Damn, this game still looks exquisite. The environments, the animations, the character models, the lighting - all perfect. Wanted to get it out of the way first since when I think of the Resi 2 remake I always remember the gameplay trailer reveal and the jaw-drop effect it had on me. Still does!
When it comes to the gameplay, I think it’s enough to call it a proper Resident Evil-type game. Walking around a large area, using your map frequently to check whether you’ve cleared each room (the map can sometimes be confusing, though, mostly involving staircases), solving puzzles (simple but sufficient for this type of game), managing your inventory and occasionally shooting down a zombie or two when they get in your way. The devs really pulled all the best bits from the original entries and modernized it to accommodate for the third person view and larger levels. Overall, it is a very satisfying experience, although the definite highlight is the police station and the weakest link are the sewers. Mr. X adds some tension, stomping around and making you check every corner twice, although he can be a nuisance sometimes, e.g. when he takes forever to leave the area of the safe room you are hiding in.
The story is extremely cheesy, but serviceable. Both Leon and Claire are likable, although the male protagonist is a total airhead whose lines and decisions had me rolling my eyes a number of times. The short interludes where you control Ada (Leon’s playthrough) and Sherry (Claire’s) are a nice way to break up the main gameplay loop and introduce some fresh gameplay elements.
What brings down the game’s quality significantly in my eyes is its treatment of the two campaigns. Leon’s and Claire’s stories are supposed to intertwine, but after finishing off Mr. X with the R.P.D. cop I found that I had to redo most of the puzzles and open the same doors again, this time controlling Chris Redfield’s sister. Narratively, it just doesn’t make any sense. Sure, some key items can be found in different places and you can get key A instead of key B to open a different room with some helpful item, but overall it felt like a chore. Since I knew where to go and what to do, playing as Claire felt more mechanical rather than truly exploring each of the main areas. I really did suffer through the second playthrough, save for the few levels that were unique to her. I treat these two campaigns as equally important to the game - after all, finishing them both is required to achieve the true ending - and I think that the devs could’ve come up with some new areas or puzzles for the second playthrough. Even the boss fights are repeated (except for the final one), which was a major letdown.
Overall, this is a very good experience for the first playthrough, whoever you choose, but then the second one is just a rehash that will probably make you try to speedrun to get to the proper ending.
When it comes to the gameplay, I think it’s enough to call it a proper Resident Evil-type game. Walking around a large area, using your map frequently to check whether you’ve cleared each room (the map can sometimes be confusing, though, mostly involving staircases), solving puzzles (simple but sufficient for this type of game), managing your inventory and occasionally shooting down a zombie or two when they get in your way. The devs really pulled all the best bits from the original entries and modernized it to accommodate for the third person view and larger levels. Overall, it is a very satisfying experience, although the definite highlight is the police station and the weakest link are the sewers. Mr. X adds some tension, stomping around and making you check every corner twice, although he can be a nuisance sometimes, e.g. when he takes forever to leave the area of the safe room you are hiding in.
The story is extremely cheesy, but serviceable. Both Leon and Claire are likable, although the male protagonist is a total airhead whose lines and decisions had me rolling my eyes a number of times. The short interludes where you control Ada (Leon’s playthrough) and Sherry (Claire’s) are a nice way to break up the main gameplay loop and introduce some fresh gameplay elements.
What brings down the game’s quality significantly in my eyes is its treatment of the two campaigns. Leon’s and Claire’s stories are supposed to intertwine, but after finishing off Mr. X with the R.P.D. cop I found that I had to redo most of the puzzles and open the same doors again, this time controlling Chris Redfield’s sister. Narratively, it just doesn’t make any sense. Sure, some key items can be found in different places and you can get key A instead of key B to open a different room with some helpful item, but overall it felt like a chore. Since I knew where to go and what to do, playing as Claire felt more mechanical rather than truly exploring each of the main areas. I really did suffer through the second playthrough, save for the few levels that were unique to her. I treat these two campaigns as equally important to the game - after all, finishing them both is required to achieve the true ending - and I think that the devs could’ve come up with some new areas or puzzles for the second playthrough. Even the boss fights are repeated (except for the final one), which was a major letdown.
Overall, this is a very good experience for the first playthrough, whoever you choose, but then the second one is just a rehash that will probably make you try to speedrun to get to the proper ending.