Resident Evil 2 is a 1998 survival horror game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation. The gameplay focuses on exploration, puzzles, and combat; the main difference from its predecessor are the branching paths, with each player character having unique storylines, partners and obstacles.

The Story Behind Resident Evil 2

He eventually withdrew into an overseeing role as producer, and only demanded to be shown the latest build once monthly. The environments were created on SGI O2 computers, and each background took two or three weeks to render. The protagonists, instead of being given visible wounds, were made to limp upon receiving heavy damage.

Regional releases required several changes. The North American version contains more violent game over screens, which were removed from the Japanese Biohazard 2. Resident Evil 2 was made more difficult (and thus longer-playing) than its Japanese equivalent to prevent short-term rentals from affecting U.S. sales.

How Resident Evil 2 Plays

In both, the player must reach the goal while fighting every enemy along the way with only the default item loadout. The graphics are composed of real-time generated polygonal characters and item models, superimposed over pre-rendered backgrounds that are viewed from fixed camera angles. The game introduces a "Zapping System" where the two player characters are each confronted with differing puzzles, plot threads, and encounters.

While the player characters may be equipped with firearms, limited ammunition adds a tactical element to combat, forcing the player to choose between engaging or evading encounters. The player character will take damage whenever they are caught by an enemy or hazard, and if they take too much damage, they will die, causing a game over. Kennedy or college student Claire Redfield, as they survive a zombie outbreak in the Raccoon City, a fictional town in the Midwestern Arklay Mountains.

Why Players Still Load It Up

Thomas of IGN considered Resident Evil 2 to be the "trendsetter" for modern zombie media by popularizing the imagery of zombie hordes filling city streets. However, Steve Key of Computer And Video Games disliked the Dreamcast release's low-resolution backgrounds, which he thought made the characters stand out too much from the environments, and thus lessened the atmosphere. They criticized the controls and menu system, but said the controls were an improvement over the original.

Resident Evil 2 was praised for its graphics, which many critics said were a substantial improvement upon those of the first installment. However, he plans to keep the G-virus sample for himself, and shoots her. Weigand advised players who already owned Resident Evil 2 to rent the Dual Shock Ver. for the "Extreme Battle" minigame, and recommended that newcomers buy the updated edition instead of the original release.

Resident Evil 2 — Frequently Asked Questions