Resident Evil 2

"Resident, Upheaveal!!!!!... ... ... 2!!!!"

After the thrilling experience that was Resident Evil Code: Veronica, and the fun, albeit not as exciting experience that was the original Resident Evil, I was ready to sit down, and put some hours into Resident Evil 2. Well, it is not Code: Veronica (which so far I find to be the pinnacle of the Resident Evil series), however Resident Evil 2 is a fantastic game nonetheless. Introducing two new characters, Leon S. Kennedy, and Claire Redfield (my favourite Resident Evil Character ever... and I used to watch her voice actor on television all the time here in Canada...), Resident Evil 2 is different from the first game in the series, however it is not so different that it makes it an all-out different game. Game play, will tell you more.

Game play: 9/10

While still not perfect, Resident Evil 2's game play is great, and it does not differ too much from the first Resident Evil (of the few small changes I noticed, one is that you can interchange between ammunition for the grenade launcher, instead of being stuck with a certain type before changing the ammunition, and another is that there is now a set button for checking your items and status, whereas in the first game you had to use the pause button). Aside from the aforementioned changes, the game is basically classic Resident Evil! Run around, solve puzzles, kill Bio Organic Weapons, immerse yourself in a fantastic story, and have lots of fun. The police station is similar to the mansion in Resident Evil, however it is a bit bigger, with more rooms, and more things to do. A nifty feature with Resident Evil 2 is that when you are done completing the, "A," game with a character, you will open up the, "B," game for the other character. It adds a lot more game play, and frankly, leaves for a much better story. Speaking of the story, Resident Evil 2 is a winner just like its predecessor.

Story: 10/10

It has been two months since the Arklay Mountains/Manson incident, and Leon S. Kennedy is arriving in Raccoon City for his first day on the job with Raccoon City Police Department. Coincidentally, Claire Redfield is arriving in Raccoon City from the opposite direction. She is coming to Raccoon City to meet up with her brother, as she has just finished University (or to the Americans, College), Chris Redfield, member of Raccoon City Police Department's S.T.A.R.S. team. They arrive to a city in ruins, infested and overrun with zombies. After they meet up, they head to the police station. On the way however, a truck smashes their vehicle, and separates the two. After that, the story gets good, and you will find out a lot more behind the infestation in the city. Great stuff here, as well as with the graphics.

Graphics: 9/10

While not being one of the premier Dreamcast games graphically, its still in the higher quarter. Leon and Claire look great, as well as the other characters, NPCs or otherwise. The zombies look great, even if they are not too detailed, and the other enemies look fairly good, if they too are not completely detailed. The backgrounds look sharp and crisp, even if. they too, are not especially detailed. The Lickers though, are the highlight of the graphics department, as they look incredible, especially in the FMV cut-scenes (I have to admit, everything in the FMV's look good, especially Claire), I even see a resemblance to Carnage from Spiderman (think about it, big tongue, eerily coloured body, big hideous teeth, and they make creepy noises!). The graphics are great, how about the sounds?

Sounds: 8/10

The music is a bit better in this game in comparison to Resident Evil, and Code Veronica, even though it still is not stellar. I really do not understand how this music can be considered terrifying, as it is mediocre, "scare-wise," at best. The voice acting is great, as Leon sounds like a tough-ish guy, and Claire sounds awesome. Ada's and Annete's voice actors are nothing special, and Sherry's voice actor is also great. Chief Iron's voice suits his character's look big-time. Let's just say, the voice acting is much better than the first Resident Evil, and the music has improved also. The sound that the Lickers make is one of the scariest and creepiest sounds I have ever heard... its incredible! Sadly though, the replay value, is not as incredible.

Replay ability: 7/10

This game will be played for a little while, as there are the two scenarios per character, as well as Hunk's game to play if you complete the game under certain circumstances (and if you are really ambitious, you can try for the Tofu game as well). However, other than the five hours max you will need for the four scenarios combined, there is not much to do with Resident Evil 2 (oh and I almost forgot, there's the arrange mode as well).

Buy or rent?

You should know the Resident Evil series by now and if you do not, then by all means rent it. However, it will probably be hard to find as it is a Dreamcast game, however do yourself a favour and purchase the game, it is a piece of history.

While Resident Evil 2 is not my favourite Resident Evil, it is number two in my favourites list so far! Playing as Leon is fun, as it is with Claire, plus it is a quality title, with lots to do. I did not have as much fun with this game as I did with Code: Veronica, however that is not to say that you cannot have fun with Resident Evil 2! "I ain't got no clue darling, by the time I noticed something was wrong, the entire city was infested with Zombies. But don't you worry girlie, you'll be safe in here. I'm keeping a close eye on things."

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/12/09

Game Release: Resident Evil 2 (US, 12/06/00)