"Resident Evil 2" First Full Playthrough Impressions

Writers Note: As a long-time fan of the series (and I mean “long-time”), I felt it my “duty” to play through this game as soon as it hit shelves. With a 20 oz red bull by my side, I ended up powering through the entirety of Leon S. Kennedy’s campaign in one night/sitting. I even found most of the unlockables and opened every safe and locker with the clues given in the game. Even though I am a fan of the series, I do want to mention, I remove all biases when I approach an impression or review of a game. Take it from me, a classic Sonic (emphasis on classic) fan who loves to rip Sonic Team a new one daily on their poor decisions and terrible games. I do not look through my experiences with nostalgia, I look through them thinking of it how they fair as a stand-alone title today. Being a fan of this series does not mean I will not have negative opinions if there is something to be pointed out. With all these things said, keep in mind, this is a FIRST IMPRESSION and not a review. I will not review the game until I have beaten it in its entirety and completed Claire’s second playthrough. Based on my first complete playthrough of the game let us move forward.

I assumed this game was going to make me feel like I was playing Resident Evil 2 for the first time all over again like in the original PlayStation days. They share the same name, so I was expecting the obvious. But this game quickly reminds me… this is not a remake. Remake isn’t the correct title for this game. This is a reimagining of the original game. Yes, it shares a name and shares the same setting and story of the original, yet it brings it to a whole new level by presenting itself as a stand-alone game and never resting on its laurels riding off the back of the popularity of the “original.”

Leon S. Kennedy on his "Noir" suit,
one of the many unlockable suits in the game.

For all those who played the 1 shot 30-minute demo, you know the gameplay feels very tight, continuing the series new found mobility which started all the way back in Resident Evil: Revelations.  And even though the game instantly thrusted me into a familiar location, it made me realize I was just scratching the surface of what this game was going to offer me. Surprisingly, the game’s bespoke sense of dread in its atmosphere kept the experience consistently fresh, where even retreading the environments I played through the demo always kept me at the edge of my seat.

Rick Grimes might want to get a brighter flashlight.

Playing through the Police Station all over again made me realize something that many people love about the best tiles of the series and genre: “stress” management. For the first hour of the game you realize that zombies are more a-plenty than desired and with one mess up, can really turn a good speed run into a “restart from last save” point. As someone with experience in the genre, I usually pride myself at being very good at managing my equipment, but I cannot stress how important it is in Resident Evil 2. Originally, I was thinking this game could have been tailored as an entry point for all newcomers of the genre, but this game made it clear very fast that this game is not for “weenies.” Once you solve the goddess statue (the point no one can get past in the 1-shot demo) it instantly steps up the difficulty and the amount of management you must do. Without spoiling anything, let me just stress this… if the beginning hour of the game is too much for you, you are going to have a hard time dealing with what the game throws out next.

MFW I realized zombies are going to become the least of my worries.

Once you finally have your run in with the “Tyrant” let me just say, he won’t be going away any time soon… get used to that. The Tyrant in this game is in the same vein as the father in Resident Evil 7 and Nemesis in Resident Evil 3... except one thing. Don’t even try to hide or kill him… because you cannot. RUN!

I ended up falling in love with this game all over again by the point I finally got out of the Police Station and, saving some Info for the official review, I could not wait to see what was next (not so “spoiler”: they are the same settings as the original title).

After about 4 hours I found myself finding more weapons to use and very little ammo and not so surprisingly, more and more enemies to manage. I almost soiled myself every time I opened a door or walked around a corner and the Tyrant found his way…somehow… directly in between my location and destination. Eventually I started to expect it, but not once did I fail to have a mini heart attack when he was staring me down in closed quarters.

Pictured: Me about to get smashed by the Tyrant.
Not Pictured: Me screaming/clenching my cheeks for my coming beatdown.

In most Resident Evil games, I find myself starting to not fear zombies by the end of the story, since they usually become so easy to deal with, but I found myself dreading running into a single one all the time. Maybe because they can halt your progress when running away, can signal “lickers” to come to your location, or even worse… alert the Tyrant of your location. Zombies are never not unsettling in this title and I will delve deeper on this in my full review of this game.

Resident Evil 2 allows you to shove grenades into a zombie's mouth and then shoot if for some fun effects.

Without ruining all the environments the game takes place in (unless you’re a fan of the original release that is), I can safely say that not a single one has let me down and not brought full terror and stress to my playthrough.

I’ll end this impression with one idea/statement. If you have played the original Resident Evil 2, (like myself), this game will not be what you remember…at all. This game is not just a retelling of a classic, yet “cheesy” story, it’s a complete reimagining of something in existence. It is so drastically different, I would argue for the better even, yet this game stands completely on its own. I believe this game will become a staple for the genre moving forward and I believe long time fans of the series and newcomers will both be pleased with the experience offered in this game.

Throughout my first complete playthrough as Leon Kennedy, I fell in love with the series and everything it offers all over again. Now that I am armed with another Red Bull, some snacks, and a dark room with a comfy couch, it’s time to play through Claire’s campaign next to see the “true ending.” Who knew you had to beat a campaign first to get to the second playthrough as the other character? Well, I’m glad, as a reviewer, I was able to find this out. *cough* *cough*

They brought back the giant mutated alligator. It that doesn't sell you, then I don't know what else could.

Look for our full review coming later this weekend. 

All pictures captured through the PlayStation's 4 share feature.