The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Brilliant homage to one of the scariest games ever
THE Resident Evil series - Resident Evil 2, specifically - is so revered that any half-decent modern remake would most likely have accumulated a great deal of money for Capcom.
Which makes it all the more surprising and endearing that the venerable development studio have created perhaps the most impressive reimagining of a video game ever.
Resident Evil 2 does indeed stay loyal to its original incarnation, but in gameplay and story alone. Everything else gets a total makeover.
The movement and camera feels so much more fluid. The sound is lush and of incredible fidelity. What takes center stage, however, is the graphics.
Capcom have rebuilt this game from the ground up in a new engine and it shows.
If you thought the first Resident Evil 2 was scary then nothing will prepare you for this nightmarish second coming.
This isn’t the ghost of an old game dolled up and shoved out to the masses, this is an extreme labour of love that deservedly brings one of gaming’s all-time masterpieces to the modern era.
One odd complaint that Resident Evil 2 does lend some validity to is just how much level design has evolved throughout the years.
Resident Evil 2’s graphical improvements actually expose the somewhat hammy puzzles and the almost amateurish design of the cramped areas of Raccoon City.
It feels somewhat strange walking around an environment so terrifyingly beautiful that it rivals modern gaming’s big-hitters, while simultaneously being so painfully rooted in a style of map design over two decades old.
Nonetheless, everything from the original is there with a handful of minor new additions.
Though memories fray and deteriorate with the passing of time, who could forget the stonefaced super-zombie who’s thunderous footsteps and purposeful gate would strike fear into the heart of the boldest player?
The constant dread that death will be just around the next corner, and you may not have enough bullets to challenge it?
Resident Evil 2 is a brilliant homage to one of the scariest games ever made.
A must-have for people born around a certain time - or any true interactive horror fan.