Hello everyone! Today I’m going to be talking about RE2 remastered. I’ve played a fair amount of the Resident Evil series but haven’t touched much of the older games, I played 3 a small amount but that’s it. Please note I’m reviewing the PC version exclusively~

This is a survival horror game with emphasis on both the survival and horror part because let me tell ya’ I had to restart my first hardcore run this game provides a nice challenge and requires careful attention to your environment while also savoring the quiet moments and planning your route when entering dangerous areas. With that being said, let’s chop up the different aspects of the game. (Spoilers Ahead)

Story/Presentation

I won’t get deep into the lore of Resident Evil, but the main thing you need to know is that an outbreak of zombies has happened in Raccoon City and it’s up to two characters, Leon and Claire, to survive and find out how this is happening. This is also the first game you see these two characters appear as the main characters, and who will also appear in later games down the road.

Finding extra tidbits of plot information is pretty easy considering you’re already looking for extra ammo and items to continue the game anyway, but the cut-scenes nonetheless are still wonderfully done and the voice acting is what you’d expect from a major title from Capcom.

You will also find certain enemies, apart from the regular zambos, that you wish to not ever show up again… but do anyway. That’s ok though because this really made me appreciate and learn about them so to be better prepared in dealing with them. Sometimes they may act strangely, which will result in a few deaths, but eventually you will know them like the back of your hand… if you still have it.

There are also some interesting collectible items to find such as the small raccoon bobble heads and a certain photograph from the original game that a lot of fans seem to really enjoy 😉

Even after beating the game, there are extra modes to play such as the scenario B story for Leon and Claire which pretty much involves both characters switching spots and you play from that perspective, for example when you come to the gate outside the police station where Leon and Claire meet early in the game, instead of being the character in the police station, you would be on the outside of the gate in the other scenario and so on.

If you enjoy doing time attack/high score runs there are also short missions where you play as other characters that show up in the story and try to clear the missions as quickly as possible.

Gameplay

So in comparison to the original game, this game is viewed from over the shoulder compared to fixed angles. This reminds me of playing Resident Evil games like 4 and 5 and I really like the third person approach because you can’t see everything around you which helps set the game for a lot of nasty surprises for your first time playing.

There is also a nice selection of weapons in the game including the standard handguns, grenades, magnums, a rocket launcher and even a taser shotgun. You can even find upgrades for certain weapons if you can figure out some interesting puzzles. As I said earlier though, this is a SURVIVAL game and not an action game, so conserve your ammo and use it only if you need to. Also, don’t look up the FPS knife glitch

Let’s also not forget the camera being a bit slow when moving around the character creating a fear of not being able to react fast enough and having to allow the game to scare you. Some may complain it prevents being responsive in certain situations, but it can really set the horror tone from that feeling of helplessness, not to mention you are playing as characters that aren’t exactly super heroes.

The game emphasizes the characters at a developmental stage. For example, You play as Leon S. Kennedy, who just became a police officer, and it feels like you are as experienced as a fresh cop. Claire Redfield is just a college student who only knows a few tricks from her brother Chris Redfield, who is actually a badass STARS officer, but never shows up because he’s on vacation in Europe, probably scoring chicks or something. My point is; the game is not intended to be about you killing massive amounts of zambos, unless you like easy mode -cough- , but to simply SURVIVE the HORROR and make it to the next level.

Audio Quality/Music

Where do I even start with the masterpiece that is the sound of this game? Even after playing for maybe 15-20 minutes I could feel the tension in the air and my nerves rising as I walk down each dark hallway or narrow passage attempting to avoid or kill whatever infected scum attacks me. The sound effects whenever something surprises you is enough to make you jump and lose focus on the game.

It may cost a little more than the base game, but I HIGHLY recommend buying the original soundtrack with the game and trying it out vs. the remastered soundtrack. The remastered does provide the modern ambience of a horror setting, but the original is even better in my opinion and really immerses you in the feeling that you are alone in this dark scary game and just want to make it out alive and somehow sounds from 1998 still fit well in a game 20 years later. Some of my favorite tracks include The Basement of Police Station and The Library from the original soundtrack.

I will say however, that if you do not like jump scares, I’d recommend turning down the sound effect/background music volume as some of the scare sounds may blow up your headphones/speakers.

Graphics

This game utilizes the new engine developed by Capcom that was started when Resident Evil 7 was released and I have to say, this game looks freaking gorgeous. Maxing out settings on PC can take almost 8gb of memory, but you don’t need a top of the line PC to run this game. Thankfully the game still looks great on medium settings and runs very smooth with hardly any graphical hiccups. Some textures however can look strange like they’re melting or the shadows can cause odd reflections.

On top of this, the gore and zombies are pretty brutal looking and if you are weak in the stomach this game can make you a bit queasy. One area in particular is the sewers where a certain enemy reminds me of extremely raw, bacteria infested, mystery meat that will make you lunch if you aren’t careful 😉

Final Thoughts

While this is a remake of a game that came out more than 20 years ago, there is plenty of content that is done superbly that will have you on the edge and coming back for more with each time you play the story or other missions. I’ve put in about 30 hours so far in this game and have yet to fully explore the scenario B stories or try out the extra missions so there is enough to get your money’s worth. Not to mention there are certain items that can only be unlocked after completing the game on higher difficulties with limited saves for those wanting a real challenge.

If you’re wanting to start getting into the Resident Evil series or are looking for the perfect game that will make you pee your pants; this is it chief.

As always,

Brother Ghesh out~