Resident Evil 2: More Room in Hell
Capcom's survival horror apex shambles around a bit and goes "uhhhh".
The hobby of videogames has clamoured for a remake of 1998's survival horror juggernaut Resident Evil 2 ever since, well, the astonishing remake of Resident Evil blew everyone away on Gamecube in 2002. And in 2015, our prayers were answered when Capcom went "erm - go on then" and confirmed Remakesident Evil 2 was in development.
The recent "one-shot demo" and currently emerging reviews seem to confirm that Capcom has nailed it. Of course, not everyone will be happy - 'tis the nature of enthusiast gamers - but all signs point to a frontrunner for Game of the Year. It's not even February! Slow down!!
Gameplay has, fairly understandably, been transposed to over-the-shoulder action. The fixed camera of the original and the first-person refit of 2017's Resident Evil 7 apparently didn't cut the mustard. Many Resident Evil fans express concerns about this sort of gameplay; while Resident Evil 4 is a masterpiece, it was a big departure from the series' roots and not necessarily a welcome direction for a re-imagined Resident Evil 2. Me, though, I don't mind. I played the original with the infinite ammo cheat on. I'm not ashamed in the slightest. Okay, I am a little bit ashamed. Alright, fine, the shame burns me like acid every waking minute of my painful, shame-filled life.
If they really have managed to capture the pure survival horror feel without the deliberately hamstrung movement and controls of the original game, then I'll be delighted. A compromise between archaic (by design) controls and modern ease-of-use isn't something the series has ever really managed. I stress that I'm not criticising "tank controls"; they made absolute sense for the game's encounter design. But a more modern take is welcome and will increase the game's appeal to non-nostalgic gamers. Remember, even the recent re-re-release of Resident Evil (2002) implemented traditional movement controls as an option.
At any rate, the waiting is finally over this Friday (the 25th). I'm itching to play this tasty game! Get it? Itchy. Tasty? Oh wait, that was the first one.
