Resident Evil 2 HAS to be one of the most groundbreaking games ever to hit the original Playstation gaming console. Not to mention the most addicting. Well, Dino Crisis 2 is probably the most addicting, but this game comes next.
As I surf around the internet reading peoples opinions and thoughts on video games, I like to search for reviews from people who reviewed innovative games back in the day, and compare those reviews to the most recent ones to see if the general opinion has changed any, as the years went by. Sometimes a game that seemed unstoppable back in the day won't be remembered today, such as Earthworm Jim. With Resident Evil 2, opinions have remained extremely positive all these years later. People are *still* talking about Resident Evil 2 today, in 2007. Why? What IS it about Resident Evil 2 that makes people keep coming back for more?
Could it be an addiction to shooting zombies over and over? That may be it, because, despite the fact that zombies walk slowly and predictably through each area of the game you explore, something about wanting to keep killing them *never* gets boring. Maybe it's hearing that "pop" sound from the handgun and watching a zombie bleed and take a step back to gather their brain dead thoughts that makes the game so memorable? These zombies are actually pretty animated when you consider the age this game was released (1997-1998). Sometimes you walk into a room and a zombie will be walking the other way, you shoot, and it will slowly turn around and come after you. This is pretty cool. It means they're not entirely stupid. They know when someone is trying to kill them again.
You can literally blow zombies in half with a single shotgun blast! To add even more creativity to the game, Capcom allowed the top-half of their bodies to CRAWL after you after they've been blown in half. Sometimes, only two or three handgun shots will kill a zombie off, while other times it might take up to eight or nine shots to kill one. It's all part of the mystery and uncertainty that makes shooting these bad boys so much fun.
Other times, zombies will trick you into thinking they're dead, only to grab around your ankle when you try walking past them. You really have to make sure you finished them off before heading towards the next part of the police station. Otherwise, they will be back when you return. Or at the very least, make sure you walk around them *completely* when they're laying on the ground, and don't come near them. I won't spoil anything, but using a magnum bullet on a zombie will give you the ultimate satisfaction. I guarantee it!
There's no telling what will happen. Zombies will simply continue walking up to you until a puddle of blood forms on the ground, confirming they're finally dead. I like the added special touch of having zombies dressed in a police uniform, in addition to having female zombies walk up to you and attack. You don't want to hurt a female zombie but, you know, it's either you or her that dies. Decide!
What else makes Resident Evil 2 still *very* addicting 10 years later? Maybe it's the multiple storylines and all the quests? You see, the game is 2 discs long, and each disc contains two different quests. To get the ultimate experience out of Resident Evil 2, you need to beat all four quests, twice with the female character (named Claire) and twice with the male character (Leon). Each one of these four adventures has zombies and items appearing in different locations, giving the game a ton of replay value. Of course, most of the replay value is found in just shooting zombies left and right. This is very addicting, trust me. You will love killing them over and over.
Besides zombies, giant spiders, vicious dogs, and these disgusting creatures called "lickers" also occupy the police station. I'd say lickers are definitely the most complicated enemy to deal with because they have a habit of leaping at you with their claw hanging forward, and stabbing you. I love when you enter a room and you can't see a licker, but you can definitely hear them. You might hear a ticking sound or a very deep breathing sound to alert you a licker is around somewhere. I can't put into words how disturbingly Exorcist-like this game can be.
To save your game, you need to put an ink ribbon into a typewriter. Each ink ribbon you find actually holds two of them, so you can save your game twice when you find one of these. Most ink ribbons are found in the same room as the typewriter, but others can be hidden in rooms where no typewriter is found. You don't need to find ALL of them in order to beat the game, but it would certainly help you out in the long run if you store as many ink ribbons are you can. You never know when it might be a good time to save.
Bullets are plentiful. Handgun bullets, especially. They're everywhere on easy mode. So are shotgun bullets, however, make sure you save as many shotgun bullets are you can because towards the end of the game, when enemies get meaner and angrier, they will come in handy. You don't want to come face to face with three angry lickers and only have handgun bullets with you, believe me. Also, the magnum (which is found in the beginning of the game) is the ultimate weapon.
Of course, shotguns and magnums are only available for the Leon quest. In Claire's quest, you have something called Acid Rounds and a Bow Gun, which are equally as dangerous. They do tremendous damage to enemies, which means it would be wise to save them until the end of the game.
To heal yourself, you need to collect green herbs that are laying throughout the police station, and white spray bottles (which heal you completely). They are everywhere in the game, which means, on easy mode NONE of the four quests are really that hard. Just don't go around shooting everything you see and you should have no problem finishing the game.
The graphics are dated now, obviously, but back in 1998 we've never SEEN anything like this before. Outside on the streets is nighttime, and the lights in the police station are dim and just as scary and fitting. It's hard to believe how real the atmosphere is. The only negative is that the music isn't quite as good as you've probably read. Neither are the sound effects (except for the sounds those lickers make). Silent Hill has the game beat in this area.
The only problem is that each of the four quests are between 2 and 2 and a half hours long. By todays standards, that's incredibly short. However, if you add up the play time for all four quests, you're looking at a good 10 hours of zombie-shootin'. Honestly, you're supposed to go through the four quests to get everything out of Resident Evil 2 (something I didn't realize until a year after I bought it).
Saying this game is groundbreaking isn't really enough. Resident Evil 2 opened peoples eyes about the mystery and fascination of zombies, and how frightening they can be. Capcom showed people how zombies walking around moaning and spitting can catch your attention and frighten you. The zombies shown in movies aren't nearly as scary as the ones in this game, in my opinion. Zombie movies are laughable, almost like comedy movies. In a video game, it's a more serious and terrifying situation. Not to mention much bloodier in video game form. I'm sure you can find me an example of a scary zombie movie, but I haven't seen one yet.
It should also be noted that the Playstation One had a bunch of similar zombie games available when the console was popular, but almost every one of them went by unnoticed. The Resident Evil series was simply too popular and fun for any imitations to catch on and gain success. Then again, I haven't really played any of the games that supposedly rip off the RE series, so they might be worth playing as far as I know.
Resident Evil 2 also helped the whole "survival horror" genre gain major popularity. Before this game, the genre didn't really have a proper name. We just called them "scary games" or whatever. Also, the play control in this game was excellent, not to mention important in helping people understand how to control characters in a 3D world. The Resident Evil series might not allow a lot of room to walk around, but I don't think it's supposed to. You're supposed to get a sense of claustrophobia. You spend the majority of the time in tight hallways and small rooms.
Resident Evil 2 stands proud today as a major achievement in the world of video games and a game people will probably never forget. Owning it will do you some good. |
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