Resident Evil 2

"The glorious Resident Evil series meets Nintendo....."

Most sequels do not come close to the greatness of the original game, however, there are some sequels that go above and beyond the original game and surpass it in many qualities. Resident Evil Two is one of those games.

Resident Evil Two, which made its debut on the playstation game console, was a smash hit from the moment it was released in stores. It sold copies left and right and was a very popular game, however, was this popularity warranted? In one word: yes. Resident Evil two surpasses the first Resident Evil in almost all categories, sans story, as it grabs you, brings you into a rich game which has many positive aspects, and never lets go. In Resident Evil Two, like the first game of the series, you take control of two characters, with the dubiously simple task of keeping them alive and unlocking the secrets of the evil corporation, Umbrella Incorporated. In Resident Evil Two, you take control of Leon Kennedy, a rookie police officer who has just been assigned to the Raccoon City Police force (RPD) and Claire Redfield, sister to Resident Evil One star Chris Redfield who has come to Raccoon City to search for her brother after he told her what happened to the town. During the course of the game, you must avoid the hellish creations of Umbrella's T-Virus and uncover what made the town become zombified within a month of the mission into the Arklay Mountains ( Resident Evil One ).

The gameplay of Resident Evil Two is extremely good and is very similar to the gameplay in the original Resident Evil except that it is more polished. One main reason for this goes straight back to the camera angles. In the original, the angles were not too great and sometimes put your character in danger, however, in Resident Evil Two, the camera angles are extremely good and you can almost always see if there is a bad guy and if so, have the correct angles to aim properly. Another reason why this game is very good is the sound quality, as it enhances the game effect and allows you to actually hear the enemies as they approach, and judge their distance by the sound. Another great aspect of this game is the weaponry. In Resident Evil Two, there are many different weapons to choose from, and some new weapons that make their emphatic debut in the series. Making their returns to the series were the Handgun, Combat Knife, Grenade Launcher, Shotgun, and the Magnum. Making their first appearance were the Bowgun along with various additions to the old weapons. Examples of these additions include handgun parts to add on to the handgun to make it fire three rounds per burst.

The in-game play of Resident Evil Two was wonderful. The enemies ( zombies, lickers, zombie dogs, etc. ) were very realistic and displayed the graphics mastery of the game and how the creators were able to correctly portray the horrors of the undead. Also, the gore released by the munitions shot out of weaponry was quite realistic, as it flew gracefully through the and left blood stains wherever you hit them. Limbs could also be severed ( even the lower half of the body ) corresponding correctly to true shots with weaponry. In addition to this, the in-game puzzles were spectacular, with many being of reasonable difficulty, forcing the player to think in terms beyond shooting and survival.

Now on to the actual Review ( it is based on a 1-10 scale ):

Graphics: 10/10
-The graphics in this game are excellent, making a big leap over the graphics in the first Resident Evil. The characters are much less pixilated then in the original and they appear somewhat real. Also the enemies are very gruesome, displaying the graphics genius of the people who made this game.

Sound: 10/10
- Yet another Resident Evil game with excellent sound quality. The sound in this game enhances the playing experience by adding the spooky quality of it making the player somewhat afraid to play. When you hear a zombie shuffling towards you or a crow screeching in the distance, it makes the proper Resident Evil fan afraid to go forward, as one knows the horrors that await.

Music: 10/10
- A no-frills part of Resident Evil Two, the music can only add to the experience. The music is in the B-movie style and adds to the spooky nature of the game.

Controls: 8/10
- This is another no-frills part of the game, but it could be better. Controlling the weapons is not very difficult, however there are not many options ( like the 360 degree turn in the other Resident Evil games beyond this one ) that add to the game. Essentially, nothing to complain about but it doesn't add that much either.

Gameplay: 10/10
- As I have stated throughout this guide, this is an excellent game. From the mind-boggling puzzles to the zombie killing action, you will not want to put this game down for a long period of time. It will grab you and it won't let go.

Story: 10/10
- Another excellent story by the crew at Capcom. This time around Leon and Claire become trapped in a Police Station of horror, where they must uncover the secrets of Umbrella and get out alive. You will be in awe of the story and love it as it unfolds in front of you.

Replay Value: 8/10
- This game, like the other Resident Evil games, has a replay value of 8 on my scale. You will love playing through it and love playing it again and again afterwards, but eventually the new features ( Hunk and Tofu Survivor game ) will run out and you will have nothing left. This game is fun to play over and over again, but eventually the fun will run out.

Pros/Cons: I will list the Pros and Cons of this game.

Pros:
Good solid story
Very detailed enemies with horrific zombies and monsters
Realistic characters that you will feel for
Good Weaponry
Great Music and Sound

Cons:
Controls could be better
Replay Value is lower then some games ( RPG ).


Rent or Buy: For sure buy this game, it is a wonderful game that should be in the collection of ANY Nintendo or Sony console owner. If you are uncertain, rent it first and prove me right.

Final Rating: 10/10
-This is truly an excellent game and it was rated #7 of my top 20 of all time list.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/17/00, Updated 08/17/00