▷Resident Evil 2 review: terror lurks in the shadows 🥇

During a gloomy day, the fate of two individuals is ready to be fulfilled. Having savored adventure to the fullest of every pixel way back in 1998, the January 25 2019 was published on remake of Resident Evil 2, a title present in the attic of each of us.

The plot presents some variations on the original: despite this, this new version will be able to bring back the anguish felt twenty-one years ago.

Are you ready to return to Raccoon City? Be careful, though: terror lurks in the shadows.

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A pinch of history

Resident Evil 2 takes place two months after the events of the first chapter. It is 1998 and the city of Raccoon City is on the verge of decline due to an epidemic of zombies and mutant monsters created following the experiments of the Umbrella Corporation.

In our adventure the destinies of two protagonists will intertwine: Leon Scott Kennedy, a policeman on his first working day e Claire Redfield, Chris's sister we met in the first episode, who came to town to find her brother.

Remake, as we all know, means the remaking of a work and this means that the latter can be more or less faithful to the original. The changes can be multiple or minimal, starting from some setting up to changing the plot.

During my personal adventure, which began with Leon, the changes I noticed were varied. Not everything is like the original work: the changes in this remake are there but they mean that every room and enigma has the flavor of "already lived" but, at the same time, new.

This is a good approach to both those who are new to the title and veterans, who can try something new but still enjoy the same intense sensations they experienced as children.

Graphics beyond imaginable

After choosing the mode to start with (assisted - standard - extreme) and the character (Leon or Claire), our mission will start in the police station that we will have to explore from top to bottom to find an escape route. Depending on the character we choose, we will have the opportunity to meet some new faces - or already seen, if you have already played the original -.

The first difference that immediately catches the eye is, without a shadow of a doubt, the graphics. We are no longer faced with mega pixels or indefinite men who move with a gun in their hands, this time we have characters who touch reality.

In addition to Leon and Claire (beware boys and girls, falling in love is just around the corner), our zombie and licker friends also got a pretty good manpower job. Many will have rotten and gray faces, other cuts on the face that will show more than they should and still others we could find them divided in half, with the intestine on the right and some other organ on the left, scattered on the floor.

For lickers, on the other hand, there are no words to describe how monstrous they can be: they will also not miss an opportunity to make us shiver with scary verses, which we can however consider to evaluate for they will indicate their presence to us and therefore will find themselves in our own room.

Map and sound sector: our best friends

Il sound compartment, together with map of the various places that we are going to visit, must be considered your best friends. The first, in addition to warning you of the presence of some lickers on the ceiling or zombies around the corner, will be particularly useful with an enemy that we will not be able to get out of the way for some time: Mister X.

After a close and unpleasant encounter with the Tyrant, our aim will be only one: run away and not get caught because until we have a real boss fight, we won't do it any harm. So let's avoid wasting too much ammunition because, regardless of the difficulty you choose, you will always find yourself at the limit.

How can we sense its presence? Through the sound of his footsteps. When you hear that noise, be quiet, walk slowly or wait until it disappears. If, on the other hand, the steps are accompanied by an unpleasant melody, run and save yourself.

La map, your second best friend, will come in handy in these situations where you will have to avoid the Tyrant because you will will point to the door closest to you. It will also report you items you left behind (herbs, ammunition etc) and also objects with which you can / must interact.

Constant anxiety

One thing that will never leave you in Resident Evil 2 is there constant feeling of anxiety, also present in the illuminated rooms (which indicate your safe zone). Every step you take must be performed carefully: avoid running all the time, because when you least expect it you could find yourself a licker in front or, even worse, the Tyrant.

Or, pay attention to understand when is the right time to run away and take refuge in some safe zone.

This feeling of anxiety will then join an anguish that will increase disproportionately as we move forward in the title. It is a feeling that does not go away, it stays there with us and can become more or less intense, depending on the monster we will have in front of us.

There will be occasions to jump out of your chair or to make noises of amazement and fear, but nevertheless, hold on and keep your nerve: your job is to get out of the police station alive. Later you will have scarier things to worry about.

Inventory and Ammo: Act wisely

As previously said, it doesn't matter how difficult you will start because, sooner or later, you will always have a problem with the ammo factor. Measure each shot well and evaluate the situation: is that zombie worth shooting or can I safely avoid it?

As if that were not enough, in addition to this, you may also find yourself in difficulty with the your inventory.

Like any title in the saga, proceeding forward we will have the opportunity to "expand" our inventory, adding a couple of slots at a time. This is good since we will be able to carry more items but at the same time it will be a problem, because we will have to choose carefully which ones to bring and which ones to leave in the trunk.

Also pay attention to items to be discarded: until a red mark appears next to them, avoid throwing them away, they could come in handy in the future. Each item is of vital importance, we just need to know when a seedling will be more useful than gunpowder or if we will need a grenade instead of a knife.

Finally Capcom has decided to give a gift to the veterans of the saga: once the main story is finished, you will unlock the costumes of the original version of Resident Evil 2, which will be added to our wardrobe.

Conclusion

Resident Evil 2 embodies the perfect essence of the remake: it is faithful to the original but at the same time it is different enough so that even the veterans of the saga can live a new adventure, breathe the same atmosphere and find themselves facing different puzzles, together with enemies hidden in the shadows.

It is a title that can please anyone and that will be able to transmit a thrill of terror even to the most experienced player.

Light is your ally but pay attention to every noise and every movement.