The Resident Evil video game franchise has its ups and downs when it comes to meeting the player’s expectations, but the video game company Capcom knocked it out of the park with their newly made remake of Resident Evil 2, which came out on Jan. 25, 2019.

  Resident Evil 2 is about two protagonists, Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, who must escape Raccoon City after all of the inhabitants were turned into zombies by a chemical weapon. The gameplay mostly prioritizes exploring, puzzles, combat, and also gives each character their own unique storyline with obstacles that they have to overcome.

  While starting Resident Evil 2, the player gets the option to play as Leon Kennedy, a rookie cop who was employed by the Raccoon City Police Department while the virus is spreading throughout the city. Or the player can choose Claire Redfield, a college student who meets up with Leon Kennedy while trying to escape the city. They both become separated in the process of meeting each other, leaving both Leon and Claire by themselves to fend off against the endless horde of the infected.

  The remake of the second Resident Evil sold over 3 million copies in its first week according to a Forbes article, while the original Resident Evil 2 sold over 4.69 million copies overall, from what the official Resident Evil website claims. Capcom had really outdone themselves with the original Resident Evil 2, and did even better with the remake.

  Resident Evil 2 did an astounding job when staying close to the original, but changed many smaller aspects of the game, such as the different camera angles that were being used. In the original, the camera was locked in a certain place for each area, while in the remake, the camera is in third person, giving the player more awareness of the environment, and more freedom to look around and explore.

  Although this change helps with freedom, it also takes away from the tension, which could lessen the effect that Capcom was going for. Another major change is that Capcom rebuilt the environment of the game, allowing for more opportunities with interactions between the player and the enemy. The outstanding graphics of the remake also help make the game stand out, which produces a lifelike feel to it.

  Some of the negatives that are in the remake don’t affect gameplay too much, but can leave some dissatisfied, such as the length of each storyline.

  A Gamerant article states that both stories combined only rack in about 12-15 hours of gameplay, and leaves us wanting more. Another con to this game is that we don’t really get to see much of Raccoon City. Even though this is where the game takes place, it feels like the player isn’t able to explore much of Raccoon City as a whole, which could’ve help liven up the experience of the game.

  Overall, Resident Evil 2 is what most consider as a good remake because it offers veterans to the series a nostalgic trip through the golden age of the franchise, but also gives newer players a taste of what the classic Resident Evil games were like. This video game is highly recommended to those who enjoy horror survival shooters that give you a fun and frightening experience.

Jaysen Anderson, Staff Reporter