Resident Evil 2 (Xbox One)

I first played Resident Evil 2 on the PS1 back in the late noughties. At the time I was ill in bed with chickenpox for two weeks and during that time I played the original game to death. I have very fond memories of that play-through and this title brought all the magic back and more. I've not been Resident Evil fanboi whose played every title all through the series. My last memories of Resident Evil prior to this are playing Resident Evil 4. Interestingly, Resident Evil 2 Remake has learned from the likes of RE4. The over-the shoulder camera angle makes for far better gameplay than the original. It somehow manages to retain the classic RE2 feel and tone though. Graphics wise, I really can't complain. The locations and characters are lovingly created and exploring the abandoned police station is genuinely creepy on your first play through. The voice acting, though not perfect is thousand times better than the clunky dialogue in the original. The cast of characters are well written and you do get a real emotional engagement with them. Particularly Claire. I really liked how Claire was portrayed and how her story played out in this game. The classic resource management skills of RE, where you're constantly trying to manage health items, inventory space and ammunition are well represented here too. The zombies have their own distinct feel and tone here too. From a distance they are slow and shuffling, but when close can lurch and grab you in an instant. They are also bullet sponges. Unless you're lucky enough to score a critical hit, most of the zombies will take many, many shots to the head to down. Even when they are down they aren't always dead and can grab you as you step over them. When you are taking shots, you can aim and wait for the reticle to focus increasing damage and the possibility of a critical hit - however doing this in a crowded room leaves you vulnerable. Thankfully Mr. X makes a welcome return here and stalks you through the RPD from fairly early on in the game. He seems to have a sensible AI and is able to hear when you're making a noise and move towards you. Cut scenes were well acted enough not to detract from the action, but once you've played through twice you'll find yourself skipping them. There's lots of replay value in this title too. Once you know the maps and are used to dealing with the various enemies in the game, you can attempt to go for an S Rank run or even an S+ Rank. These are tough challenges, forcing you to beat the game within a strict time limit using only a handful of save games. The reward is worth it though, as achieving an S+ rank with Leon will grant you an infinite ammunition rocket launcher and with Claire, an infinite ammunition mini gun. Further replay can be found in the Ghost Survivors DLC which is included. This has a few extra scenarios where you play as new characters, taking on new challenges. These are all good fun, particularly the ultra-tough 'No Way Out' scenario where you play as the Sherriff fighting for survival in the gas station at the start of the game against a host of enemies. Beat this without using more than 60 handgun bullets and you'll be given the super-fun infinite ammo cat ears. Long term replay is served by joining Resident Evil.net and taking on weekly challenges and attempting completion times fast enough to get you on the leaderboard. All in all, this is a fantastic game. I'm going to call it - I prefer this to Resident Evil 3 remake. That was fun, I enjoyed it. But if I had to choose one of these games over the other, I'd always choose this one. There WAS a big missed opportunity in this title. In the original there was a lot of scope for your two scenarios to interact with each other. For example, Leon could kill enemies which then wouldn't appear for Claire and vice-versa, or you could leave a powerful weapon behind for the second character if you were enjoying a particularly successful run. None of this is present in the remake. In fact, Leon and Claire's scenarios are very, very similar. The B scenarios while different, aren't vastly different. I think they could have made more of them. All in all, though, this was my game of the year 2019 and I really can't recommend it enough. Martyn Stanley

I’ve always been a big fan of the Resident Evil games. I’m probably more into the the more original “Survival Horror” style games with the fixed cameras and tank controls but I’m open to others too. This is easily one of the best games I’ve played in a long long time. When I first started playing I was slightly disappointed at how different it is to the original. I was hoping the game would follow the style of the REmake and rebuild the original game from the ground up with some minor additions and features. I have to say I was wrong. What the developers have managed to do is make a game that feels and looks totally modern but still captures that original RE charm that the earlier games have. The graphics are superb and the environments are amazing. You can really feel that a lot of effort has gone into this, it really feels like it’s been made by people who genuinely want to make a great game and not just money. The two separate scenarios are more than just replaying the game as another character. Claire’s scenario feels like a different game altogether at times which I like. The difficulty’s are spot on, with standard mode being a fair challenge for any gamer (there is an easier assisted mode and also a hardcore mode). Overall I’ve absolutely loved every minute of this game. It does everything a RE game should do and more! Word of advice though, I’d highly recommend purchasing the original soundtrack add on before playing. It still to this day sounds incredibly haunting. I played again without it and the standard soundtrack doesn’t have the same effect.

Great game, but gets a little boring as keep going back and forth...

Absolutely Amazing! Stunning remake that will blow you away and scare the s____t out of you. Make sure you set your brightness and darkness settings in the options to get the best look and experience of the game. Not going to tell you about the game because I don't want to spoil your experience but take it from me as a long time player of the Resident Evil franchise this remake is top notch, you won't be disappointed. Happy nightmares... Lol.

Resident Evil 2 is considered by many to be the best or most underappreciated title within the franchise with its original release in 1998. This is a remake as opposed to a remaster and there are some big differences and some subtle ones although I wouldn't really know unless pointed out as I didn't play the original. Does this follow on the success of the remastered original and Resident Evil 7 or is it just a lazy cash grab? RE2 takes on a familiar gameplay mechanic in ditching the old tank controls and replacing them with a third person view which is probably one of the biggest changes to those who are returning to it. This time around it is not mansion based and you'll find yourself in Raccoon City and can play as either Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield who I opted for in my first playthrough. Claire resembles Moira Burton in her expletive laden dialogue from RE Revelations 2 and will make comments in combat and some are really quite stupid such as 'what is up with you', and seeing as it's a zombie I think quite a lot is wrong. The enemies are a little more diverse than you will see in Resident Evil with tickers, which are fought best with a sneaking strategy, and some other notable adversaries which you will cross paths with in specific areas. The enemies are more notable but thankfully much of the arbitrary frustration from locked doors (which is fitting with the genre), has been rolled back significantly. This may have been more prevalent in the '98 version but here the focus is more on the action. That's no bad thing and there is still plenty horror here in a much more visceral form thanks to the improved graphical fidelity. Resident Evil 2 has much replay value to challenge you to return whether through the other story or to beat times and collect weapons etc. Most of the experience plays well barring one particular stealth section which drags on and can be quite clumsy. Inventory management has been streamlined and while you may initially struggle - upgrades to your storage can be found throughout the game. There's also an option to play in 'hardcore mode' or RE2's harder difficulty which restricts saving to ink ribbons just like old times. I liked most of the weapons but I'm sure there are more for me to unearth on future playthroughs. Capcom's pedigree for survival horror has only really been matched or surpassed by Konami (but not in recent times). You could argue that this is less horror and more combat focused as were the later titles such as 4, 5 and 6 but not quite to the same degree. ---Summary--- (Scored out of 10) Graphics - 10 - Capcom has nailed it here and everything from character models to environments look outstanding. Sound -8- The voice acting isn't too hammy which I didn't really expect with it being a complete overhaul. It's fine overall but the soundtrack is not really anything special. Gameplay -7- Most players will probably prefer ditching the claustrophobic gameplay of the original but that is at the expense of tension. Lifespan -8- It's worth more than a second run through but it really depends on how much you enjoyed it the first time around. ---Verdict--- I liked Resident Evil 2, although it still doesn't come close to my own RE favourite in Resident Evil 4. I preferred the original or I think it's got a better setting and that's also just strictly a remaster. I cannot say whether the remake has lost something in transition but Capcom have delivered a highly detailed product which shows much care and craft for the original source material. I would recommend RE2 but just don't expect anything mind blowing in what is a very solid package.

Disc would not load in my Xbox. Other discs worked fine so returned for a refund. Got a digital copy and love the game. It's great for newbies and old fans of the series.

Nice game

This remastered version of resident evil 2 is gorgeous to look at with new stunning graphics, easily making it the best one yet! the game is very atmospheric and scary throughout, the gore is top notch with splatter headshots etc, crazy scary bosses, the music is great too adding more depth to the scares and the sound effects of course, the main story can be played on a casual setting through to hardcore as usual depending on your skills, there is plenty running around as usual collecting keys and items to unlock new areas etc, not too many brain teasers, all he clues you need are there somewhere. the story can be played through twice with each character adding a different perspective on the story and making slight changes so its not the same playthrough. there are a few extras like artwork and 3D models you unlock as you play that you can view in a gallery, and characters have other outfits you can wear during play. if your a resident evil fan this game is a must for the collection, lets hope they remaster nemesis next! Once you complete the story with both characters you unlock another play mode. Look out for the FREE DLC coming soon for this game, adding extra story missions.