Resident Evil 2 (PC, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast & GameCube)

Resident Evil 2

Developer(s) – Capcom

Publisher(s) – Capcom

Director(s) – Hideki Kamiya

Producer(s) – Shinji Mikami

PEGI – 18

Released in 1998 generating more revenue than most Hollywood movies at the time, Resident Evil 2 is a continuation of the story of the original with new characters, and a new setting. And new dangers to overcome besides the zombies littering the mansion on the borders of Raccoon City. For various reasons, I found the second game, whilst suffering from a few of the same problems as the first, to be a decisive improvement on its predecessor in a number of respects. 

Graphics – 9/10

The most notable improvement of which, in my opinion, is in terms of its visual quality. With the player no longer being confined to a single mansion on the outskirts of Raccoon City. But rather in the heart of Raccoon City itself. Locations range from the ruins of Raccoon City streets to the Raccoon Police Department to research facilities and it was a welcome change of scenery at the time that made the franchise a lot more diverse. The quality of the zombie sprites was also a lot more varied than in the original game with different outfits for zombies, zombie policemen, and even female zombies too. There were visible improvements in both the technical and conceptual aspects of the game, which were pleasant to see. 

Gameplay – 8/10

In terms of gameplay, it plays out pretty much like an extension of the first game with a couple of added mechanics thrown in for good measure. Like in the first game, there are two scenarios to play through with two different characters. So it almost felt like two different games at the time. Especially as it came on two discs.  It also presents more of a challenge in the respect that it has new kinds of puzzles and new enemies to fight that require different strategies to take down. As well as a greater number of boss fights, which would later become a staple of the series. 

Controls – 7/10

The game’s control scheme, as such, is also the same as it was in the first game, and therefore, it suffers from very much the same issues as it did in the first game. With movement feels very stiff and clunky. Seemingly needlessly when compared to other games on the system. There had been some minor adjustments made. But enough for the game to deviate further from the problems that came with the first game. The whole formula would go on to be improved with games like Onimusha. But overall, it didn’t make the game unplayable. 

Lifespan – 7/10

The game can be made to last the same amount of time as the first game. 15 hours give or take. That’s to play through both scenarios on both discs. There are a few more side quests in comparison to the original game. But overall, it lasts as long as Resident Evil. As a fan of the Onimusha series, I can’t help but think what the game would’ve been like if Capcom had implemented the same kind of ideas they had with Onimusha 2 in comparison with the original Onimush. How even more varied gameplay would’ve been and what different kinds of events could have been made to happen as a result. 

Storyline – 7/10

The story takes place around 2 months after the events of the original Resident Evil. It follows the journeys of Leon Kennedy. A STARS officer on his day with the department. And Claire Redfield, the brother of the previous game’s main protagonist Chris Redfield. She has come to Raccoon City to try and track him down. The two soon become embroiled in a zombie outbreak across Raccoon City and they set out on a journey to discover the source of the outbreak.

The quality of the story is much better than in the original game. With a better script and even better voice acting to a certain extent. It still comes across as somewhat corny and cliche at times, but it was certainly an improvement in the quality of writing that the first game had to offer. I’ve yet to come across many bigger memes in gaming than the whole Jill Sandwich thing; thankfully there’s nothing quite as laughable in this game as that. 

Originality – 7/10

A common problem I encounter with survival horror sequels is that when the same threat is included as in the original game, it seems far less scary when the player knows what they’re up against. But in Resident Evil 2, there is a new threat added to keep things diverse, which has become another staple within the series. The second game introduces players to the Lickers and other eldritch abominations that spawn from the new G-virus that acts as the main threat of the game, which at the time did relatively well to keep things fresh in comparison to the first game. The zombies didn’t seem as scary anymore, even at the time, but encountering a Licker for the first time most definitely instilled fear in me back in the day. 

Happii

Overall, Resident Evil 2 made some very definitive improvements over the original game in almost every respect. I recommend it far more than I do than the first game as even taking the recent remaster into account, the original experience still holds up to this day. 

Score

46/60

7.5/10 (Good)

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