Resident Evil 2

A re-release of the classic action horror game Resident Evil 2 (1998) , featuring a third-person perspective. The sequel takes place two months after the ending of Resident Evil HD Remaster.

A disaster strikes the small American town of Raccoon City. All its residents have turned into zombies under the influence of biological weapons created by the pharmaceutical company Umbrella. The main characters, Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, must find a way out of this zombie nightmare.

This is not a simple re-release, but an original game significantly upgraded with new mechanics, content, and quests, as well as modernized graphics. At the same time, it carefully preserves the levels, key moments, and style of the original. Capcom avoids calling it a remake, considering it a fully-fledged new entry in the famous series that brings the concept of the original Resident Evil 2 (1998) up to modern standards.

800 people worked on the project, using the RE Engine, which had proven itself in Resident Evil 7 Biohazard. Much of the content was created from scratch, while the rest was significantly improved. The game levels have undergone major changes and can surprise even series veterans. The developers also added many new puzzles, locations, and secrets.

Unlike modern games, Resident Evil 2 does not take place in an open world. Instead, players can explore several main locations, carefully crafted and connected by short side areas.

Each main location is tied to certain events and is filled with enemies, useful items, and equipment. The artists build an atmosphere of despair and fear through total darkness, eerie sounds, the frequent sight of blood, bodies and body parts, and very limited space.

Because of the narrow corridors, rooms blocked by various furniture, and the cramped conditions in general, firearms lose their effectiveness, allowing zombies to easily reach the player. They are the main enemies, but players are occasionally harassed by various creatures mutated by the T- and G-viruses.

Resident Evil 2 has one storyline told through two protagonists—Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield—each with their own story arc, though some events overlap. To complete the game, you need to play as both Leon and Claire.

Each character also has unique ways to progress, and some puzzles can only be solved by one of the characters. Enemies not killed during the first playthrough may appear during the second. Leon and Claire also use different weapons.

However, this pair are far from the only survivors in Raccoon City. As the game progresses, the player will encounter a number of important characters. There are no dialogue scenes as such—the characters simply talk to each other in cutscenes rendered in the game engine.

As for the story, the re-release expands it with new dialogue and additional information, but its structure remains unchanged. Leon and Claire want to leave the city at any cost, but a girl named Sherry crosses their path, pursued by a zombie mutant. Now their only way out is to fight their way through Umbrella Corporation’s secret underground facility.

If you’ve never played Resident Evil 2, expect an exciting action game packed with spectacular cutscenes and free of annoying QTEs. It features secret corporations and their dirty dealings, personal drama between characters with different goals, and a constant threat to their lives.

The gameplay changes are substantial. The developers clearly took note of the success of Dead Space (2008) and Dark Souls. From the former, the game borrows its unusual controls, which, combined with the characters’ lack of experience, turns aiming and firefights into a mini-game.

The new Resident Evil is more challenging. For half the game, you’ll have to survive by jumping at every shadow and frantically collecting useful items. For example, regular zombies can take several shots to the head from a pistol. Even after being “killed,” they get back up after a while and start looking for the main character again.

The combat system is more modern. For example, shooting is similar to Resident Evil 4 (2005) and its sequels, but the game also adds the limb-dismemberment mechanic from the seventh installment. A well-aimed shot can slow down a zombie, and even change its appearance.

The zombies remain classic: they are slow and don’t have the unusual mutations of enemies from Resident Evil 6. But the main characters are no terminators either—two bites are enough to kill a character.

Another interesting new feature is barricades. For example, there are many broken windows on the first floor of the police station, and zombies keep climbing through them. You can stop them by boarding up all the problem spots.

Weapons in Resident Evil 2 can be upgraded with stocks, larger magazines, and other attachments. However, each character can carry no more than four types of weapons, which helps maintain balance. Besides, the inventory is so small that you couldn’t carry much more anyway.