What an amazing remake, takes everything that made the original special and modernizes it. I still think it’s worth playing the original alongside this bc they do feel different in areas, but this feels more like a modern adaptation than anything. RE4 was a fantastic game for 2005 standards, and now RE4R is a fantastic game for 2023 standards. They’ve expanded the story in some cool ways, still nothing crazy but I enjoyed seeing the additions. I like most of the characters a lot more here, especially Ashley. The movement feels fantastic here and this is honestly probably the most fun I’ve ever had with a shooter, even if that’s not this game’s primary genre. It’s tense as hell with resources at points, but it’s always possible to just barely scrape by and it feels amazing every time. It keeps the same horror action balance as the original but increases both sides of the equation, so it’s scarier and even more action packed than the original, all while maintaining a fun and campy tone that somehow doesn’t feel out of place. The whole thing is a super delicate balancing act but they pull it off so perfectly you hardly even notice. It’s just an amazing time start to finish, it definitely lived up to all my expectations and surprised me in ways I didn’t even expect.

This is a collection of a bunch of vignettes that all play with JRPG tropes in unique ways, and for the most part I found these stories really unique and entertaining. This feels like the predecessor to Chrono Trigger in many ways, so fans of that game will immediately see similarities. It’s mostly a very accessible game, but my one big fault is that the game lets you choose any of these chapters to start with. Certain chapters I enjoyed within the context of the rest of the game, but are particularly unconventional and could make for a very weak first impression. Aside from that tho, I honestly loved this. Combat is a big standout for me, each encounter was like a mini tactics battle with a really fun grid system. I had to thoughtfully consider how to dispatch enemies effectively, and while it’s far from a difficult game, each battle had me engaged. Presentation is gorgeous with the HD-2D Switch remake, it’s a total overhaul that still remains faithful to the original. While some chapters are definitely weaker than others, I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of my time with this game. And while I won’t spoil the final segments that come after you finish the seven main chapters, I found them to be so fun and satisfying that they elevate the entire experience. This definitely deserves to be considered a classic of the era right alongside FFVI and Chrono Trigger.

I’ve been playing more survival horror games than usual lately, and this managed to clear absolutely every single one of them. Where the horror in a game like Resident Evil comes from its harsh mechanics, the horror in Silent Hill comes mostly from its story and aesthetics. The story is interesting and creepy, and while it may not reach the heights of SH2, it’s still pretty good. Where this game truly excels are the aesthetics and especially the environmental design, it’s truly unreal. There are areas here that look and feel completely unlike anything I’ve ever played, and I mean that in the best way possible. The game is incredible at getting under your skin with its suggestive design. I was consistently impressed with every single area. This is arguably the best looking game on PS2, it holds up remarkably well especially playing on original hardware. Sound design is also excellent, as expected coming off of SH2. The atmosphere in this game is meticulously constructed in every single area, completely impossible to replicate. This is right up there with its predecessor as a must-play experience for any horror fan.

I thought I had my expectations in check but wow this was disappointing, such a downgrade from RE2 on every level. I knew going in that fans of the original disliked a lot of the changes here, and I can confirm that this game doesn’t care much about being faithful to the original. I’m fine with that, but the content that got replaced is so much better than what’s here. There were multiple moments here that were obnoxious bc of what felt like huge design oversights. The game looks and sounds great for sure, but it runs out of steam so fast. It’s even shorter than the original RE3 on a first playthrough which is insane, and there were still parts I wish were cut. Level design is my biggest issue here bc they clearly didn’t know when to calm tf down with enemy placement, it’s impossible to avoid so many of these guys so you end up just shooting everyone you run into and it’s so much less engaging than before. There’s also a few level specific mechanics that just do not feel well thought out at all. Boss fights are a notable sour point here, there aren’t many but they’re just damage sponges and are more irritating than challenging. Nemesis is not threatening whatsoever and his chase scenes are really lame even when compared to the original. This game fails as a follow-up to the RE2 remake and it’s even worse as a remake of the original game.

Played this to prep myself for the upcoming RE4 remake, really enjoyed it! They nailed the recreation of the game’s main areas, atmosphere here is fantastic and the game is definitely a lot scarier than the original. I still like the fixed camera style a lot, and I won’t lie there are some things I miss about the original (how colorful it was, the far superior soundtrack, the A to B progression system etc), so I wouldn’t call this a replacement of the original like the RE1 remake is, but if you have to just play one version of RE2 this is definitely it. My biggest problem with the game is still the way you essentially have to play it twice, I think it’s handled better here but it’s still a lot of the same thing just repeated and especially with the removal of the progression system here it kills any drive I have to fully re-experience the game. Mr X was made truly terrifying here and is definitely one of the best improvements, though there’s one notable point in both playthroughs where he’s more obnoxious than scary. The story is expanded on here a decent amount and is given a few new scenes that are great. I’ve been talking mostly about how this game serves as a remake, but the thing is RE2 1998 is still a great game for the time, and this faithfully takes the same core and transforms it for a modern audience. Almost all of its strengths and weaknesses were retained.

Not my first time playing this game, but this playthrough really made me appreciate just how incredible this game is. Daytime stages are pretty much the best a 3D platformer can get, the blistering high speeds and memorable level designs make for an infinitely replayable experience that gives you the overwhelming urge to get better at the game. Nighttime stages aren’t the pinnacle of action games or anything, but I still find them all enjoyable. This game can get quite difficult at points, but that’s honestly one of my favorite things about it, it’s not afraid to push you to your absolute limit. Unleashed really was the perfect title here. There’s a ton of content here too, one of the longest Sonic games and it earns it. Aesthetically, it’s the peak of the series. The game looks fantastic even 15 years later, voice acting is top notch, and it has arguably the most well developed soundtrack in the whole series. This is now neck and neck for being my absolute favorite Sonic game, it really doesn’t get much better than this. Every single part of the Unleashed playthrough experience is fun.