Resident Evil 2 Remake Review

By Justin Hopkins

I remember playing this game way back on the PlayStation when I was a kid. One of the most challenging and frustratingly fun games I ever played. Only ever made it to the boss battle once and didn’t have enough ammo to leave a dent and was laughably beaten silly. So when I heard this was in the pipe line, was so excited for it’s release and Capcom delivered big time.

My excitement started with the main screen, due to the fact that this one has my two favorite Resident Evil Protagonists in Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield. Each may be dropped in the same place but storylines are drastically different.

Leon gives you more of an action flare. Working with Ada Wong to steal the G Virus from the Nest and bring the truth to light, or so he thinks. Claire gives you a bit more of an dramatic story with her desperately trying to rescue Sherry. Leading her through the depths of the sewer and down into the depths of the lab to cure Sherry of the G-Virus. Looking like the hoss she is when she stepped onto the platform with stage three G-Monster. Knowing who to pick first does matter in the aspect your personal gamer goals change with each play through. I choose the fiery redhead Claire and things got rolling quickly and things were quite different then what I remembered from back in the day.

That’s what makes Side A so special for me. They keep all monsters the same but shifted their appearance in the Police Station. Making the potential to use your memory and little more difficult and preserve the sense of terror as you wait for their pending arrival.

Once you knock off the first playthrough you are presented a few choices. When I beat Claire’s A story you can venture into Leon’s B story or do his A to unlock Claire’s B story ( what I did) and the B story is the game from my childhood and you see the changes they made in A. You encounter the Licker almost right off the bat and venturing down the second floor a bit to early could result in unleashing the Tyrant way earlier then you are going to want to happen.

This game is so much about strategy as it is the horror and terror. It forces you to have to think about everything you do at all times. Makes you think about where you are what you need to be carrying at that moment. Asking questions such as should you waste ammo to take out a few zombies or leave them to be a problem for later? Which hallways are the Lickers free roaming around? Where is the Tyrant? Mr. X is probably my favorite monster to absolutely hate in this game. He removes every bit of safety and forces you to move it along and I love it so much. Despite how many times he has either killed me or lead me to a pack of zombies or Lickers.

Even when you do beat Side A and B stories. This game provides so much more to keep you going. A slew of records and rewards to keep you going. Can you beat the game under 4 hours and less then 3 saves? Did you beat them on Hardcore? Do the electric panel in 7 moves with Claire? Don’t use your gun with Ada. Escape the bedroom in less then a minute with Sherry. Prizes can range from artwork, models, or unlimited pistol bullets and unbreakable knife, but even better, two extra game modes are unlocked.

Alright I was close to not being able to talk about this level due to me struggling bad, but beating 4th Survivor may have been as the full game. Playing as Umbrella Agent Hunk, all you have to do is escape. Go from the sewer to the front gate. Except you have limited supplies, no saving and you encounter every enemy in your made dash to the gate. It’s thrilling, exciting and heartbreaking all at the same time, and if that’s too easy. The next more Tofu Survivor is you playing the same scenario with even less and as a block of literally Tofu as the ultimate call back to the original game.

This game was simply spectacular and everything I was looking forward to in my return to Racoon City and Resident Evil 2. They took great care to not mess with the story in negative ways, and added parts in side A to added to the story. Such as giving Police Officer Marvin Branagh a minor talking role to give some heart and make his death matter. The character models were beautifully done and things were so realistic. Dark and gritty and not to over the top. The details on the Lickers were specifically well done and every small detail was immaculate. The sound effects were top notch and lighting added was breathtaking at times. Pick up this game and check it out for yourself, and if you already have, comment your times down at the bottom. Beat the game in 2 hours and 54 minutes and 4th Survivor in 11 minutes and 20 seconds.

Thanks for reading