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[Ghosts Of Gaming Past] A Review Of ‘Resident Evil 2’
Written by T. Blake Braddy, @blakebraddy
Resident Evil was not a total and complete surprise for the gaming public, in that it built on a stable of smaller, less ambitious and marketable games, but for the most part the hit that became a franchise knocked everyone sideways. It was a creepy, small, and moody bit of entertainment, a stake in the ground signifying that gaming was shifting to a more adult perspective.
Resident Evil 2 is interesting in part because of the weird path it took to release. A near-completed version of the game (now known as Resident Evil 1.5) was scrapped after an initial build was not up to the standards of the creator Shinji Mikami, and a redesign of the core experience was ordered. Some elements (like the police station) remained intact while others (the sidekicks) were altered or edited out completely. Such revamps are not atypical in the gaming industry, but they also do not bode particularly well for the final released version. Still, despite these concerns, RE2 was an out-and-out hit and became one of the best-selling games in history, as well as cementing the legacy of Resident Evil.
And Resident Evil 2 isn’t just ambitious by the standards of the series. It is ambitious by any metric applied to video game sequels. It grows the world, the fiction, and the gameplay in new and interesting ways, all while capturing the claustrophobia and weirdness that made the first game stand out. The question remains: does it hold up after all these years?
This time around, the zombie outbreak isn’t contained within a mansion on the hill. It has spread through Raccoon City with no sign of slowing down. Umbrella’s tampering with the human genome has had catastrophic results, and once again players assume the role of the uninitiated newcomer, here to contend with the zombie outbreak. People can choose between Leon Kennedy (for his first day on the job with the RCPD) or Claire Redfield (who is looking for her older brother, Chris), and though the game is only shades different for each character, the way the mirrored experiences reveal new story and areas gives players reasons to play and replay the game.
In fact, this two-disc beast offers both an A and B scenario for each player, and finishing the game with one means picking up the other character for a different experience. Completely beating the game is akin to playing it through four times, which says a lot in favor of its value. The game’s breadth dwarfs the previous entry’s by comparison without straying too far from what made it great.
Another note on story: even though the Resident Evil franchise is commonly referred to as survival horror, RE2 goes great lengths to explain how it is also a work of soft sci-fi. There are enough secret labs, robot arms, and experiments gone wrong to satisfy more than just the people jumping at monster closets. Furthermore, the latter portions of the game feel more in tune with Aliens than the ‘of the Living Dead’ universe.
It’s difficult to assess the sequel to Resident Evil without discussing its relationship to the first game, which had some problems: the dialogue was bad, the graphics were blocky, and the controls were somewhat unwieldy. The dialogue is still kind of clunky, but less so than in Resident Evil. (There are no ‘Jill Sandwich’ embarrassments here.) The voice acting is far better than the original’s, and the game is graphically superior is well. The textures are still blocky, but the graphics, overall, are much more refined this time around.
With the controls, improvement comes down mostly to the tank controls. It could be that I replayed both games within a week of one another, but Resident Evil 2 handles so much better than the first, and I was less likely to sprint into the arms of an oncoming enemy. Additionally, the auto-aim of the first game has been replaced with a free aiming system that, though largely superior, still feels awkward, especially from a distance. It is imprecise and even if it doesn’t matter all that much in a corridor with a single zombie, happening upon a powerful foe can be disastrous if the aiming isn’t performed correctly.
The puzzles that seemed almost on par with being in a haunted mansion really stretch the reality of the fiction in a police station, Resident Evil 2 uses a lot of the same puzzle types. You will continue to push statues and place medallions on fountains to unlock doors. (Who knew that a police station would have so many hidden passageways?)
There is still a sense of esoteric clunkiness to them, however, so it may take a few go-rounds to be able to solve each one. You’ll also spend the majority of your time traipsing back and forth across the landscape to find minuscule items, like jewels and chess piece-shaped plugs, but the game is far less opaque in denoting what exactly players need to find in order to solve the puzzles. It’s an improvement that still carries with it a ‘more of the same’ familiarity on level with the first game.
Players familiar with later games will recognize plenty of the key players in this volume: Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, William Birkin, and Ada Wong, most notably. These are really a few of the central figures in the whole fiction’s sordid and winding history, so it’s neat to see the inception of their storylines. Not only do a variety of NPCs appear, but RE2 takes a dramatic step in allowing players to commandeer and test drive them throughout the game. It is an unusual but surprisingly refreshing idea for a game that can feel plodding when players are left alone for too long.
But we don’t (necessarily) come to Resident Evil for the characters, do we? We come for the monsters, and RE2 improves upon the original’s scattershot and wide-ranging host of baddies. There are arguably fewer monster types, but they are utilized in much more interesting ways. For instance, zombies are a bit smarter, and the zombie lunge this time is a lot more insidious and harmful, so sneaking around the undead is not easily accomplished.
Moreover, the Licker, a dangerous, vicious addition to the monster gallery, provides a counter to slow, lumbering members of the undead at the heart of the universe, and though the first game seemed to be none too discriminating with regard to enemies, RE2 at least focuses its attention on a few key monster while also including the bizarre creatures associated with the Umbrella experiments. You’ll see upright plant creatures and oversized spiders, along with the Tyrant-type super-zombies, and since the enemies never really change locations or respawn, strategically clearing out high-traffic areas makes for a pretty smooth gaming experience.
This game is longer but not necessarily harder, and for those who, like me, could never seem to find a conveniently-placed safe room in the first game (except for the one underneath the stairs on the first floor), the save ribbons are more plentiful and save rooms more conveniently located, so there’s less of a chance that players will wander into a room with a boss without having recently saved.
Players will wind through the station and descend into a futuristic lab, and as the game reaches its final climax, it becomes clear that the development team learned plenty from the pitfalls of the original entry. To put a finer point on it, Resident Evil 2 not only gives a satisfying backstory to the Big Bad of the game but also teases his ultimate arrival through some memorable sequences, whereas in the first game, Tyrant’s entrance was preceded by literally minutes of ham-handed exposition about the nature of Umbrella and so forth. This, to me, is the great metaphor about the difference between the two and why the second game is superior.
Ultimately, Resident Evil 2 is a longer, more refined version of the first game, but with some great additions. It works to underline what made RE1 so cool. And even though Resident Evil established the franchise, Resident Evil 2 is where the series really hits its stride. The game plays well, looks cool, sounds creepy, and gives you plenty of playtime for your dollar, so have at it. You’ll not regret the decision.
The Final Word: Like with my recommendation for the first game, only pick up the PS1 version if you’re looking for the genuine experience. Otherwise, grab one of the many up-res versions of the game, and it will play similarly but will look substantially better.
We are now one full month into Spring 2024, which kicked off on Tuesday, March 19 and comes to an end with the start of Summer on Thursday, June 20. This year’s summer movie season has a whole bunch of exciting horror highlights, including A Quiet Place: Day One, MaXXXine, and Alien: Romulus, but let’s hold that particular thought until June rolls around.
We’re here today to talk about Spring 2024 and the many horrors we still have left before the weather gets warmer and we find ourselves in the heat of one hell of a spooky summer.
Here are 12 horror movies you don’t want to miss in Spring 2024!
STING – April 12
Two words: SPIDER HORROR. Writer/Director Kiah Roache-Turner (Wyrmwood) hopes to induce eight-legged terror with his brand new horror movie Sting, only in theaters April 12.
Of particular note, Sting features practical spider effects from 5-time Academy Award Winner Weta Workshop, with the spider in this one inspired by H.R. Giger’s Xenomorph!
In Sting, “One cold, stormy night in New York City, a mysterious object falls from the sky and smashes through the window of a rundown apartment building. It is an egg, and from this egg emerges a strange little spider. The creature is discovered by Charlotte, a rebellious 12-year-old girl obsessed with comic books. Keeping it as a secret pet, she names it Sting.
“But as Charlotte’s fascination with Sting increases, so does its size. Growing at a monstrous rate, Sting’s appetite for blood becomes insatiable.”
BLACKOUT – APRIL 12
Indie darling Larry Fessenden is back with new horror movie Blackout this Spring, Fessenden’s third movie – following Habit and Depraved – to put his own spin on classic monsters.
While Habit was centered on vampires and Depraved was a fresh take on Frankenstein’s Monster, Larry Fessenden’s Blackout is the filmmaker’s contribution to werewolf cinema.
The film follows Charley, an artist whose drinking binges blur with his sneaking suspicion that he might be a werewolf. He distances himself from those he loves and sinks deeper into solitude, his flashes of memory of his nighttime grisly acts manifested through his artwork.
ARCADIAN – APRIL 12
If Nicolas Cage is covered in blood, you better believe we’re going to be watching. Cage gets his own A Quiet Place with Arcadian, a new creature feature coming to theaters April 12.
In Arcadian, which also comes to Shudder later this year, “After a catastrophic event depopulates the world, a father (Nicolas Cage) and his two sons must survive their dystopian environment while being threatened by mysterious creatures that emerge at night.”
Jaeden Martell (IT 2017) also stars in the post apocalyptic monster movie.
ABIGAIL – APRIL 19
If you’re bummed about Melissa Barrera being fired from the Scream franchise, you’ll definitely want to get out to your local theater this month to support Abigail, the new VAMPIRE BALLERINA horror movie from Scream and Scream VI directors Radio Silence.
Barrera stars alongside fellow horror favorite Kathryn Newton (Freaky) in Abigail, which is actually the latest horror movie in Universal’s relaunched Universal Monsters Universe.
In the film, “After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.”
LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL – APRIL 19
One of the most talked about horror movies of Spring 2024 has been the Halloween 1977-set Late Night With the Devil, which has been playing in theaters since its premiere on March 22.
Late Night with the Devil will begin streaming at home on April 19, 2024, less than one month after arriving in theaters. Shudder will be the exclusive streaming home of the movie.
David Dastmalchian (Dune, The Suicide Squad) stars as the host of a late-night talk show that descends into a nightmare in Late Night with the Devil, set on Halloween 1977.
In the found footage-style film that captures a period aesthetic, “A live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms.”
INFESTED – APRIL 26
Spring 2024 is all about SPIDERS – sorry, arachnophobes! – with the previously mentioned Sting being followed by the French creature feature Infested (Vermines) later this month.
What’s particularly exciting about Infested is that its director, Sébastien Vaniček, has been hired to direct the next installment in the Evil Dead film franchise, so this will be our first taste of what Vaniček is capable of within the genre. And the buzz for this one is strong.
In his review out of Fantastic Fest last year, for starters, Bloody Disgusting’s own critic Trace Thurman raved that Infested is “one of the best spider attack movies in years.”
In the upcoming horror film, “Fascinated by exotic animals, Kaleb finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap.”
HUMANE – APRIL 26
The daughter of horror master David Cronenberg, Caitlin Cronenberg is making her own mark in the genre filmmaking space with IFC Films’ Humane, coming to theaters this month.
The film is described as “a dystopian satire taking place over a single day, months after a global ecological collapse has forced world leaders to reduce the earth’s population.”
The wild premise? 20% of the world’s population must VOLUNTEER TO DIE!
“In a wealthy enclave, a recently retired newsman has invited his grown children to dinner to announce his intentions to enlist in the nation’s new euthanasia program. But when the father’s plan goes horribly awry, tensions flare and chaos erupts among his children.”
I SAW THE TV GLOW – MAY 3
Fresh off the haunting and singularly creepy indie We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, Jane Schoenbrun is back with A24‘s I Saw the TV Glow, releasing only in theaters this May.
Meagan Navarro wrote in her Sundance review for BD, “I Saw the TV Glow offers a layered and authentic portrait of identity, wrapped in ’90s nostalgia and surreal imagery that embeds itself deep into your psyche.” Meagan continues, “Schoenbrun delivers a singular vision of arthouse horror that entrances for its fevered dream style and insanely cool imagery.”
In A24’s latest, “Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.”
TAROT – MAY 3
Originally titled Horrorscope, a much better title if you’re asking me, Screen Gems returns to the big screen with studio horror movie Tarot this Spring, a Tarot-card themed spookshow.
When a group of friends recklessly violates the sacred rule of Tarot readings – never use someone else’s deck – they unknowingly unleash an unspeakable evil trapped within the cursed cards in the upcoming Screen Gems horror movie Tarot. One by one, they come face to face with fate and end up in a race against death to escape the future foretold in their readings.
The hook for this one? Artist Trevor Henderson designed the film’s eight monsters!
THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 – MAY 17
Bryan Bertino’s 2008 home invasion classic The Strangers spawns a brand new reboot trilogy this year, with first film The Strangers: Chapter 1 kicking things off in theaters on May 17.
The Strangers: Chapter 2 is expected to follow in Fall 2024.
Madelaine Petsch is the lead of the new reboot trilogy, playing a character who drives cross-country with her longtime boyfriend to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest.
When their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon, they’re forced to spend the night in a secluded Airbnb, where they are terrorized from dusk till dawn by three masked strangers.
IN A VIOLENT NATURE – MAY 31
Slasher fans who have been hungry for a new Friday the 13th movie won’t want to miss In a Violent Nature, which plays out like a Friday movie… entirely from Jason’s perspective!
IFC Films will release In a Violent Nature exclusively in theaters on May 31.
In the film, “When a locket is removed from a collapsed fire tower in the woods that entombs the rotting corpse of Johnny, a vengeful spirit spurred on by a horrific 60-year old crime, his body is resurrected and becomes hellbent on retrieving it. The undead golem hones in on the group of vacationing teens responsible for the theft and proceeds to methodically slaughter them one by one in his mission to get it back – along with anyone in his way.”
Meagan Navarro wrote in her Sundance review for Bloody Disgusting, “In a Violent Nature may offer slasher thrills and a delightfully gory rampage across the wilderness, but the approach captures the carnage through ambient realism. It results in a fascinating arthouse horror experiment that plays more like a minimalist slice-of-life feature with a grim twist.”
THE WATCHERS – JUNE 14
M. Night Shyamalan returns with the new thriller Trap this coming August, but the road to that film’s release will be paved by the feature debut of his daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan.
Ishana Night directed The Watchers, in theaters from WB/New Line on June 14.
The film follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night.
Which Spring 2024 horror movies are YOU most looking forward to?
4 New Horror Movies Releasing This Week Including ‘Late Night with the Devil’ at Home
‘Ready or Not’: Radio Silence Filmmakers Tease the “Absolute Banger” of a Sequel That’s Taking Shape
‘Sting’ Review – Throwback Creature Feature Entertains With an Impressive Practical Monster
“We Built Every Creature” – ‘Alien: Romulus’ Goes Heavy on the Old School Practical Effects!
‘Terrifier 3’: Filming Has Wrapped on Damien Leone’s Christmas Slasher Sequel!
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