Game Review: Resident Evil 2 Remake - A Faithful Reimagining
When you think of horror games, there are many titles, both old and new that may come to mind. Dead Space, Silent Hill, and many others that have defined the genre for years. One of the most influential series is Capcom’s Resident Evil.
Originally known as Biohazard, the Resident Evil series has had its ups and downs from originally being a staple in horror to becoming a more action centric series. While there is nothing wrong with action based games, I believed that the series would not be able to continue down that path. Thankfully, the developers also shared the same vision and opted to focus more on the horror element in the 7th installment of the series Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.
RE7 created what I hope will be the new baseline for Resident Evil games in terms of navigation, perspective, and combat. The movement feels fluid, the combat is challenging and satisfying when you take down an enemy, and your perspective is restricted by the use of a flashlight. Sure, you may be able to see things here and there on the sides, but you never truly know what lies in the darkness until you either look in its direction or become its next victim.
Resident Evil 2 Remake takes all of these updated gameplay elements from RE7 and runs with it, creating a faithful reimagining of the classic title. There are a few main changes from the original title to the newest version. The first is the perspective of how you view your character and the environment. As fans of the original know the classic version had you looking over Leon with a birds eye view. While some traditionalists agree that the original version added more of an element of danger and horror with the fixed camera, I feel that this new take adds a similar and more modern touch. The camera is now located over the shoulder of your character and is able to be freely moved about. While moving through the hallways, I felt a sense of anxiety and claustrophobia with my vision in dark rooms being restricted to that of the flashlight in my hand. I had quite a few jump scares because of lickers and other zombies charging me while in the darkness.
The next major difference from the original the the movement system. The classic version of RE2 featured the tank control setup. For those not familiar with that name think of a tank needing to rotate left or right to move and then being able to finally move straight in that direction. I myself, appreciate older mechanics of older games, however, I am content with this one remaining in the past. The movement is much more fluid with modern controls and far more welcoming to newer fans of the franchise.
The puzzles require you to have a far more keen eye with the game beckoning you to explore every nook and cranny. Details, even small ones can have a big impact on your ability to solve problems and progress. I know, I myself was running around trying to figure out what to do when I realized I had the answer on a scrap of paper the whole time! The world does a fantastic job of trying to point you in the right direction giving you clues throughout your exploration to help you solve the latest problem or a problem that you may encounter later on.
If you haven’t already been involved with the Resident Evil I would recommend hopping on now. There is a bright future ahead for this series once again with RE3 Remake having been released and RE4 Remake releasing on the 24th of March this year. The exploration and puzzle solving is rewarding, the combat feels fun and challenging, and the horror is once again, very much alive in this series.
If you’ve made it this far in the review, I just wanna say thank you for reading the very first one for this site! I may have missed a thing here or there, but I overall really enjoyed Resident Evil 2 Remake. Check it out and see what you think yourself! If you agree or disagree with me, feel free to come and talk to me about it when I’m live on twitch.
Peace out!
