Product Description

Resident Evil 2 for Sony Playstation. One of Capcoms Best Games Ever.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4724 in Video Games
• Brand: Capcom
• Released on: 1999-07-01
• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Platform: PlayStation

Features

• 1 Player
• 2 Disc Set
• Analog Control Compatible
• Rated M for Mature

Editorial Review
Raccoon City has been overrun by the living dead, and you are one of only a dwindling handful of survivors. You must escape the doomed city or become part of a ghastly new food chain: one with you at the bottom.

You play as either Leon Kennedy, a rookie cop who's having a really bad first day on the job, or Claire Redfield, sister of one of the stars of the original Resident Evil. Leon and Claire's meeting is depicted in a visually stunning, B-movie cutscene. They're quickly separated, but occasionally meet up throughout the game.

Right after the gruesome intro, you're dumped into the thick of things and have to dash through the devastated city streets, fleeing from one horde of zombies after another. As you make your way to a supposed refuge--the city police station--you find evidence that the citizenry fought bravely against the undead menace--and lost. Smashed barricades, abandoned police cars, boarded-up stores, dismembered bodies, and hundreds of expended bullet shell casings are all-too-common sights. Once you reach the station, you discover the remains of a siege. The defenders' desperate final hours are recorded in a fragmented journal. Its pages detail a possible escape route through an underground passage. Did the cops make it out? The alarming number of zombies wearing tattered police uniforms may be a clue.

Resident Evil 2 keeps the terrific puzzles and action of the original while vastly improving cinematic qualities such as dialogue, camera angles, cutscenes, atmosphere, and location design. An instant survival horror classic, Resident Evil 2 has it all. --John Cocking

Pros:

• Zombies
• Cheesy horror movie action
• Real sense of dread--actually makes you jump with fright
• 2 characters, 2 different angles on the story

• Clumsy save-game interface
• Backtracking for puzzles

GameSpot Review
Resident Evil 2 is the first really big, ultrahyped blockbuster of '98, and what Capcom has pulled off is more an interactive, cinematic experience than a video game. Seriously. Picking up a few months after the events of the first game, RE2 sees the entire town of Raccoon City hit with the devastating virus that zombified only a few dozen folks in the original Resident Evil. It's up to rookie cop Leon Kennedy, and Claire Redfield, sister of one of the main RE characters, to save not only themselves but any and all survivors, to boot.

The gameplay remains basically the same as before: As one of two characters, you solve puzzles and shoot monsters. The original Resident Evil featured two playable personas as well, although the differences between the two weren't incredibly significant. One could carry more items than the other could, while the other was easier to play, and they both had their own distinct storylines. In Resident Evil 2 the differences between the two are a bit more interesting. For example, Claire starts off with a lock pick, while Leon begins with a lighter, which alone changes the order in which the game's puzzles must be solved. Each character also finds different weapons along his or her quest. For instance, Claire will find a grenade launcher, however when playing as Leon, a shotgun will be in its place. In addition, Leon and Claire encounter a string of different characters throughout the game, so naturally their stories don't unfold in nearly the same way. The subtle changes between Claire and Leon don't make each character's story feel completely different, but they're enough to make you want to know what happens further into the game.

On top of that, once you play through the game as one character, a second scenario is opened up for the other - for instance, win the game with Claire and you'll unlock Leon's alternative scenario. (It's kind of like Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, where you see how one situation or scenario looked from another character's perspective.) And since both characters are supposedly running through the many locations of Raccoon City at the same time, the things you do in the first scenario will affect the other character in his or her second scenario. For instance, if you pick up the submachine gun with Leon the first time out and you later go to the same place with Claire, the submachine gun won't be there. Admittedly, it's mostly cool in concept, since it really doesn't come into play that much.

What really makes Resident Evil 2 so amazing is simple: It has more of what people liked about the first Resident Evil - weapons, ammo, creatures, and most importantly, many, many instances when you'll be genuinely scared. If you played the first game, you're sure to remember that your first encounter with a zombie took your breath away, and that you ran scared from the game's boss. These types of terrifying moments are commonplace in Resident Evil 2, and the effect is awesome. How does it scare you? Well, as in the great classic horror movies, it's a combination of eerie low-key mood music and sound effects such as a lone dog howling at the moon in the distance (that could just be right in the next room), followed by loud, shrieking music played perfectly on cue and sudden jolts of terror, like the arms of a zombie bursting through a boarded up window, right as you happen to be walking by. Things like that.

Of course Resident Evil 2 comes with all of the trimmings: 3D-rendered backgrounds with 3D polygonal characters running through them. Visually, it looks a lot like the first Resident Evil game, except with incredibly improved graphics and character animations. For example, the heroes, zombies, and other creatures now all move with true realism, with head-tracking effects that make them look at what is near them (like a rabid dog or a zombie eating a dead policeman). Also improved over the original is that you can tell the extent of your character's injuries simply by looking at his or her body language instead of having to repeatedly check the status screen to see how hurt your character is. There are one of three states: perfectly functioning, holding the side in pain but still functioning properly, and unable to run and in horrible pain. This damage system is both effective and cool.

This isn't to say Resident Evil 2 is flawless though, as there are some points that could have been improved. Some of the puzzles just seem a little out of place and might make more sense in a different setting... a police station that has a room with three large statues, one with a ruby in its hand, and some sort of pressure-sensitive floor that triggers the ruby to fall out of the statue's hand? C'mon! It's not as much a problem as the inventory management system, which hasn't been changed at all. As in the first RE, you are only allowed to carry eight items at any time (except for an item that allows you to carry a few more items). You must mindlessly keep bringing items to and retrieving them from these "magical" storage bins that somehow share contents with aother bins, and always seem to be really, really far from where you are. If realism is what the developers were shooting for, as it seems to be in RE2, then you should have the ability to set items down wherever and pick them back up again at your leisure, and you should be able to carry more things, too. Really, a key and a rocket launcher don't take up the same space or weigh nearly the same.

But in the end, Resident Evil 2 is one of the most entertaining games I've ever played. With its unique camera angles, storyline, graphics, sound effects, and music, Resident Evil 2 seems more like a product out of Hollywood than the video game industry. Resident Evil 2 surpasses its predecessor in nearly every aspect of gameplay, and in short, Capcom has outdone itself. -- Ryan Mac Donald

--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Customer Reviews

the best in the series; flat out awesome
STORYLINE: Resident evil 2 places you into the boots of Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield (your choice), who after arriving into Raccoon City realize that its infested with man eating zombies, giant spiders, and other things you can't even imagine. Unfortunately, simply driving out of the town in a car will not cut it, so you'll have to guide 'em through such places as research facilities and police stations to find an alternate escape. Along the way you'll discover the story behind all the chaos and come across many plot twists, and you'll meet some nice, and others bizzare, characters along the way.
PROS: This games replay value is off the charts. There are so many hidden features (two hidden characters, and an alternate scenario for the two main characters) that you won't want to drop this game for a very long time. The action and suspense levels are also mind blowing, as you tackle down hordes of the zombies and much worse enemies with pistols, grenade launchers, and magnums. Graphics, control, and sound all hit the bullseye with this game.
CONS: Voice acting is absolutely horrible. Each characters voice is monotone and has no feeling behind it. Though it hurts the game, its not so effective that you hate the game; its only a minor, minor problem.
OVERALL: a must have game if you are a Playstation owner. The storyline and gameplay makes Resident Evil 2 one of the best PSone games to own.

This is by far my Favorite Game!!
If you are thinking of buying this game, do not hesitate... I have played this game all the way through twice, and I am about ready for another go at it. When my husband first bought it, I thought, "Oh great, just another shoot 'em up game." Then I started watching him play, and I got so into it that I couldn't wait for it to be my turn. The replay value is great, and I guarantee that this game will not let you down.

Highly Addicting Horror Game
Is it a movie or a video game? Try both and they suceed fairly well. So well, that it will keep you in front of the TV screen for hours on end, trying to reach the end. Breaks will be brief, only as long as it takes the paramedics to restart your heart after a particularly terrifying scene.

The opening computer generated opening is well done and tense, creating an atmosphere of horror as the dead literally rise up to attack you. Hollywood should take note. From there music, camera angles, and surprise manipulate the player as do cinematic cut scenes that allow you to know the character you play and care what occurs to them.

With only a thin sheen of realism (would there really be such strange puzzles?) the game involves the players in a storyline that is told through his or her actions, cut scenes, and printed information. The pacing is tense with surprises all abound right up to the ending.

What makes this game work so well is its attempt at depth. Not only can you play as two different characters with somewhat different storylines, beating these games open up alternative versions or "B" games. These B games are even better as you are stalked by a mysterious and indestructible Mr. X. Never knowing when he may appear allows you to replay the game again (with some differences) and not get bored.

All told, the game is highly satisfying. Though there are minor quibbles with inventory (a discard command to set down an item would work SO well) and a too difficult final battle in the B game, they do not detract from the game. Told as a movie, with moving scenes, it sets a new standard for gaming excellence.