Undoubtedly a good game on its own, but playing it right after REmake, I only had one thought going through my head: "Wow, I'd rather be playing either REmake or RE2make than this." Yes, I know it's iconic, and helped cement the series' fame. It introduced multiple fan favorite characters, it has the setting that a lot of people think of when they think RE, it added some new terrifying enemies, but... I don't know. At the end of the day, it didn't feel like it was trying to do anything more than just be "more Resident Evil." It didn't feel nearly as tense as 1 due to the more action-oriented focus of the development, which hinders the game in numerous ways. Fixed camera angles and tank controls worked perfectly in RE1 to create tension and dread, but in this, they feel like a nuisance that heavily impacts combat for the worse. In fact, when you're equipped to the nines with weaponry, it robs the experience of a lot of its scariness. Zombies and Lickers aren't threats to me anymore, they're just annoyingly tanky targets.
The story is never really the focal point in an RE game, but a lot of people cite RE2 as having the best story in the series, so I paid closer attention for this one, and... it's just RE1. Like, almost exactly. The RPD is a cover for Umbrella, just like the mansion. Someone who the main character trusts turns out to be the villain, just like before. The game ends with the Umbrella labs self-destruc- well, okay, fine, every RE game ends that way. But still, it didn't really feel like the plot was all that different from RE1's. Sure, having the two main characters bump into each other a few times is definitely pretty cool and creates a more cohesive through line, but at its core, it feels samey.
I should note that these are my thoughts after only completing Leon's A campaign, just like how I did my RE2make review. Once I do Claire B, I'll come back and give any final thoughts; see I warm up to this any more.
Alright, so I just finished Claire B, and my feelings are pretty enforced now. The early game is still more irritating than it is tense, but the action focus really works later on in the game. It just feels cool to run through Umbrella Labs, blasting away everything you see with electricity guns and acid grenades. I gotta say, though, I was expecting a lot more from the way the game's perspective changes on a B scenario. It's still 85% the same game, with the same items, and same rooms, with only some minor changes in how you get from room 1 to room 2. Mr. X was a huge letdown, he really just felt shoehorned in than a natural addition. Also, Sherry is incredibly annoying as a companion and made it hard for me to really feel her and Claire's friendship like I did in the remake.
In the end, this is a good game that, while I'm grateful it exists for making the RE series the mainstay that it is today, I feel hasn't aged as good as its peers in the series. Between both the RE1 and RE2 remakes, I don't find much reason to go back to this one. I can imagine it being mind-blowing back in '98, but now, it just feels outmoded.
The story is never really the focal point in an RE game, but a lot of people cite RE2 as having the best story in the series, so I paid closer attention for this one, and... it's just RE1. Like, almost exactly. The RPD is a cover for Umbrella, just like the mansion. Someone who the main character trusts turns out to be the villain, just like before. The game ends with the Umbrella labs self-destruc- well, okay, fine, every RE game ends that way. But still, it didn't really feel like the plot was all that different from RE1's. Sure, having the two main characters bump into each other a few times is definitely pretty cool and creates a more cohesive through line, but at its core, it feels samey.
I should note that these are my thoughts after only completing Leon's A campaign, just like how I did my RE2make review. Once I do Claire B, I'll come back and give any final thoughts; see I warm up to this any more.
Alright, so I just finished Claire B, and my feelings are pretty enforced now. The early game is still more irritating than it is tense, but the action focus really works later on in the game. It just feels cool to run through Umbrella Labs, blasting away everything you see with electricity guns and acid grenades. I gotta say, though, I was expecting a lot more from the way the game's perspective changes on a B scenario. It's still 85% the same game, with the same items, and same rooms, with only some minor changes in how you get from room 1 to room 2. Mr. X was a huge letdown, he really just felt shoehorned in than a natural addition. Also, Sherry is incredibly annoying as a companion and made it hard for me to really feel her and Claire's friendship like I did in the remake.
In the end, this is a good game that, while I'm grateful it exists for making the RE series the mainstay that it is today, I feel hasn't aged as good as its peers in the series. Between both the RE1 and RE2 remakes, I don't find much reason to go back to this one. I can imagine it being mind-blowing back in '98, but now, it just feels outmoded.