RESIDENT EVIL 2
Capcom proves two heads are definitely better than one
Fear. Panic. Terror. And then an ever-so-brief moment of relief, before it happens all over again. That’s the cycle you’ll have to get used to when playing Resident Evil 2, and it’s nothing short of brilliant. Masterful images of all of the greatest Resi moments reflect in on themselves to create a new dazzling form that just looks so new – a new step forward for horror games. Unlike the early 2000s version of the first Resident Evil, which was mostly a shot-for-shot remake, this new version of Resident Evil 2 has been remade from the ground up in Capcom’s RE Engine. That means it’s visually stunning, from its outstanding lighting and rain effects to zombies to literally die for. There’s much that fans of the original 1998 outing will remember, but at many times you’ll find yourself so wrapped up in this terrifying house of horrors you’ll forget the core of this adventure is now over 20 years old (a fact that now makes us feel like the shambling undead have become a little too relatable). Resident Evil 2 is perhaps the definition of a modern classic.
LOCK ’EM UP
All the parts you know and love from the original game are present. You can choose to play as either Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield after they’ve travelled to Raccoon City during a zombie outbreak (courtesy of the nefarious Umbrella pharmaceutical company). Each has their own reason for coming – Leon’s anticipating his first day on the job as a police officer at the Racoon City Police Department, and Claire is looking for her missing brother, Chris (from the first game), who’s a member of the RPD STARS unit. After being separated, they both quickly make their way to the police station, from which they must escape while also discovering the origins of
the deadly G-virus that’s caused the city-wide zombie outbreak.
For some reason the station was converted from an old museum, which means it’s a twisting, turning building full of old-fashioned idiosyncrasies. Bizarre puzzles lie behind peculiar lock mechanisms, and you often find yourself juggling several areas of interest as you zig-zag your way between rooms avoiding the legions of the undead. You rarely feel like you’re completely lost, however, and enough routes from room to room open up to give you options for how best to tackle your checklist.
On the map, rooms you’ve fully explored turn a different colour from those still hiding secrets so you always know where to direct your attention, as well as noting types of locks, things you’ll want to investigate later like a crank missing a handle, and items you might not have had room to pick up on your first pass-through. Unlike the ultimately more linear (though still fab) Resident Evil VII, the different strands of investigation mean you have to do some careful inventory management while taking care not to miss anything. You absolutely need to milk your bullets and health for all they’re worth because the game takes you by surprise time and time again.
TONGUE TIED
What’s brilliant is the wonderful way the game unfolds step by step. As you make your way through, mastery of the environment is always just beyond reach. Just when you think you’ve started to get a handle on it, things change. You really get the feeling that the city is slipping further and further into chaos as time passes, and new threats are thrown at you.
Much worse than your average zombie stalks the halls. Lickers begin to infest the corridors, climbing on walls and ceilings, ready and waiting to ruin your day with their slobbery tongues – but only if they hear you. Then there’s the Tyrant, an absolutely relentless behemoth who pursues you tirelessly after you encounter him. If you’ve played the original game, you might think you know the Tyrant, but think again. As unstoppable as ever, the heavy thunk of his walk echoes from nearby rooms as he draws ever closer. Is he above you? In the next room over? You do not feel safe.
All these things throw some serious stress your way, but what’s amazing is that it’s still underscored by those regular zombies which, to be honest, are far from basic. Grim, nasty, oozing in many cases… getting jumped by one when you get sloppy is always going to cause you serious problems, no matter where you are in the game. At no point in Resident Evil 2 can you afford to get too confident, and that’s horror genius. For every inch you claw back against the nightmare, Resident Evil 2 pulls you down another two. It might be the
“YOU WILL YELP, YOU WILL SCREAM, YOU WILL SHOUT VERY LOUD RUDE WORDS.”
most delectable anxiety you ever feel. And yes, you will yelp, you will scream, you will shout very loud and very rude words at your screen as you unload all of your carefully managed inventory in a situation you probably should have avoided. Because you just can’t help it. Because that fear creeps tinglingly up your spine and gets to you.
RISE AGAIN
Leon’s and Claire’s stories and gameplay differ slightly. In addition to the first routes you play through each character has a ‘2nd Story’ scenario that follows a very different path (which are a return of the A and B routes from the original game) – essentially a step up in difficulty with some things shuffled around. On top of that, bonus challenge routes with different characters also make a return from the original. Content-wise it’s all here, and leads to a rich-feeling package. One first-route playthrough feels substantial enough: a very dense, intense seven- or eighthour experience, with much more to follow it up. You’ll probably want to run some of the same routes a few times.
Your journey eventually takes you beyond the walls of the police station, and the time away from the fantastically designed labyrinth does feel a little bit weaker. But those external areas don’t overstay their welcome either, and do provide some interesting changes of pace that are no less gruelling and involve that wonderful push-pull between mastery and fear as the rest of the game, though implemented slightly differently.
VERDICT
By the end you’ll be exhausted. Relieved. And itching for more. In those dark rooms and corridors, Resident Evil 2 provides a challenge and then some. Oscar Taylor-Kent