4.5/5 ★ – squid0812's review of Resident Evil 2.

Something of a quantum leap forward for the Resident Evil series. The RPD may lack the iconic reputation of the Spencer Mansion from the original game, but in every other aspect - level design, scope, environmental detail - it’s a significant upgrade. This is also a much more cinematic experience - it keeps the campy sense of schlock but ditches the cheap voice acting and FMV of the original game. Consequently, the set pieces are shockingly effective - from the first licker appearance, to Chief Irons giving his deranged villain speech with the dead body of the mayor’s daughter draped over his desk, to nearly every sequence involving Mr. X, RE2 really nails multiple shades of creepiness and tension in a way that’s rare for any game, let alone one from the PS1 era. One way that this game didn’t really change from the original Resident Evil is in the gameplay - it’s still principally about solving a series of relatively simple puzzles, fighting off zombies and other monsters, and managing inventory slots as you explore a confined space. I openly acknowledge that tastes will vary here - some people really can’t stand the tank controls and fixed camera angles. I, for one, love the gameplay of early Resident Evil. Exploring a space that’s been stricken by catastrophe, improvising on the fly in order to conserve resources, blowing zombie heads clean off with sweet, sonorous shotgun blasts - all of these are gaming tropes that I am huge sucker for, and this game has them in spades. Of course, some elements of this game haven’t aged well. The zapping system was meant to add a wrinkle to the inventory management as you played through the game with each character - but the choices it involves are so slight that the effect is barely noticeable. Add on the fact that many parts of the story make no sense if you choose to play Leon A / Claire B, and I’m inclined to label this system a dud. Also, the sequences in which the player controls a character other than Leon or Claire are annoying (if mercifully short) slogs. Still, whatever its flaws, RE2 was where Resident Evil crossed the line from being an intriguing diversion to being one of my all-time favorite game franchises. Having replayed this fairly recently as a point of comparison with the (superb) remake, I can testify that this game holds up exceedingly well. Not to be missed.