Excellent Survival Horror (Resident Evil 2)

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Product:	Resident Evil 2
Date:	02/01/01 (7 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Resident Evil Game

Disadvantages: Scary

General/Summary: The original Resident Evil was a benchmark in the adventure genre, creating an unrivaled environment of fear and suspense that will forever leave gamers in awe and fear. Yes, the original was a classic; who can ever forget the classic moment of walking down a quiet hallway, interrupted by the sudden break-in of a pack of zombie dogs. The advent of the survival horror sub-genre has this game to thank. So given the success of Resident Evil, a sequel was inevitable. And while the hype was impressive surrounding Resident Evil 2, very few people expected the game to turn out as good as it did. After all, sequels are never as good as the originals, right? Well, fortunately for gamers the world over, Capcom disproved that theory; Resident Evil 2 is perhaps one of the greatest video games ever made and quite frankly the best in the series on PlayStation (I won't say best Resident Evil game period; that distinction goes to Code Veronica on Dreamcast). If you own a Sony PlayStation and have not already picked up Resident Evil 2, do yourself a huge favor and get it (these days, I recommend the Dual Shock version); I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. Disclaimer: this game is best played with the lights out.
Gameplay: RE2's gameplay revolves completely around the horror movie feel the game presents. Overall, this game is a blast. Sure, there aren't as many memorable moments like there were in the first game, but this game is still scary fun (pun intended). Controls have been tighened up significantly since the first game, making moving the character through the dark, scary world a little easier and more enjoyable. However, nothing compares to walking around an abandoned police station, armed with your machine gun, when you are suddenly ambushed by a pack of brain-hungry zombies or a bloodthirsty licker. The moody atmosphere is presented so well that this feels more like an interactive horror film than a video game. Weapons are plentifu
l in this game, but ammo is not, so capping the zombies may not be the best idea in the world at times. Ammo conservation will be key, particularly with the bosses being the perennial ammo-drainers that they are. Zombie arms busting through windows, zombies breaking down doors and gates chasing you, rabid zombie dogs jumping at you, huge birds flying at your head as you run to find a key; the sheer number of ways the developers have come up with to scare the crap out of you is amazing. This game appears on two discs, one disc dedicated to each character (Leon Kennedy: a RCPD rookie, and Claire Redfield: sister of Chris Redfield, the first game's main character). Not only does this give us two distinct, involving games to work through, each character has an alternate game that is unlocked upon completion of the initial adventure. So you are essentially getting four games for the price of one here. And with this game now a Greatest Hits title, four games for $20 is pretty damn good. The Dual Shock version is even more impressive, with the Dual Shock controller giving the gamer a feel that cannot be duplicated without force feedback. Quite an innovation that Capcom and Sony should both be commended for. Yes, the puzzles are mind-numbingly simple and rarely make sense in context with the rest of the game, but all in all, Resident Evil 2 is one Hell of a gaming experience no gamer should miss, no matter what genre he/she prefers.

Graphics: If looks could kill, Resident Evil 2 would be put away for murder. This game looks awesome. Yes, Code Veronica on Dreamcast looks ten times better. Hell, I'll even admit that RE3: Nemesis looks better than RE2. But still, the graphics here are awesome. Half of this game's submersiveness and appeal lies in its visuals. The developers made everything look and feel just right in this game, from the interior of the police station to the streets of Raccoon City. And everything is in the details: blood stains on the zomb
ies and on the floor, a small light bulb being the only source of light in a large, dank room infested with zombies, huge statues towering in the lobby of the police station. This game is just a thing of beauty. The pre-rendered backgrounds are simply breathtaking, and the polygonal characters are animated very well. Lighting effects are pulled off with the greatest of ease. Fires, gun fire, explosions, all these are done better than any game before them. If the looks of this game don't scare you...

Sound: ...the sounds will. Not only are graphics and gameplay important to the game's horror movie-like feel, but sound is equally as important, if not more so. The chillingly sound composing is handled with little difficulty and is utilized very well. Sound effects are also done well; nothing sends chills up the spine quite like running around, hearing nothing but your own footsteps, the blood-curtling scream of a zombie victim, and the moans of brain-hungry zombies. Play this game in surround sound with the lights out late at night, and you'll wanna start sleeping with the lights on, if you can get to sleep at all. The only knock against the original Resident Evil was the horrific voice acting. This hasn't improved a whole heck of a lot in RE2, but maybe that's not such a bad thing. I mean, think about it: Resident Evil is always trying capture that B-movie horror feel. As we all know, B-movies are notorious for bad voice acting. So in a way, the horrible voice acting serves to enhance the scary mood of the game. Very well done indeed.

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