‘Resident Evil 2’ remake: Hands-on, screenshots, how it compares to the original

“Resident Evil 2” returns
the franchise to its survival horror roots.
“Resident Evil 2″/Capcom

• The latest game in the Resident Evil franchise is
  “Resident Evil 2,” a remake of the 1998 classic.
• “Resident Evil 2” is rebuilt from the ground up,
  blending the horror elements of the original with the
  action-oriented gameplay of newer “Resident Evil”
  games.
• “Resident Evil 2” takes gore to another level, using an
  updated graphics engine to show the damage done to zombies in
  real-time.

Picking up Capcom’s remake of “Resident Evil 2” for the first
time, I thought I knew what to expect. I’ve beaten the 1998
original, and I still remember the parts that scared me out of my
seat. But less than 10 minutes into the demo at New York Comic
Con, I felt myself gripping the controller in fear all over
again.

Returning to the zombie-infested Raccoon City Police Department
as rookie cop Leon Kennedy felt surreal; the setting was
immediately familiar, but the remake’s overhauled graphics and
camera angles gave me a new perspective. Even with my memories of
where to go, it took some time to navigate the dark hallways, as
the game’s dynamic lighting left me relying on Leon’s flashlight
to guide the way.

Leon relies on his
flashlight to cut through the darkness.
“Resident Evil 2″/Capcom

By the time I encountered my first zombies, I was fully on edge,
despite carrying a full clip of pistol ammo. I could see their
bodies falling to pieces as I fired, but they just kept coming,
with some even attacking from the floor. Damage done to the
zombies and monsters appears in real time — this “Resident Evil
2” remake benefits from the fresh game engine Capcom developed
for “Resident Evil 7.” Before I could find a way to restore power
to the dimly lit hallways, I was forced to run for my life back
to the main lobby and look for another way to escape.

The “Resident Evil” series is credited with coining the term
“survival horror” to define the unique genre the games pioneered
in the late ’90s. “Resident Evil” made players feel vulnerable by
stealing away their sense of control and limiting their
resources, a stark contrast from the superheroic protagonists of
most action games.

Zombies aren’t the only
danger lurking in the shadows.
“Resident Evil 2″/Capcom

Building from the success of the first game, the developers of
“Resident Evil 2” understood how to manipulate the technology of
the time to build a terrifying experience. Fixed camera angles
made the game feel less focused on the player, instead
emphasizing the horrific setting and leaving the potential for
surprises lurking off-screen. With difficult controls and limited
weaponry, each confrontation was a stressful choice between fight
or flight. Surviving the game meant properly managing items,
solving puzzles under stress. and staying aware of your
surroundings.

This changed with “Resident Evil 4” and its sequels, as
Capcom shifted the game to an over-the-shoulder camera and more
action-oriented gameplay. While the run-and-gun style of the
newer games found an audience, fans of the earlier games
complained that “Resident Evil” had abandoned survival horror to
become a more generic action franchise.

Claire’s
first encounter with this “Licker” monster looks a lot scarier in
the remake.
“Resident Evil
2″/Capcom

The redesigned “Resident Evil 2” strikes a healthy balance
between the two styles of gameplay, giving players greater
control with the over-the-shoulder camera, but continuing to
limit resources as they explore the constant dangers of the
police department. Using the updated RE Engine, “Resident Evil 2”
completely recasts the game’s visuals, creating a dark and
frightening environment to match the suspense of the gameplay.

The game’s storytelling has also been revamped, expanding short
conversations into full-blown cutscenes. Leon’s story is one of
two campaigns in “Resident Evil 2.” The other story belongs to
Claire Redfield, who battles the mutated Doctor William Birkin in
her version of the demo.

 Dr. Birkin pursues Claire through the tunnels beneath the
police department and Claire is forced to flee and search the
area for ammo to defend herself. While the fight is rather basic
in the original game, the remake makes the updated boss battle
feels suspenseful in all the right ways. Birkin’s behavior has
been improved to make him a true threat, and the improved
controls give Claire more of a fighting chance.

In the original game, the two story campaigns were interconnected
and the order they were completed impacted the course of the
story, as well as the items you can obtain in the game. Capcom
said the storytelling in “Resident Evil 2” has been modified to
make the plot more cohesive, though the two campaigns remain
separate.

Even as someone who finished the original game, the “Resident
Evil 2” remake feels like a refreshing experience and achieves a
wonderful balance between classic survival horror and modern
gameplay. “Resident Evil 2” will be released for PC, Xbox One and
PlayStation 4 on January 25, 2019, you can check out the story
trailer below.