Resident Evil 2

"The transfer to the GCN, for better or worse?"

I played Resident Evil 2 before on a previous system, and loved the new sequel for the Gamecube. It was amazing, the storyline and gameplay was horrifying. I was fascinated by the game, even though the graphics remained the same. Resident Evil 2, did however provide everything a Resident Evil gamer could ask for, except one main thing. Below are my detailed ratings, with the main thing I found disappointing.

GAMEPLAY: 9
The same controls as before are back, which is great for the Resident Evil gamer. This way you won't get confused with new controls and features, you'll know what to do. The fighting is simple, yet terrifying. The licker battles in particular provide a scare factor. Puzzles are actually pretty challenging if you've never played the game before. Fixed camera angles are back, and this is the best part. There is nothing like running around a corner to find a licker waiting for you. The whole game seems in order.

CONTROLS: 9
Of course, it's got the same controls as a regular Resident Evil game. The controls have been transferred from the previous game and adapted easily to the Gamecube controller. No big problem here.

GRAPHICS: 6
Here's where I got disappointed, the graphics weren't re-done like in the first remake. This was disappointing. Just transferring the game to the Gamecube with no real graphic updates is terrible. The game didn't need new parts in it, just a nice graphics update would've done me proud and greatly increase the scare factor of the game itself. Major disappointment there.

SOUND: 9
The music of this game makes it really scary and frightening. The moaning of the zombies is really badly done, but the lickers make up for that with their awesome screeches. Music is good, lickers sound cool, guns sound like guns, no big problem here.

OVERALL: 7
Though the game itself is great and I love the game so much, it really could've done better. The graphics really needed and update. If that had been updated, then my rating would've been around a 9 or 10. Everything else in the game is well-done, but I did not really like the graphics. Should you buy the game? I would say yes if you are a Resident Evil gamer and survival horror fan. Otherwise this game is not worth the buy. Rent it first. However, all Resident Evil gamers must buy this game, it's worth the play and storyline, even if the graphics make you as sad as a zombie.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/05/03, Updated 02/05/03