Resident Evil 2 is a legend among horror games. The sequel to the hit horror title Resident Evil. This game continues the saga of the evil Umbrella Corporation and it's machinations in Raccoon City. You play as either rookie cop Leon Kennedy or the indomitable Claire Redfield. Both are victim to the eventual outbreak of the T-Virus. Do your best to survive the terror, unravel the mystery of the outbreak and ultimately survive the disaster. This is a classic title, but it is certainly dated. It reflects the technology of it's time and limitations to the overall quality and game play. The game showed up early in 1998 and in a lot of ways is the genesis of the survival horror genre. The game featured some great aspects of atmosphere and had iconic moments throughout. 

Overall: When Resident Evil 2 launched to much more success than it's predecessor. While the title was critically acclaimed it never had the sales of a smash hit. RE2 was ported to many consoles due to it's popularity. However the PlayStation was it's home. RE2 falls under the category of survival horror. The game play is focused on survival rather than fighting. Ammo is scarce and must be managed. The creatures you face are also deadly you must do your best to avoid getting killed. Nostalgia plays a big role in the fun of this game. It was ground breaking in many ways. One of the best features is the use of static backgrounds, the camera is often placed so you cannot see the danger. But, you can certainly hear it. Be afraid! The two characters play through in mostly independent campaigns. While they do interact with each other and various survivors, you play through this alone. Each character has an 'A and B' version of the story; in which events happened to the opposite character in story A effect story B. This creates some replay ability as you can see the story from different view points.

Graphics: Resident Evil 2 was a good looking game for it's time. It made full use of the PlayStation's 32-bit processor.  The game featured some grizzly death scenes. The blood and gore of the game were top notch and decently detailed. The game also made use of it's iconic static backgrounds. Each features some spectacular art detailing the ruins and destruction of Raccoon City. Although the characters tend to stand out from the background this is tolerable. This style is a reflection of the time and expected of the technology of it's time. However, do expect things like copious amounts of blocky, blurry blood. Remember, this title came long before anti-aliasing and HHAO post processing effects.

Sound: The sound of the game is good but flawed. The moans and howls of the zombies are iconic. There is little music to speak of, mostly it is atmospheric to build the mood of the game. You tend to hear a zombie shuffling or eating a victim more so than any music. Music is instead delivered at key times to drive anticipation and suspense. One of the most iconic tracks is the "safe room" music; where you realize you can take a moment to catch your breath. The sound takes a hit in the voice acting department. While it possesses some of the charm of a B grade horror movie, it sounds terrible at times. It is reminiscent of it's predecessor, it was early and generally titles didn't have the budgets for big names. Don't go into this expecting the delivery of a David Hater or Jennifer Hale. If you go in expecting the quality of a bad horror movie you won't be disappointed.

Addictiveness: This is one of the classic survival horror titles. It certainly earns the credit of being one of the defining titles in the genre. It is not one of the most action packed titles; but, it is fun in it's own right. Learning how to survive is key to being successful in the game. Early on it is easy to run short on ammo, but eventually you learn to pick the right targets and avoid the others. Inventory management is also another key factor in the game. You have to learn how to balance those precious spaces. RE2 is a survival horror first and a puzzle game second. Puzzles are easy enough and you will spend more time moving back and forth picking up the pieces that are part of it's solution.

Story: The story is a continuation of the first game. The S.T.A.R.S. Team makes an appearance and is frequently referenced; yet, they are not the focus of this game. Claire is the sister of Chris and she is investigating his disappearance after the Aklay Mansion incident. Leon is a rookie cop coming in to work his first day on the Raccoon City police force. What a day to start, huh? Both end up being the unfortunate victims of the T-Virus outbreak. Without giving away the store, you must unravel Umbrella's role and understand it's influence in Raccoon City.  The story amounts to the tried tropes of outbreak zombie classics. In a way it is the progenitor of this story, evil corporation does questionable science, something goes wrong, outbreak happens. People die, survivors live and fight another day. There isn't much more than that. The twists are predictable and is a classic representation of B-movie horror genre. 

Depth: This game is challenging, it is not about violence and action. It is about survival, the key to success in the game is managing your resources. If you waste ammo, you will soon find your self in a desperate bid to escape. Something of a challenge in the claustrophobic halls. You must balance your precious inventory space  between weapons, ammo, healing items, and puzzle items. In this the focus of the game play is finding keys and other items to progress. Managing this balance is difficult, but becomes easier as you learn what to expect. On that second or third play through you will almost laugh at how you ran out of ammo the first time around. The game even will throw some twists at you. That second time you might find that zombie didn't burst through the same door.

Difficulty: This is one of the most challenging titles of the genre. The game play is one aspect of it. Resource management cannot be stressed enough. Don't waste ammo, don't waste healing items. You have very few means of escape and you can only afford so many mistakes. However, what is most trouble is the infamous "tank" control scheme. The controls are sluggish and unresponsive, part of the challenge is navigating your way through the game. This can be a chore considering the fixed camera angles. On top of this is the often claustrophobic areas in which space comes at a premium. You may have enough bullets, but can you take that zombie down before it reaches you? The angles are meant to drive suspense but it can be difficult to navigate until you are used to the controls. It had improved some, over the first title by giving you a quick turn option. Fortunately you have a sort of auto-aim, the character will always orient themselves to the closest threat. This does work for the most part but can be problematic when trying to target  specific enemies in a group. The challenge ultimately is trying to use the mechanics to your benefit. The game can be frustrating at points, but is hardly unfair. Well maybe a little...