Everything You Need to Know Before Buying Resident Evil 2. A Guide for Newbies and Fans

20 years later, gamers will turn on their consoles and computers again to play Resident Evil 2.

In early 2019, players will receive an updated version with improved graphics and modern gameplay. According to the developers, even fans who have fully studied the game will have to start over. What to say about newbies. To make it easier to survive, and to kill zombies is more fun, we’ll talk about a remake of Resident Evil 2, and figure out what awaits us in the half-dead Raccoon City.

Plot and characters

Resident Evil 2 takes place in Raccoon City during a zombie apocalypse caused by the T virus. In the midst of the epidemic, police recruit Leon Kennedy and student Claire Redfield arrive in the city in search of Chris’ brother.

They will play for both characters, besides, their stories complement each other and affect the gameplay. The developers of the original Resident Evil 2 were so clever with the script that the game must be played at least four times to open the entire plot. Fortunately or unfortunately, this will not be in the remake.

Resident Evil 2 / Photo: NV

Producer of the game Yoshiaki Hirabayashi said that the story was decided not to stretch into four scenarios. The events of Resident Evil 2 will also be shown from the side of Claire and Leon, but now players will be able to see everything in two passes.

“I think today’s gamers want a deep and strong story, and by stretching the narrative into 4 scenarios, we will make it blurry and repetitive, making the game play many times,” said Yoshiaki.

The heroes will begin their adventures alone, but in the future, everyone will acquire a partner. Claire will meet with Sheri, the daughter of William Birkin, the very creator of the ill-fated zombie virus. Leon will get Ada Wong, who arrived in Raccoon City “in search of her boyfriend.” After completing the game, you will understand why these quotes are here. There will also be two secret characters in Resident Evil 2, but they deserve special attention.

Resident Evil 2 / Photo: NV

Game process

The developers allowed to personally feel the gameplay of the updated “Resident” even before the game was released. On January 11, Capcom released a demo called 1-Shot Demo, in which players were given 30 minutes to run and shoot zombies. However, this was enough to make a first impression.

The first thing that caught my eye was the atmosphere, which immediately made the heart beat faster and listen to every rustle. Blood is spattered on the walls and floor, the bodies of dead police officers lie in the corners, and a hoarse growl is heard in the distance. Add to this the constant thunderstorm and completely dark rooms, which are illuminated only by the protagonist’s flashlight.

Resident Evil 2 / Photo: NV

The real hell will begin during the meeting with the first enemy. The developers have already frayed their nerves with creepy corridors, and now they slip the walking dead who are slowly but surely moving towards their goal. One zombie won’t be a problem, but a couple of them can easily drive the main character into a dead end.

Fortunately, Leon graduated from the police academy and knows what to do with the gun. There is only one problem – limited ammunition. Firstly, the main character has only six cells in his bag for first-aid kits, cartridges and other things, so you can’t take a lot with you. Secondly, the ammunition in Resident Evil 2 is not lying around at every turn, but scattered around the corners and safes. Often such places are teeming with enemies and here a dilemma arises: to risk your life for a pack of cartridges or to score on them and be content with what you have.

Resident Evil 2 / Photo: NV

Due to the lack of ammunition and medical supplies, firefights become very intense. Plus, sometimes the smartest decision is to just run away, but even this tactic won’t always work in a remake. In the updated RE2, zombies got smarter and learned to open doors, so now you can’t just hide in the toilet and enjoy their genius. You will be found and devoured …

Walking through the Resident Evil 2 demo feels awfully good. Shooting, the atmosphere of the schedule – all this is very captivating, and, most importantly, frightening. The industry hasn’t seen good horror games for a long time, and the updated “resident” might fix that.

What is important to know before starting the game

Resident Evil 2 / Photo: NV

Since you’ve decided to play Resident Evil 2, here are a few things to know before starting the walkthrough.

Resident Evil 2 adapts to the player. 

Usually, the developers allow players to adjust the difficulty. Newbies make their lives easier, and seasoned gamers get more challenges. Capcom decided to make it adaptive. The game will track your progress, analyze it and slip tests based on skills.

If you dashingly deal with zombies, then in the future their number will increase or they will become stronger. Gamers who, on the contrary, will often die, will receive concessions. At the same time, the developers promise that Resident Evil 2 will still keep the player in good shape, not allowing them to relax.

Look for the enemy’s weakness

Roughly 99% of the enemies in Resident Evil 2 are the walking dead and mutants, but they can still be killed … again. To deal with zombies as efficiently as possible, you will have to study their weaknesses. For example, ordinary “walkers” die faster from a headshot. If there are many opponents, then the crowd can be slowed down by shooting at the knees.

In the passage you will also meet Lizuns. Quite dangerous creatures, but with one defect – they are blind. If, upon meeting with this monster, you do not start firing in all directions, then he will hardly notice you. In addition, this creature is tenacious, so take care of the bullets and just try to avoid collisions.

Use the environment

Resident Evil 2 takes place in the police station, but the walls will not protect you from the zombies that roam the street. Dead men know how to break windows and sneak into buildings, so it’s worth nailing up the passageways with boards. The required materials will be scattered around the map, so keep them with you. It is worth remembering that barricades break over time, but they will help you control the onset of zombies.

Also keep in mind that zombies are slow and not friendly with tables. If there are too many dead, then find a small obstacle that will maintain a safe distance between you and the enemy. And the last thing: zombies know how to open doors, so try not to enter small rooms if the crowd is following you.

Expand storage

In Resident Evil 2, you will constantly feel a shortage of supplies, be it ammo, first aid kits, and more. Firstly, there are really few useful things, and secondly, the character initially only has six slots for items, so you can’t take a lot. In order not to feel oppressed, you should immediately expand the storage.

If the demo is not lying, then additional slots open bags hidden at the levels. They will not be lying around in plain sight, so try to check the nooks and crannies, safes, look for keys to locked boxes, and so on. In them you will find not only cartridges and first-aid kits, but also those bags.

Secret characters

It was the turn of those very secret characters, and there are two of them in Resident Evil 2. The first hero – Hank, for whom you will be allowed to play in the mission “The fourth survivor” (The 4th Survivor, – eng.). In the original RE2, the mission was opened after completing the scenarios for Claire and Leon with an A rating. It is possible that the developers will simplify access in the remake. Hank’s story is canonical and tells about the events that take place before the start of Resident Evil 2, so you will find out how the virus got into the city and who is to blame for the apocalypse.

The second secret character is Tofu cheese. Initially, the developers came up with a hero to catch game bugs, but then they decided to make a separate mini-game with him. It’s also the hardest mode in Resident Evil 2, as Tofu only has one knife and three first aid kits.

Where to play?

Resident Evil 2 / Photo: NV

You can play the Resident Evil 2 remake on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. The main difference between the versions is the graphics. On the computer, the “rezik” will look best, and the console players will have to be content with what they have. Just to note that the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X will be able to run the Resident Evil 2 remake in 4K resolution and a refresh rate of 30 frames per second.

You can buy the game from PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, or Steam. The standard edition of the game for consoles will cost you 1,499 hryvnia. The desktop version can be purchased on Steam for the same price.

Resident Evil 2 PC system requirements

Minimum for 1080p and 30FPS:

• OS: Windows 7, 8.1, 10 (64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-4460 or AMD FX-6300 or better
• RAM: 8 GB
• Video card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 or AMD Radeon R7 260x 2 GB
• DirectX: Version 11
• Disk space: 26 GB

Recommended for 1080p and 60FPS:

• OS: Windows 7, 8.1, 10 (64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-3770 or AMD FX-9590 or better
• RAM: 8 GB
• Video card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 480 3 GB
• DirectX: Version 11
• Disk space: 26 GB