Resident Evil 2 Remake Review – Easily The Best Resident Evil Remake So Far

There are not too many games where I will tell you in the opening paragraph to stop reading and go buy this now, but that is exactly the game that Resident Evil 2 is. I’ve always held the original Resident Evil 2 on the PlayStation as my most favorite game ever in both the series and for the system, now the remake does the same over a decade later.

Game Name: Resident Evil 2
Platform(s): Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), Xbox One
Publisher(s): Capcom
Developer(s): Capcom R&D Division 1
Release Date: January 25, 2019 (Worldwide)
Price: $59.99 (Gamestop US) / $99.98 (EB Games Australia)
Genre: Survival Horror

Two months after the events of the first Resident Evil, most citizens of the Midwestern American mountain community, Raccoon City, have been transformed into zombies by the T-virus, a biological weapon secretly developed by the pharmaceutical company Umbrella. Leon S. Kennedy, a police officer on his first day of duty, and Claire Redfield, a college student searching for her brother Chris, make their way to the Raccoon Police Department. There, they discover that most of the police force has been killed and that Chris has left town to investigate Umbrella’s headquarters in Europe.

Leon and Claire split up to search for survivors and find a way out of the city. While looking for an escape route, Claire meets a young girl named Sherry Birkin, who is on the run from an unknown creature, while Leon encounters Ada Wong, who claims to be an FBI agent investigating the G-virus.

 

Raccoon City police chief Brian Irons had been bribed by Umbrella to hide evidence of the company’s experiments around the city, including their development of the powerful G-virus, an agent capable of mutating humans into ultimate bioweapons. During his escape attempts, Leon encounters a Tyrant monster air-dropped into the Raccoon Police Department by Umbrella to retrieve the G-virus. Meanwhile, Irons tries to murder Claire but is ultimately killed by a G-virus mutant in the police department. Afterward, Claire and Sherry escape through the sewers, though they become separated. Following a brief separation from Leon, Ada encounters Sherry and retrieves a golden pendant the girl drops as she flees. Later, deeper in the sewers, Ada reluctantly teams up with Leon after he insists on his duty to protect her.

They soon cross paths with a middle-aged woman who fires at Ada, but Leon dives in the way and takes a bullet for her. While Leon is unconscious, Ada pursues the woman, who reveals herself as Annette Birkin, Sherry’s mother and the wife of William Birkin, the Umbrella scientist who created the G-virus. William, unwilling to surrender his research to Umbrella agents, injected himself with the virus, transforming him into the grotesque creature known as “G” and setting him on a relentless hunt for Sherry. Annette notices Sherry’s pendant on Ada and tries to retrieve it, leading to a fight where Annette is thrown over a railing. Discovering that the locket contains a G-virus sample, Ada later returns to Leon and tends to his wounds, stirred by her emotions.

Claire is soon reunited with Sherry, only to discover that “G” has implanted an embryo within Sherry to propagate his offspring. Leon, Ada, Claire, and Sherry proceed through an abandoned factory connected to Umbrella’s underground research lab. During an attack by “G,” Ada is severely injured, prompting Leon to search the laboratory for supplies to help her. There, he confronts a deranged Annette, who reveals that Ada’s relationship with John was a ruse to obtain information about Umbrella—Ada is actually a spy sent to steal the G-virus for another organization. Just as Annette is about to shoot Leon, the Tyrant appears, forcing her to retreat. Ada, reappearing to aid Leon, confronts the Tyrant and ultimately defeats it by sending it into molten metal but seemingly at the cost of her own life. She confesses her love to Leon before he departs, leaving her motionless body behind.

Meanwhile, Annette, attempting to escape with another G-virus sample, is mortally wounded by her mutated husband. Before her death, she informs Claire how to make a vaccine to halt Sherry’s mutation. Claire then prepares the cure, and she and Leon inject Sherry, saving her life. They reunite on an escape train, where Leon also manages to dispose of the now-mutated Tyrant with the aid of a mysterious woman in the shadows, escaping with the G-virus sample in the pendant. “G,” now a monstrous fusion of flesh and teeth, pursues them but is finally destroyed when the train self-destructs. Leon, Claire, and Sherry escape the city, resolved to bring down Umbrella. HUNK, one of Umbrella’s special agents, completes his mission to retrieve the G-virus sample, marking a chilling close to the disaster.

The graphics in Resident Evil 2 received a massive overhaul, staying true to the original project’s idea of bringing the game into HD, much like the GameCube remake of Resident Evil. Built with the impressive RE Engine that powered the somewhat divisive Resident Evil VII: Biohazard, this remake achieves stunning visual quality. From character models to zombies and other bioweapons, every detail is realistically crafted, rivaling other visually intensive games like God of War, Spider-Man, and Red Dead Redemption 2. The static backgrounds and fixed camera angles of the original are replaced by highly detailed environments, full 3D camera movement, and some of the most impressive rain effects seen in recent games. What truly sets Resident Evil 2 apart, however, are the small, nuanced details—like rain splashing on Leon’s uniform or bullets tearing through a zombie’s face to reveal muscle tissue underneath. It’s an insane level of detail, and thankfully, a few creatures (like the giant spiders) are omitted in this remake—a relief for those with arachnophobia.

Beyond the graphics, the Raccoon City Police Department map has been reimagined, bringing enough changes to feel fresh yet familiar. For those who know the original game inside out, these changes mean you can’t simply breeze through. Familiar locations now include extra puzzles, altered routes, and unexpected surprises, such as Mr. X appearing much earlier in Scenario A rather than being limited to Scenario B. Even he gets a humorous touch, sporting a hat that you can shoot off, momentarily confusing him. Resident Evil 2 re-establishes itself as a survival horror classic, with heightened scares thanks to a darker atmosphere and a tense, flashlight-lit exploration that replaces the original’s brightly lit halls. Often, I find myself cracking open doors and pointing my gun through before stepping into the unknown, bracing for the next horrifying encounter.

The gameplay in Resident Evil 2 has undergone significant changes. Gone are the static camera angles and tank controls, replaced with a more modern approach reminiscent of Resident Evil 4 and later titles. Players now have access to sub-weapons, including the trusty knife (which wears down with use), flashbangs, and standard grenades. These additions allow players to escape groups of zombies or navigate past the incredibly annoying Lickers down the hallway. While Lickers can be avoided by walking very slowly, zombies seem to possess a sixth sense, easily tracking you down and often clustering together for a coordinated attack. Additionally, zombies have a frustrating tendency to break through windows. This can be mitigated by finding wooden boards to barricade windows, such as the one on the stairway leading to the second floor, where I’ve encountered a particularly tenacious zombie I affectionately call Bob. Despite my best efforts to board up the window, Bob remains determined to get a bite.

Tradition still plays a significant role in the gameplay, as players must track down medals to obtain keys, leading to chess pieces essential for escaping the Raccoon City Police Department. You still need to collect the four card keys (Diamond, Spade, Heart, and Club), along with other items like the water wheel and square tooth crank. It wouldn’t be Resident Evil without the frequent item scavenging that keeps players on the move. Expect to do a lot of backtracking, as many rooms need to be revisited to retrieve additional items. For example, the weapons locker, where players find the shotgun during the demo, is a common return point, as there are numerous other items to collect from there. The good news is that the map clearly shows any items left behind in each room, changing color when completely cleared and displaying icons for the keys needed to unlock specific doors. Thank goodness for that!

The sound design in Resident Evil 2, particularly the use of silence and subtlety, is exceptional. In moments where a backing track is needed, it plays softly in the background, maintaining the game’s tense atmosphere without disrupting immersion. The game’s true strength lies in its ability to create a chilling ambiance. For much of the game, the background noise consists of rain falling outside the Raccoon City Police Department, with droplets echoing off various surfaces, enhancing the tension as players navigate each area. This atmosphere is punctuated by the unsettling sounds of zombies moaning, the click of Lickers hunting for their next meal, and the crack of glass underfoot. These sound effects are the real stars, crafting a horror maze that feels authentic without being overly gimmicky or frustrating.

For those who purchased the deluxe edition, either digital or physical, there’s an added bonus: the original Resident Evil 2 soundtrack and sound effects pack. This feature allows players to relive the classic experience, adding another layer of nostalgia for long-time fans while enhancing the game’s already immersive horror environment.

When it comes to replay value, Resident Evil 2 offers plenty to keep players engaged. In addition to the classic Leon A/Claire B and Claire A/Leon B scenarios, players can unlock The 4th Survivor, a mode where you play as Hunk as you attempt to escape the Raccoon City Police Department. There’s also The Tofu Survivor, where players navigate the same escape challenge but as a block of tofu. These modes are particularly appealing for speedrunners, as they feature timed sections where speed takes precedence over survival. Moreover, players can unlock several extra costumes, including HD versions of the original Resident Evil 2 outfits and a special Noir costume that adds a striking black-and-white filter to the game.

Additionally, there’s a wealth of free DLC on the horizon that promises extra modes, story content, and more costumes. We already know that the original polygon costumes from Resident Evil 2 will be included as DLC. I hope Capcom expands on this by offering more than just cosmetic changes, providing players with fresh experiences to encourage ongoing engagement with Resident Evil 2. Like its predecessor, this remake deserves sustained attention and should be a title players return to repeatedly for more chills and thrilling encounters with the undead.

Resident Evil 2 takes all the good from the original and makes it better while removing all the old and outdated things that were put in due to system limitations to create one of the most immersive and best Resident Evil titles ever created. This is hard to do but Capcom R&D Division 1 did what I would have considered impossible. Not only have they recreated a game that so many people call the best Resident Evil game ever, or even the best PlayStation game ever, but also improved it to such a degree that it mirrors perfection.

Fuck it, this is perfection. Resident Evil 2 brings the franchise back to its roots and reminds everyone what this game series was about… Survival Horror. And people, that’s Survival Horror with the HORROR underlined, bolded, and in 50-foot text font. As our Editor-in-Chief Keith Mitchell tweeted:

Resident Evil 2 truly takes everything great from the original and enhances it, while eliminating outdated elements that were merely products of the limitations of the systems of the past. Capcom’s R&D Division 1 has accomplished what many deemed impossible: not only have they meticulously recreated a game that is often hailed as the best in the Resident Evil franchise—and even one of the greatest PlayStation games ever—but they’ve improved it to such an extent that it approaches perfection.

This is perfection. Resident Evil 2 revitalizes the franchise, bringing it back to its roots and reminding players what the series is fundamentally about, survival horror. And let me emphasize that—survival horror, with the “HORROR” underlined, bolded, and presented in 50-foot font! As our Editor-in-Chief Keith Mitchell aptly tweeted:

Sorry, The Evil Within 2. You were my constant goto survival horror game. Well, after Dead Space that is. Now Resident Evil 2 has replaced you. I'll press "F" while I uninstall you and likely to never play you again. So long old friend.

— Keith Mitchell ?????? (@Shadowhaxor) January 27, 2019

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