Overall Rating: 
Capcom’s “Resident Evil 2” was released Jan. 25, 2019 for the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. It is a complete remaster of the original that was released in 1998. With this version, there are a lot more opportunities for storytelling and the gameplay flows more smoothly.
This survival horror game allows you to take control of police officer Leon S. Kennedy and college student Claire Redfield as they both try to escape the zombie infested Racoon City.
Storyline:
The story starts off at the beginning of the apocalypse with officer Kennedy stopping at a gas station where he encounters zombies for the very first time. After dealing with the zombies, he encounters Claire and they both travel to the city where they are soon split up after being surrounded by zombies. Kennedy’s story turns into him trying to figure out what caused the apocalypse while Claire’s story involves her helping a little girl find her mother.
Although extremely simple, the game’s story is intriguing and unpredictable. Every section kept me wanting to play more, trying to figure out how to get to the next area or cutscene. The story never seems to move too slow nor too fast throughout the entire game which is wonderful.
Gameplay:
“Resident Evil 2” runs really nicely and just as smoothly as its previous release, “Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.” Thankfully, there aren’t any overly long loading times when transitioning to different areas. Also, there aren’t any overly slow times when there are zombies around or when a jumpscare is happening, which leaves every surprise fresh.
The game is a perfect mix between survival and horror which is pretty amazing because most games have one genre stand out more than the other.
The survival portion of the game is amazing because you have a limited amount of inventory space and ammo, making every bullet count. The zombies take a bit to finish off for good, but if every shot is used wisely, you should have just enough ammo to survive. In addition, once a zombie is killed in a particular area it is gone for good and doesn’t respawn, which is great.
The horror portion of the game is also amazing because it has just enough horror to make you scared but not too scary to where you don’t want to play it at all. The jumpscares in the game are really unexpected most of the time and always seemed to scare me. To add, the game’s atmosphere always changes from well-lit areas making you feel safe to dark gloomy areas that make you feel terrified.
Graphics:
The graphics in this game are truly amazing, making an older game look just as good as modern games. It definitely looks like a lot of time was put into the realism of the game. Every part looks like they took all of their time and effort to make it look the very best that it could be. To make a game that was originally made with basic shapes to something so realistic is very impressive.
Characters:
Throughout the game, there are not many characters you get to meet as expected in a zombie infested setting. However, all of the characters you do encounter in the game are all unique and interesting by having their own motives and by how they act. When playing as Leon or Claire, I always cared for their well being because of how fleshed out they are. The side characters also have their little moments where they can shine as well. The characters in the game really make the game world feel so much more visceral.
“Resident Evil 2” is overall an amazing standalone game and remake. The story and characters in the game are very interesting and well written. The game also looks amazing in terms of its details and graphics. I had a great time playing throughout every second of it, as there was not a single flaw to point out. I’m really excited for the next “Resident Evil” game, or even another remake of one of the older games. In my opinion, I believe that every game remake should look to this one for a perfect example.
