Resident Evil 2

"One of the scariest games you'll ever play"

It's about time that N64 owners got the chance to experience one of the greatest horror games ever made-Resident Evil 2. Nintendo's 64-bit library has been somewhat estranged to the horror genre for whatever reason and finally Capcom has decided to pick up the slack.

Graphics 9/10: Definitely some of the best graphics on N64. The pre-rendered backgrounds look great, and do a good job of creating the dark, scary atmosphere of Racoon City. Also, Capcom somehow managed to include all of the FMV sequences that were present in the other versions of RE2(which is a major accomplishment in itself). But despite the fact that everything looks considerably better than the Playstation version(with the expansion pack) , there are some problems. I acknowledge that putting the FMVs in this game was essential in order to keep the game close to it's original form and to immerse the player in different events(thanks again Capcom, for including them)...........but at times, the video is so grainy that it makes it hard to concentrate on what is happening. The characters can sometimes stand out from the backgrounds a teeny bit too much during gameplay as well. Nevertheless, these are simply minor glitches that will in no way detract from the overall horrific experience.

Sound 8/10: Eerie music accompanies your every move throughout the entire adventure. It never gets annoying, and goes perfectly with each frightening development in the story. On the other hand; the voice acting only barely manages to stay above B-movie quality and could be a bit clearer. I must admit though, it is better than what I heard in Blue Stinger. Good weapon effects and painfully realistic zombie moans/grunts complete the package.

Control 7/10: The typical Resident Evil control scheme accompanies this game, just like it's Playstation counterpart. This is a good, and a bad thing. Veterans of the series will be immediately be at home, but those who are new to the series will have some trouble adjusting. I mean, when I played the Resident Evil series for the first time I admit to going "WTF?" at the controls. After a while though, most will find that they are easy enough.

Gameplay 10/10: You will come back to this one again and again. It seems like there is something for everyone here--action, shooting, blood, suspense, RPG elements, and a great story. There are 4 very different scenarios(2 for each character) plus all the secrets of the PSX version, and a randomizer is also available which extends the replay value even more. To those who are looking to be scared, look no further. Believe me, I was startled out of my chair by this game too many times to count. Blasting away at the living dead just doesn't get much better than this.

Final Thought: Gamers that own the Playstation version will find nothing new in this title and should probably stay away. But N64 owners who are looking for something different to spice up their console should definitely buy RE2.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/08/00, Updated 01/08/00