Being a Resident Evil fan over the last 14 years has been very tough. From the controversial over the shoulder perspective that purists still detest, to the linear structure, simplified puzzle design, and emphasis on action to be more accessible for newcomers, and even co-operative play to capitalize on the rise of online gaming. Capcom would do whatever it took to keep Resident Evil in the mainstream. Which was evident even in the so called return to form that was Resident Evil 7 with its first-person perspective, open yet simplified design, and overall lack of series iconography so that the Resident Evil brand can get its foot into the VR market and compete with all the niche horror experiences flooding it.
At first, I was accepting of these new games. The quality, polish, and fun I was having was undeniable. I was young, didn't really question much, and I was just along for the ride. But as I grew older and wiser, I started to see things more clearly. I started to feel more and more disappointed with this series. With each new installment, the series would only stray farther and farther from why I loved these games. But after 14 years, I think I can finally say...
RESIDENT EVIL IS BACK!
Holy sh*t! Capcom actually did it. Capcom actually remembers how to make a Resident Evil game. I'm so f*cking surprised with how much this game feels like a Resident Evil game, and sure, a lot of that might have to do with the fact that they're using one of, if not, the greatest Resident Evil game as their foundation, but Capcom could have honestly gone in so many different and worse directions than what we ended up with.
At first, I was unsure how I felt about Capcom taking such an iconic game and tarnishing its unique gameplay by modernizing it with the over the shoulder perspective due to the stigma that carries with this franchise, but wow, they really refrained from taking this into the action hand holdy route. This really feels like a Resident Evil game. I still can't get over that. It's pretty amazing too, because this is the first time, ever since the franchise went over the shoulder, that we get a game that uses that modern gameplay perspective within that classic Resident Evil design. That's pretty mind blowing.
I've been asking for that for years, because unlike the purists who trashed RE4's decision to go over the shoulder, I actually understood why the choice was made and I honestly had no problem with it. While I still firmly believe that fixed cameras are a lost art and actually enhanced the horror in the survival horror genre, I still saw the potential in the over the shoulder perspective and could recognize that the perspective itself wasn't what ruined the franchise, but all the other choices made to make the game more accessible and action focused. The tank like controls and classic Resident Evil gameplay were definitely still in tact, so it was never the gameplay that didn't feel like Resident Evil, it was its design.
But for a while there, it just seemed like that Metroidvania design was a thing of the past for survival horror games. Resident Evil ditched it, and both Dead Space and The Evil Within followed RE4's linear footsteps, and like that, we lost one of the greatest elements of survival horror. But then RE7 came along and gave us a glimpse of that design, but that's all it was. A cheap attempt to trick us into thinking the game had so much in common with the originals while still largely playing it safe so that newcomers don't get lost or have a hard time finding the solutions to puzzles so that they can progress more easily. REmake 2 on the other hand goes full blown Metroidvania.
But it's not just that either. Health and ammo aren't overly abundant. There's enough for you to get by, but it's spread across in a way that doesn't make you feel powerful during each encounter and playing smart rewards you with a comfortable amount of supplies by the end, just like any classic Resident Evil game before it.
Speaking of the encounters though, holy sh*t, zombies are intimidating again. I absolutely love the way they handled zombies here. The last time we saw them, they were used as cannon fodder, but now, even 1 or 2 zombies can be a nightmare. I love that they take so many shots and that you never know if they're truly dead or not. On my first playthrough, I would keep getting surprised each time I'd backtrack by zombies I thought I had killed already, so it definitely adds an element of randomization to keep the player tense. Their sporadic movements combined with the unfocused reticle really makes for a good compromise for the much easier free-aiming style of the over the shoulder perspective and greatly balances the zombies in this survival horror setting.
Though, we can't talk about encounters and not mention Mr. X. I had huge concerns about this guy just being another Jack Baker and I'm glad he feels nothing like him. Mr. X feels like a force to be reckoned with. Those loud foot steps always following you really keep you tense and always moving which unless you know what you're doing, can really mess you up which is sooo good. He always keeps me on edge whenever I'm in a room and I just keep hearing those footsteps or whenever I think I lost him only to run into him. On later playthroughs, he's not as much of a threat, yet his presence is still very effective. Small nitpick though, I know there's an area where he busts through a wall like in the original, which I've yet to experience myself which is a bummer, but I do wish there were just a couple more scripted dramatic moments like that sprinkled around the game that only trigger whenever you've lost him. For instance, like how in the original, he climbs over the railing and corners you on the second floor or how you're hit with a huge scare when you see him on the security camera heading right your way.
And while we're talking about enemies, I might as well mention the Lickers, because they're total assholes here. I swear, these guys are stupid fast. Trying to avoid them is just as scary as trying to outrun them. It's like they can still hear you creeping around and they react to it even if they're not on the attack and they make you tense the hell up with how close they can get to you. I thought the Ivy Zombies were pretty cool too. Can't say I missed their original cartoony plant-like design. The first time I encountered one was so cool, and up close, they're grotesque as hell. I will say though, I am a bit disappointed at the lack of Spiders. They feel like a staple of classic Resident Evil, and they would have definitely made for some nice variety in the sewers as the G Creatures were a bit overused and tedious.
I think it's strange how easily I jumped into this game when my initial impressions on the demo were pretty mixed. Though admittedly, I didn't spend too much time with it. I made some adjustments to the field of view and camera wobble, and everything just came together. I remember Leon feeling really heavy before, not being comfortable with toggling the stick to run, and opening doors just by moving into them, yet none of that was an issue for me. I don't know if I just got used to it or if they actually tweaked some things in the final game. Overall though, gameplay feels like a natural evolution of the classic controls and movement. Kind of like Revelations 2 but more limited. I will say however, the knife still feels kind of cheap. There's just something off about the knife ever since RE6. It felt perfect in RE4 and 5. Like, the way it connects and the way the character holds it out in front of them. Now, it looks and feels like they're barely trying.
I praised the Resident Evil engine back when RE7 came out, and I still think it's really awesome. The visuals and the sound design are just absolutely amazing. I've said the photo realism of RE7 was the best Resident Evil has looked since REmake's and 0's pre-rendered backgrounds, and this game really shows it with how it brings the iconic setting of RE2 to life, as opposed to some rundown hillbilly house that looks like my old basement. Even the characters look great. While I absolutely hated Redfield in RE7, the characters here look a lot closer to what they're supposed to look like or at least get the idea of them in current generation graphics across way better than Redfield did.
Their performances contributed a lot to that too. Leon and Claire have so much more character and their great performances add so much to the believability that these new actors are who they are portraying, unlike Redfield who could have at least made up for his lack of resemblance by actually sounding and acting like Chris Redfield. Marvin and Kendo are also real standouts that add life and character to this world. Oh, and Chief Irons is legitimately creepy as f*ck... I got serious pedophile vibes from him.
Though I will say, I'm still unsure about Kendo's use in this game. For so long, he's just been the gun shop owner who gets killed when zombies break in, and it was a really memorable moment, and now it's gone in favor of some sad and tragic story that doesn't really affect the characters. I was disappointed by how short Leon's trek to the police station was this time, and I was absolutely blown away with how they completely rearranged those missing locations the further I got into the game. I really enjoyed Claire's outside portion, but the gun shop just doesn't live up to its original purpose. Not to mention the risk/reward predicament that it creates with obtaining the shotgun. It's a small gripe, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
As much as I absolutely love this game and see this as the return of Resident Evil, it's not without its faults and there are some pretty big ones. I keep seeing everyone say that this game sets the standard for remakes and I honestly don't get it. To say that is to completely disregard how amazing the original game was/still is.
Resident Evil REmake is still the definition of how you do a remake, because, you gotta ask yourself, is this really so good that it not only retains everything that made the original special, but also does it better in every single way? For many, including myself, that describes REmake perfectly. I see no reason to play the original ever again because it offers me nothing that the REmake doesn't already have. Resident Evil 2 on the other hand is a completely different experience from its original and for that, I can't really say that the original RE2 holds no more value.
Right off the bat, you won't get that classic fixed camera gameplay experience from the REmake. Which is a shame because I heard from someone over at Reset Era that fixed cameras were indeed going to be in the game, and it made sense given they had announced before that the game had lock on assisted aiming. So I don't really see any excuse as to why they couldn't include the option and I'm still holding out hope that it's yet to be announced DLC. And I know asking for fixed cameras in 2019 has got to be like hearing a broken record, but I'm not asking for fixed cameras for RE8, just this remake because it makes sense, even if just as an option.
Leon and Claire's scenarios are also very problematic. How is it that a game that came out in 1998 has 4 unique scenarios and a zapping system that affects the other character's scenario in several ways, yet the 2019 REmake couldn't even manage 2 consistent stories? I remember starting up Claire's 2nd run and thinking what the hell are people talking about? This is different enough from Leon's story, while still being disappointed and confused at the repeat boss fights and Mr. X somehow being killed by William Birkin. But that aside, I thought it was unique enough, until I played Claire's 1st run only to find out the only thing that changes is how you start the game but everything after the medallion puzzle is just tied to the character and not the run you're playing.
It honestly feels like a tacked on last minute idea. Especially since Capcom even confirmed the A/B scenarios wouldn't return, only for these 2 runs to be quietly discovered on the day of release. I thought the weapons, characters you meet, and path you take was dependent on the run you were playing and you'll get to see each character go through the other's story and have different interactions with characters, but nope, this isn't 1998.
The story also feels a bit neutered as well. Some cutscenes and interactions are just gone from this remake and some of it is just alluded to without proper explanation or just weirdly conveyed. I really wish we could have gotten more instances where Leon and Claire interact and are maybe even separated by Mr. X just to make their split up believable. It's crazy how many things were in the original that made the game so much better than its predecessor that are just not here. The original is just so much more fleshed out in ways this REmake isn't. It's still baffling how poorly they handled the 2 scenarios with the repeat boss fights and character interactions with Annette.
I'm also disappointed that they dropped the ball with the ink ribbons. Why is it that if you want an experience closer to the originals with ink ribbons and no checkpoints that it's gotta come with stronger enemies? They should have really just implemented a classic mode that adds ink ribbons to the game regardless of the difficulty. I also have to mention this but it's not so much a critique of the game, but a critique on Capcom for charging money for costumes that the 1998 original offered as a free game reward. Even the original soundtrack. Who the hell charges for a soundtrack in a video game? That's just unbelievable. At the very least, they seem to be making quality products again which is something, considering how sh*t Capcom has been as of late.
I remember when this game was first announced in 2015. I wasn't excited, I expected the worst. It was fixed cameras or nothing for me. But you know what, I think I get it now. This game had to happen this way, so that Capcom can move forward in the right direction with Resident Evil. What better way to go back to your roots than to actually revisit those roots with what is arguably the best example of a Resident Evil game in RE2? It was kind of the same deal with REmake back in 2002. Before they moved on with projects like RE0 and RE4, they took a step back and revisited the original game to give players an idea of what Resident Evil is on the then new hardware.
While it is definitely not the greatest remake of all time like everyone is trying to call it, it's still a damn great game in its own right. It's a game that feels unlike anything around today. A game that delves deeper into the realm of survival horror than anything ever has in so many years. It's everything Resident Evil should have been and could be, because Resident Evil just hasn't been this much like itself in so long. Resident Evil is back.
9/10