While it’s certainly been an exciting E3 thus far in 2018, there wasn’t a game I was more pumped for than Resident Evil 2 (remake) when Sony took the stage the other day. At first, we got a 3 minute teaser, which looked awesome by its own right (you can view it here), but we’ve since gotten to see some early gameplay footage courtesy of Capcom during their E3 2018 streams. There are some really interesting things to cover for Capcom’s remake of what one could argue is the most revered of the original Resident Evil games.

Gameplay
– In the style that started with Resident Evil 4, this remake of Resident Evil 2 will feature an over the shoulder 3rd person view rather than the pre-rendered environments we’re used to in the original series (and the Resident Evil remake)
– Like Resident Evil 7, there is a small HUD for ammo count and inventory can be accessed in real time, so no more inventory screen breaks for you
– Leon is shown using the combat knife as a defense weapon like we saw in RE Remake, but that same knife is also used in the familiar swiping fashion. It was also noted by developers that the knife could degrade over time, so it stands to reason that there will be other knives or similar items to use when one becomes unusable
– Puzzles will be back and I saw at least 2 that are brand new, but also returning are those keys that take up a full inventory slot, they’ll just open different doors than the original.
– Herbs make their return as your primary health items, but new to Resident Evil 2 comes ammo crafting using gunpowder, which we didn’t originally see until Resident Evil 3
– Another really interesting element I saw added is the ability to pick up wooden boards and use them to bar windows. This is a great idea for the game taking place in a public building with a crap ton of windows. You’ll have to make some big decisions as to when to bar a window to make an escape, not knowing whether you’ll REALLY need it later.

Some of these encounters are gonna happen in the dark, and I’m gonna shriek like a little girl.

Environments
– Holy crap, does this ever look awesome! The small bit we got to see of the inside of RPD HQ is really exciting in a few ways
– First, it looks like this game won’t simply be a remake of the original. Key parts of the police station have been completely redesigned, leaving us with an essentially new exploration experience. While some locations will undoubtedly be familiar, the thought of seeing all the changes is incredibly exciting
– Second, it’s gonna be DARK AF! Luckily, you’re equipped with a flashlight that can be pointed while aiming, but from the early gameplay, there is going to be a significant amount of walking around with nothing but the flashlight to guide your way, and on top of that, there are frickin’ zombies all over the place!
– Like RE7, it looks like Resident Evil 2 will go back to its focus on resource conservation, which I’ve always said is something you really need to make a good horror game. It doesn’t seem like ammo is going to be littered at every corner, which will make things even more intense when you’ve got a swarm of zombies coming at you and only have a handful of bullets.
– Visually, what we’ve been shown of the inside of the RPD is stunning. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the environments look like.

Reception desk is up front and that statue was moved to the back

Characters
– It’s reported that Resident Evil 2 will have 2 fully playable campaigns with Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, but it won’t be broken into A and B scenarios like in the PlayStation version. Instead, their paths will cross at different times during gameplay, but we’re not yet sure if actions in one campaign affect the other.
– It seems as though some of the characters from the original game will be fleshed out a bit in this game, most notable of whom is Marvin, the cop Leon meets upon entering the station. In this game, it looks like he sticks around for a while and gives Leon vital information about how to find survivors in the building. I have to think we’ll see more from Bob Kendo as well, but we won’t know that until closer to release.
– It doesn’t seem like they were able to get Paul Haddad or Alyson Court to lend their voices for Leon and Claire, which is a bit of a disappointment.

Bloody hallways, classic.

Overall, I’m thrilled that this game is happening. It has the potential to be right up there with the Resident Evil Remake, but I caution other excited RE fans out there, you’ll save yourself a lot of disappointment and heartache if you don’t go into this one expecting a super HD version of the PlayStation game. Let me reiterate that while the main story looks as if it’ll remain the same, there are going to be some big changes to this one and I think that’s a good thing. I’d be lying if I said I’m not a little bit concerned that Capcom will incorporate elements from Resident Evil 6, which most of us were not crazy about. Personally, I hope they keep it relatively simple. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel; just make a great game that already has a story that longtime fans love and make it something amazing.

I can’t wait to pick this one up when it drops on January 25, 2019 and you can bet I’ll have a full review for you guys as soon as I’ve completed it!

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