Review: 'Resident Evil 2' (2019)

Elliot Hatch
Managing Editor and Game Reporter

Everyone loves a good horror game, and getting scared is just part of the fun! Capcom, the developers behind the original Resident Evil series, have come back this year with a vengeance.

“Resident Evil 2” originally came out in 1998 after Capcom created its own genre for games: Survival horror. Even back in the late ‘90s, the “Resident Evil” series was terrifying.

2019 is no different. Capcom redefined its survival horror genre with the 2017 release of “Resident Evil VII: Biohazard.” They’ve carried that torch over the remaster of “Resident Evil” and “Resident Evil 2”.

Staying true to its original roots, “Resident Evil 2” (2019) maintains the same basic storyline, but the atmosphere has been revamped to scare the pants off just about anyone. Not only are the basic zombies harder to kill in this remake, but Capcom has also thrown in an extra scare to follow the player around for a while.

New scares and graphics aside, this version is pretty unforgiving. Newcomers will face a heavy challenge if this game is their introduction to the survival horror genre. Because of the new friend, most of the time-sensitive events and puzzles are a little jarring for new players.

The controls are just as tight as expected from Capcom, but characters can have a certain weight to them that can sometimes make controlling them difficult. The awkward controls can cause the character’s shoulders to get caught on door frames, making speedy escapes difficult to master.

The pros far outweigh the cons for this game, though. It’s definitely a refreshing take on the classic horror game. Capcom balances the old and the new elegantly and smoothly, giving this game a new feeling for all players, even those true to the 1998 release.

Overall, Capcom rarely fails to impress. I highly recommend “Resident Evil 2” for anyone who loves scary games. The learning curve may be a spike in the beginning, but it’s not too hard to get the hang of. I strongly rate “Resident Evil 2” (2019) with a 9/10.