don’t take hard work, but it depends on what level of attention, care, and detail goes into the project. While most studios are happy to throw in some high-res textures and call it a day, Capcom decided it was time to give the fans something they’ve been clamoring for: a true remake of Resident Evil 2, one of the most important and influential games of its time. While the PlayStation classic spawned a franchise (even more than its predecessor), only RE4 has come close to achieving the high-water mark set by its older sibling. Luckily, this 2019 refresh may become the definitive edition of a beloved title by improving just enough while staying true to the original.
Remakes don’t always need to be prettier copy-and-paste jobs, especially when the gaming world has evolved in so many accessibility and quality of life areas in 20 years. RE2 benefits from these advances, as annoying things baked into the original experience have been smoothed out with the power of modern consoles and game development philosophy. For instance, when a room has been completely searched and no more items are present, the room becomes greyed out in the map, giving you a quick way to determine if you need to head back there or not. The same goes for locked doors, unsolved puzzles, story-based items, and more, all of which are given clever visual cues to help you beat the game.
Narratively, the game follows the same story as before. While you get the chance to play as either Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield, their paths are extremely similar save for a few sections further into the game. The plot mostly revolves around the Raccoon City Police Department, the only “safe” place for you to be during a zombie outbreak. From there, you’ll traverse underground, into sewers and secret laboratories, before attempting to escape the city and your death. This time, the beautifully rendered cutscenes really show you how horrific your foes are, with gorgeous visuals, animations, and spooky noises. Throw in an indestructible beast chasing you through the whole game & a horde of zombie dogs and you’ve got a reason to get your ass from point A to point B.
The other point of focus for this game is how good it feels. The series has been maligned over the years for popularizing “tank controls,” a stiff and uncomfortable control scheme that plagued many games of the era. As one would expect, this remake fixes that by putting the power of movement back into your hands, with plenty of reactive controls to make you feel nearly fleet of foot while dodging undead dogs and all matters of evil incarnate. The notes, inventory, and saving systems all got improvements, from the ability to save without the need of typewriter ribbons to the fact that you can now pick up ammo and instantly reload your weapons without needing a free inventory space. It was maybe a gamble to stray so far away from what made the game feel the way it did so long ago, but by doing so, they made the game more fun and that’s what matters most of all.
Remakes are tough to pull off: go too far toward nostalgia and the newer audience may bounce right off the classic-but-frustrating gameplay. Go too modern and traditionalists will disavow the game for losing the heart and soul of what it remake-worthy in the first place. With Resident Evil 2, Capcom obviously took their time and crafted a love letter to potentially the most important entry into the survival horror series of all time. All of the original scares and feelings are present, enhanced and improved by modern trappings and controls. It’s a perfect blend of what made the PlayStation a great console in 1998 and what you love about video games in 2019. Even if you’ve never given the series a shot, this is better than most games on the market this year, remake or not, and deserves a place on your digital shelf and Games of the Year list in December.