Resident Evil 2

"The best version of the best game in the series!"

Resident Evil 2 (Dreamcast)

Gameplay: 10/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 9/10
Ingenuity: 9/10
Replay Value: 8/10

For those of you not familiar with the Resident Evil series (God help you), it follows the story of an evil corporation (Umbrella Corp) who manufactures a bio weapon called the T-Virus. This virus mutates people and animals and turns them into zombies and other nasty creatures. In this game, there is also another version of this weapon called the G-Virus. This is basically the same thing, except it's far nastier. This particular game follows Claire Redfield (Chris Redfield from RE's sister), and rookie cop Leon Kennedy (the star of the upcoming Resident Evil 4) as they battle their way through the zombie infested Raccoon City trying to escape and figure out what the hell is going on. For the record, that is a very simplistic and watered down version of the story. It's way more complicated than that. This particular version of Resident Evil 2 came out some time after the original Playstation version. It has pumped up graphics, sound, and some extras not found in the original, making it arguably the best version of the game.

If you've played any of the previous Resident Evil games, then you should know what to expect. It has the same basic gameplay as the first game, except with a couple new twists. The game is essentially a third person adventure, so your character is on screen at all times, and the camera follows behind them. In the game, you make your way through various locales of Raccoon City (namely the Police Station) solving puzzles, killing monsters, and trying to stay alive. You have your choice of playing as either Claire or Leon in the beginning of the game, and each has their own strengths and weaknesses (for example, Leon is stronger while Claire is faster. Leon has a lighter, Claire has a lock pick, and a few weapons are character specific.), and a slightly different story. Fighting the zombies and different monsters is a lot of the appeal to the game. As you play, you'll come across various different weapons and ammo such as the pistol (default), shotgun, grenade launcher, crossbow, and magnum among others. Besides the standard zombie, many of the enemies are very original and sometimes really scary. Infected dogs will lunge out of alleyways at you, and even infected crows will break through windows and start attacking you. Perhaps the most frightening and toughest of the non-boss enemies is the Licker. Lickers look somewhat human, except they crawl on all fours, are fast, can run up walls, and can kill you in one hit. They're called Lickers because of their huge tongues that they can use to impale you with. The scare factor of the game is definitely there. The best thing that I can compare this game to is a good slasher flick. It's not overly frightening, but I must admit that there were moments where I jumped out of my seat. Multiply the scare factor by about five if you're playing it alone, late at night in the dark. This game really takes the best of the first game, and makes it even better. Solving puzzles, and blowing the heads off zombies has never been more satisfying. There's a certain thrill that can only be found in a Resident Evil game. Maybe it's opening a door and finding two Lickers on the other side, or maybe it's the satisfaction you get when you finally shove the statues into the right place so the door opens, but whatever it is, I love it. The controls at first turned me off to the game, but once you play for about fifteen minutes, you'll get used to them and see why they're perfect for this type of game. That being said, the game might turn away people who are new to the series, or don't want to get used to the controls, but if you give it a little bit of time, you'll get a hell of a game out of it. There are things to collect and games to unlock, so there is some replay value. It's definitely worth playing through the game with Claire and Leon once apiece since their games are different enough to make it fun both times. The game got marked down in the replay value category because it doesn't include all the extras that were in the Nintendo 64 version for some reason. They would've easily fit, so I'm kind of confused as to why Capcom didn't include them.

The graphics are stunning. It's by far the best version of RE2 graphically. I'm not what you would call a graphics whore, but that's primarily why I recommend this version over the original Playstation one. Once you play the DC version, it'll be hard to go back. There are a lot less jagged polygons, and the textures are much smoother. Raccoon City is much more detailed, and all of the enemies look great. Animations are really good as well. Zombies will flinch appropriately to where you shoot them, and all the enemies run and move smoothly. Claire and Leon are good looking, and much improved over the PS version. The game sadly isn't fully 3D. The prerendered backgrounds in some areas don't take away too much from the graphics, but they just look out of place sometimes.
Sound is much improved from Resident Evil. The laughable voice acting from the first game has been revamped and isn't nearly as bad (You are the master of unlocking, anyone?). The music and the sound really create a creepy atmosphere, which makes the game much more enjoyable and scary. When you're walking in a dark, damp basement look for a key and you're low on ammo, not knowing when or where a zombie will jump out at you is ten times scarier with the right music, and Resident Evil 2 hits the nail on the head.

If you own a Dreamcast, and haven't played Resident Evil 2, go buy this game now. It's the best version of the premiere Survival Horror title, and it should be cheap. When it came out, it was only $20, so it's almost a sin to pass this up. If you already own the Playstation version, you probably won't be interested enough in this game unless you really like the Resident Evil series. If you loved playing the original Resident Evil 2, then you should get this one. There are enough improvements to warrant the purchase if you're a big Resident Evil fan. While the controls take a little bit of getting used to and not all the extras from the N64 version are present, it's still a great package, and the best version of the game. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.

Final Score (Not an average): 93%

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/23/04