Those who grew up in the 90’s will most certainly remember Capcom’s classic horror title Resident Evil 2, which made its debut on the original PlayStation. It stars the young and ambitious Leon S. Kennedy as well as Claire Redfield, the younger sister of Chris Redfield (protagonist of the first game). The two embark on an eerie adventure as the civilians of Raccoon City have succumbed to a deadly virus that turns them all into bloodthirsty zombies, making our main characters look for a way out and escape before it’s too late.

Horror titles have since been on the decline, but as of late is starting to see a resurgence with games like Resident Evil 7, being the more game-changing title to help breathe life back into the genre. Realizing the benefits of utilizing the new game engine that was used in RE7, Capcom implemented it into Resident Evil 2 to give it a brand new look, feel, and experience. But the question is, does the series still maintain its luster and creep factor? Keep reading to learn more!

There’s much to expect from Resident Evil 2 since as we mentioned earlier, the title has been remade from the ground up to provide players with a brand new experience. While the story and environment still largely reflect that of the PlayStation original, visually and overall performance-wise the game delivers on all fronts, helping to cement itself as a true horror experience. New gameplay and story elements have been thrown in to reflect that of the present time, which is a huge plus for the game, since character movement feels much more fluid and the environments in which you run in are easier to traverse around, thanks to the much improved map system.

Those who purchased the Deluxe Edition will be happy to know that a plethora of content is added in the game directly affecting the gameplay, but also adding other bonuses like concept art or special costumes that you can don while playing. One of those pretty cool exclusive features is the Noir mode, that lets you don a more 1950’s style detective outfit while you experience the game in black and white.

Resident Evil 2 looks stunning, and that we simply can’t stress enough. Using the recent RE engine from Resident Evil 7 really helped to breathe new life into a title that came out more than 20 years ago, providing a more attractive and realistic appeal. Facial features and character animations have been revamped entirely and it honestly looks as if you’re watching a movie, especially during cutscenes where characters interact more freely.

The lip syncing was spot on and once again added more realism to the experience, showing us how much dedication the Capcom team put into this game to make it look so gorgeous. Blood and gore look more grotesque which once again merit the game, giving it more authenticity in the horror department. Attention to detail is beyond incredible in Resident Evil 2 especially during moments where let’s say Leon is in the rain, as his clothes get wet along with his hair, and will stay wet even when you go back inside. After some time your clothes will dry off, but that once again just emphasizes how much time and energy was put into the game to ensure fans get the most realistic experience possible.

Resident Evil 2 just wouldn’t be the game that it is without there being the horrific sound effects and zombie screams. Capcom most definitely delivered ten fold in this area because every location you walk through truly gives you the creeps, especially when things go very quiet and the only thing you can hear are your own footsteps. The feeling of not knowing what will pop up from around the corner really puts you on the edge of your seat, and in Resident Evil 2 that’s generally where you’ll be seated most of the time.

Zombie groans are still terrifying, but what really shook us the most were the lickers, because compared to the original where their animations were very stiff and robotic, these things moved like lightning and just freaked the heck out of you. Their hellish and blood curdling scream bring shivers down your spine, and let us not get started on our little Tyrant friend. This towering figure is beyond scary since anytime he’s in your presence your whole body just tightens up, and you know the end is near. His footsteps alone add more intensity to the gameplay, which once again prove that Capcom’s mastery of sound is unmatched.

Resident Evil 2 performs exceptionally well and we never experienced any significant hiccups while playing. Framerate was consistent all throughout, and controls felt fluid enough that we didn’t get frustrated traversing around the environment. One of the grips of the RE series, most notably the Resident Evil 2 original, was that the controls felt too stiff and really prevented players from moving around freely. This often resulted in unnecessary deaths or just being put into uncomfortable situations, just because the game at the time just wouldn’t allow for fluidity.

Fortunately, for the remake all of that has been improved dramatically, with both Leon and Claire having the luxury of being able to run around without much issues. We reviewed the Deluxe Edition of the game and as we mentioned before, it comes with a variety of perks that not only affect gameplay but also provide bonus content in terms of concept art, etc. In the gameplay department, you’re immediately gifted with Albert Wesker’s favorite gun, the ‘Samurai Edge’, a powerful Beretta 92F custom that simply eclipses that of the Matilda, the starting pistol you receive in the game. This helped out tremendously in the later parts of the game because it made dealing with zombies a lot easier, even on Hardcore mode. A few shots to the legs and zombies would be downed compared to the Matilda, which would require a little more to get the same reward.

The map system is perhaps the most defining new feature of Resident Evil 2, because now when you traverse around the environment, the map will provide you with a reminder of which rooms you’ve already searched/completed so that way you’re not repeatedly going to the same room expecting something different. Blue indicates that the room is completely searched, while red means there are still things in the room that require you to look around and discover clues, or even items. Another great point about the map system is that it will also highlight items that you’ve discovered in the room but perhaps forgot to pick up. There have been times where we’d encounter an item, realize we forgot to pick it up or that our inventory was full, but know that once we had enough room we could go back to grab it later. Not only did this new addition make traversing less stressful but it really helped to speed things up and avoid constant running back and forth for no reason.

Hardcore mode, when compared to that of Standard mode, didn’t really seem that much different aside from zombies dealing more damage, no auto-saves, and the game requiring you to find ink ribbons to save. Perhaps what we mean to say is that if you plan and strategize your approach in Hardcore mode, ensuring to only use ammo when truly appropriate, the game will feel more rewarding and less taxing. If you play the game right then the game will make sure to provide you with a more compelling experience, compared to simply just shooting everything and acting hastily.

Resident Evil 2 is most definitely worth the buy, and despite how short it felt it still delivered magnificently in all areas. From the newly added story portions to giving players the chance to second run each character from a different perspective, Resident Evil 2 has enough content to keep you coming back to shoot more zombies. We admit that it wasn’t as overwhelming as Resident Evil 7 in terms of its freakish ambience, perhaps because it wasn’t in VR and RE7’s VR mode is arguably the scariest experience we’ve ever had playing a video game. Be that as it may, the game still gave us some jump scare moments which only drove us slightly closer to insanity, and provided an exciting experience from start to finish. Truly a refreshing experience for RE fans!

We hope you found our review to be an excited read, and that it gave you enough information to make your purchase that much easier. Be sure to show us your love and leave a comment below, along with an icon “like” if it made your way. Be sure to hit us up and follow us as well on Twitter to stay up to date on all gaming news and hit us up on Twitch to watch us live!

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