Resident Evil 2

"The evil returns on a much larger scale..."

After the almost instant success of Resident Evil, a sequel was all but guaranteed. Consider too that Capcom has a habit of making every game they create into a series, we would be sure to see a Resident Evil franchise. When finally a sequel was announced, no one anticipated it more than I. Resident Evil 2 had much to live up to, and exceed, if it hoped to capture the attention of gamers. Could Capcom pull it off once again?

If you've played the first Resident Evil, then you know something of the plot. When first you begin to play Resident Evil 2, it dawns on you that the story is much greater than just that of an individual character. You choose between Claire, the sister of Chris from the first game, and Leon, a rookie cop; both of whom are trapped in Raccoon City and surrounded by flesh-hungry zombies. This time around, the story differs quite a bit more between each character; Claire is searching for her brother who disappeared after the events chronicled in the first Resident Evil, while Leon is trying to uncover the mystery of what happened to Raccoon City. Better buckle up 'cause each of their stories weave together to form one hell of a suspenseful and scary ride.

Graphically, Resident Evil 2 is a step up from the last game; both the CG rendered backgrounds and the textures used on the polygon models have received a face-lift. Aside from the overall enhanced look of the game, the backgrounds now include much more variety and interaction. Instead of just hallways and rooms to explore, there are now streets littered with cars, debris, and fires that you have to carefully pick you way through. Also added to the game are a much wider variety of zombie models and textures, so now it doesn't feel like your fighting an undead army of clones. The best thing of all is despite the fact that Resident Evil 2 sports much flashier graphics, at heart it still retains the feel of the original. Finally, I feel I should mention the cinema scenes of Resident Evil 2. Gone is the video from the first game, replaced by CG cinemas that rival the best of even Square. Oh yes, they're that good.

If nothing else, the sound effects and music scores of Resident Evil 2 will scare you, or at least fill you with a uncontrollable fear of the dark. Sound effects consist of the usual bag of audio imagery; gun shots, shuffling feet, echoing footsteps, et cetra, et cetra; basically everything you'd expect to hear in a horror game. What's creepy about these audio effects is the sometimes randomness of certain, unexplained noises. You could be walking along an empty corridor and hear the ever so faint whisper of a hollow tapping. When you round the corner, the noise stops and you never hear it again. But for those few, long minutes that you are in that section where you heard the noise, you just know that something is going to leap out and attack you...and it never does. The music is use in a similar fashion; fading in and out to build drama and suspense as it is needed. This is easily some of Capcom's best audio work to date.

Resident Evil 2 retains the exact same control scheme as the first game, just a little more finely tuned. For those of you that have yet to play Resident Evil, you draw your weapon by pressing the assigned shoulder button. Aiming is accomplished by continuing to hold down the shoulder button and then pressing the action button to fire your weapon. The computer takes care of the rest, automatically tracking enemies within a certain range and ensuring that you aim is true. Movement is also done a little differently in the Resident Evil series; you turn your character by pressing left or right on the digital pad, while walking forward is accomplished by pressing up and pushing down causes you to walk backwards. What this means is no matter which direction you're facing or how many times a camera angle changes, you can always be assured your are walking forward when holding up on your controller. This may take a while to adjust to, but it is more than worth the learning curve.

The best thing about Resident Evil 2 is its design; everything about this game was conceived of with but one purpose in mind: scaring the poop out of the player and into the player's shorts. And for the most part, it does a good job of just that. Every twist and turn, every poorly lit hallway and dark alleyway, every noise, every corpse, every unexplored room will have you on the edge of your seat in anticipation and under your covers to keep the bad things out. Make no mistake, Resident Evil 2 is the Scream of video games.

If you're looking for bonuses, Resident Evil 2 has got them. Most noteworthy are the two hidden games waiting to be unlocked by the most elite of zombie-stompers. The first game has you cast in the role of an Umbrella Elite Special Forces soldier. You don't have to solve any puzzles or uncover any mysteries; all you have to do is survive. The second game is a bit more bizarre, but very similar to first one save that you are now in control of a giant block of tofu. Who says Capcom doesn't have a sense of humor?

Any way you look at it, Resident Evil 2 is superior to the original Resident Evil. It not only looks, sounds, and plays better, but the replay value is easily double due to the nature of the two characters. However, it loses a little of its shock value if you've played the first game. That being said, you won't get the full effect of Resident Evil 2 unless you've played the original game. It's a no-win situation...unless you just buy both games and be done with it. Whatever you decide to do, it looks as if Resident Evil is shaping up to be one helluva great series.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/17/09

Game Release: Resident Evil 2 (US, 01/21/98)