Horror games had an excellent last few years. From titles like Alien Isolation, The Evil Within, Until Dawn and more, there was no shortage of variety in the genre. When it comes to the best of the best though, we need to look to the past in a new way. Resident Evil 2 was a classic survival horror game when first released in the 90’s, but is clunky by today’s standards, and parts of it has not aged well at all. After the first game received a full remake for the GameCube, that was later re-released for modern systems in HD, many wondered when Resident Evil 2 would get the same treatment. When it did come in 2019, it was far better than anyone could have ever expected.
Resident Evil 2 Remake is a reimagining of the classic that takes things in new directions. More backstory information is given, some areas play differently, and some events happen in ways they didn’t in the original. But what makes it the ideal horror game is how it marries the ideas of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard with Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5 style gameplay, with enough tweaks to the formula to induce scares. The enemies were different, the atmosphere was different, and it worked perfectly.
Headshots are no longer a one hit kill against the zombies, and even the shotgun is not a guarantee. This increased the tension perfectly, as you had to manage your resources while trying to survive. Then we have Mr. X, a character from the original game that was overshadowed and not as well remembered, and was reimagined in a big way here. Hearing his footsteps is a great way for players to start freaking out, and many players have stated that the sounds of their own footsteps in the game have scared them due to their paranoia about Mr. X.
REmake 2 did everything right. It blended horror and action in a way that didn’t have the action overshadow the horror, reimagined the story in a way that surprised longtime fans, and created a truly engaging experience. The different scenarios were also overhauled and streamlined, and are a treat for players coming back after the original. In addition, more new content was added to expand on the side characters, and this has done wonders for the worldbuilding in Resident Evil. Another plus is how well the world has been made a part of the game, with every aspect of Racoon City playing a vital role in the game. Whether you are solving new puzzles, defending yourself, or exploring the areas, there is a sense of living terror that exists within the world.
The only other game that has come close to this in recent years, was Alien Isolation, but I feel that REmake 2 pulls ahead just slightly, due to its better blend of horror and action. This is a damn fine game, and the best of the 2010’s when it comes to horror.