Resident Evil 2

"A worthy addition to the Gamecube?"

Yes, I know, the first thing in your mind when you think of the Gamecube version of Resident Evil 2 is the graphics. Well, they weren't remade, the characters look like blocky clay, and the particle/smoke/blood effects look like they are comprised of large primary-colored blocks. Only the resolution was kicked up a little. However, this isn't to say that the game is spoiled in any way, because it is not. You just need to keep in mind that this game is five years old, and five years ago the game looked good. And let's face it, kids, real gamers don't ignore games just because of graphics.

Now that that's out of the way, onto the basics.

Storyline: Typical Resident Evil story. Zombies, thanks to that sneaky Umbrella corporation, are wrecking havoc in Raccoon City. The mansion incident up in the mountains that happened in Resident Evil (one) had occurred only very recently. You have a choice of two characters, Leon S. Kennedy, a cop on his first day on the job, or Claire Redfield, a S.T.A.R.S. member searching for her brother (Chris). The game takes place in Raccoon's police station and various facilities underground. Resident Evil 2 utilizes a cool storyline set-up: To get one story, play as Leon first, then Claire second; or, you can play as Claire first and Leon next, to see the story from another angle. This way you can see what's happening with the other character while you were busy with something else. Therefore, playing the game four times (if you're actually up for it) explains basically everything that happened. The story throughout the game is interesting, and a lot of things happen that you may not expect. There is a reason Resident Evil 2 is hailed as possibly the best in series on account of its story.

Audio: There is only music in certain parts, as you already know if you've played other games in this series, such as in places where you save, when zombies come crashing in, in creepy places, et cetera. Otherwise, you'll hear footsteps of approaching enemies, the clicks of Lickers, snarls, groans, and so forth. Zombie moans sound convincing enough. Voice acting is well, characteristic of the Resident Evil series, a little corny and strained at times. Okay, so it's flat out funny sometimes. On the other hand, enemy sounds aren't bad, and you'll be scared when things suddenly crash out of the ceiling or window.

Graphics: See first paragraph.

Gameplay: Yes, I'm afraid, the tank controls are used. However, I don't feel they are difficult, they just take some getting used to for new players. After a while you shouldn't even think about them. Remember, if the controls were simple, the game itself would be too easy. The save system is the usual- ink ribbon, typewriter and if you die, hope you saved recently. The difficulty of the game varies from easy to hard, as usual. Hard, is, um, hard because it means hard enemies, little ammunition, and scarce healing things. The game does have replay value, as I alluded to in my section on the storyline. You will encounter pretty tough bosses in the game, and you'll need to acquire skill to conserve ammunition; for example, learning to knock down enemies with a few bullets and then stab them while on the ground with the knife. You can unlock a special ''Extreme Battle'' mode. It's a series of missions that coincidentally involve battling hordes of zombies, which gives you the chance to get new characters in that mode. And on a completely unrelated note, it's funny when a zombie's arm gushing blood falls off and is stuck on your character. Um, yeah. Next section.

The Price: Is it worth it?
Forty dollars. Ah, the audible sigh and the rolling eyes ensue. I admit, forty dollars is steep for a five-year-old port. I suggest renting it, and if you like it, buy it used. On the other hand, if you really want to have the Resident Evil series complete on your Gamecube, then you may as well buy it new. It isn't a bad game and it is not disappointing in any way, so don't count it as a loss.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/10/03, Updated 07/10/03