“Ada, Wait!” Ah, the infamous words uttered by none other than pussy-whipped Leon Kennedy himself. No other woman could quite capture one’s attention than Ada Wong did in her riveting introduction in Resident Evil 2.

Capcom followed up the highly successful original Resident Evil with this blockbuster smash in 1998. Resident Evil 2 had everything the original had plus a boatload more: stunning FMV sequences, improved gameplay mechanics, an intriguing storyline, a plethora of locales to explore, and six different playing scenarios. Superior to its predecessor and still considered by some to be the best, Resident Evil 2 set the new standard for gaming excellence.

Story
The game begins on September 29, 1998 following the incident that transpired at the mansion with Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine. This time, all of the citizens of Raccoon City have been infected by the T-Virus, creating zombies, mutated dogs, birds, hunters, spiders, large alligators and a new monster dubbed the Licker.

Your first encounter with the Licker is one not easily stomached, nor forgotten.

Fate brings together Leon Kennedy, a rookie police officer from the Raccoon City Police Department, and Claire Redfield, the college-student sister of Chris. After surviving a near-fatal car crash, Claire and Leon are ‘separated by an unescapable destiny.’ And for some godforsaken reason, there’s no way around that. After being separated, they decide to meet up at the police station to plot an escape plan. Unfortunately, simply driving out of town will not cut it; you’ll have to guide them through alleyways, research facilities, sewers, and police stations to find an alternate escape route.

The events of the game take you on a zombie-filled ride through the police station and propel you straight into the paths of Ada Wong (for Leon) and Sherry Birkin (for Claire). Ada Wong is a sexy and chic corporate spy working for an unnamed competitor of Umbrella. Upon meeting Leon, she posed as an innocent bystander searching for her missing boyfriend, John. In both scenarios, her true agenda was revealed by Annette Birkin, who then detailed out the story behind the outbreak: Her husband William, a scientist working for Umbrella, created a new kind of spin on the T-Virus: the G-Virus. The G-Virus was a virus of unparalleled proportions that made the T-virus look like weaksauce. Zombies? Yawn. Feast your eyes instead on the ever changing G-Virus mutant monster! In their usual snarky style, Umbrella double-crossed Birkin by ordering soldiers to obtain his G-Virus for their own use. The soldiers ended up fatally wounding Birkin, while making off with his sample. On the verge of death, Birkin injected himself with his remaining G-Virus and transformed into a mutant monster of epic proportions. Broken T-Virus test tube samples were then devoured by sewer rats, thus creating the Raccoon City Outbreak.

The ol 'dodge and run' trick doesn't always work: sometimes you may find yourself trapped in a zombie overrun corridor, where using your precious ammo is an absolute must for survival.

Whereas Leon’s scenario features him finding Ada and subsequently teaming up with her, Claire’s scenario finds her running into her own ‘buddy’ in the form of a child. After discovering that her missing brother has run off to Europe to halt Umbrella’s experiments, she runs into a Sherry Birkin, the alleged daughter of William and Annette. Claire vows to protect Sherry and ends up saving her from her mutated father, who was after the G-virus he placed in Sherry’s pendant. In both scenarios, William attacks and wounds Sherry and Ada. Ada appears to outlive William’s attack, but is later shot down by Annette, before being killed herself. Grief-stricken, Leon then bears witness to Ada’s final plummet to the ‘death’. (Smirk). In Claire’s scenario, Sherry becomes infected as a result of her father’s attack. Before escaping, Leon and Claire must find ways to save Sherry, save themselves and ultimately defeat the T-103 mutant creation.

Gameplay
Choose your adventure: you begin the game by selecting to play as either Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield. Depending on who you choose, you will slightly alter the game’s direction and total outcome. Both characters come equipped with their own special item and spin their own unique ending. Those already familiar with the Resident Evil series will take comfort in the fact that Resident Evil 2 follows the same gameplay mechanics and employs the same controls as its forerunner. This time, however, the game features heightened interactions with its environments, a new arsenal of weapons to choose from, plenty of creepy mutant beasts, and even more mindboggling, albeit a tad ridiculous, puzzles to solve. (Up for some statue pushing, anyone?)

Contrary to the original Resident Evil, the player can now determine their character’s health based on their animations. A character in the caution stage of injury, for example, will cringe and cover up their stomach with his or her hand. A character on the verge of death will limp. Also new to the game is the alternate “first-person” control scheme, allowing for quicker turns and smoother movement. (The character walks in the direction that you point the stick, regardless which way he or she is facing). This setting takes some getting used to, but works out quite well once mastered.

Plant herbs, access keys, weapons and more are equipped and unequipped through a simple menu system that is easily accessible at all times.

One of the coolest new features of the title is the number of different scenarios and minigames you can play through. A ranking system has been implemented in which the player is ‘graded’ on gameplay and then richly awarded with unlockables. The grade given is based on a few things: the number of game saves, the number of first-aid sprays used, and the amount of time it takes to beat the game. These unlockables give you all those nifty weapons that make the game oh so much easier when played through a second time, as well as unlock the two bonus minigames. Other unlockables include secret photographs, access to extra costumes, ammo, and more.

One unlockable mode, The Extreme Battle, offers three selectable levels with random enemy and item placement and four playable characters (including Chris Redfield). It deals with the player taking and planting bombs all around the station in a limited amount of time. The other two modes, Hunk and Tofu, sport a level centered around making it to the helicopter room with really limited supplies. The two modes are largely the same, with the Tofu mode being the more extreme (and the incredibly annoying to beat). You survive the game as a piece of cheese, while wearing a beret. Yes, a walking, fighting, gun-toting vegan machine. Curdled soy milk can actually go pretty damn far.

The weapon selection is decently improved for the sequel, offering a wide range of infliction.

Finally, what this game really comes down to is when to shoot and when to run like the wind. Ammunition is limited, time is ticking (for those that desire a high ‘rank’) and the zombies are plentiful. Your ammo is best conserved for the mutant bosses and the occasional zombie over-run room. With enough practice, you can easily dodge and wade through sporadic zombies and even a pack of lickers. Although there is an ‘arranged’ rookie option that gives you unlimited ammo and all the best guns up front, the heart of the game lies within the ability to outmaneuver zombies and save your ‘best for last’ ammo.

Visuals
The graphics of Resident Evil 2 were brilliant for their age, and overshadowed many of the titles in it’s time. Its animation sequences, facial peculiarities, and pre-rendered background graphics were nothing short of amazing in comparison to the first game. For example, all of the playable characters as well as the zombies and monsters now exhibit ‘true realism’. The zombies now stagger toward you without so much of that breaking up often seen in the original. It also features head-tracking effects that make all the characters look at what is near them. However, while still displaying clearer animations, Resident Evil 2 still produces the typical jagginess and delay often seen in most videogames of that era. The character’s movements were still a little stiff despite the new first person control option. Nevertheless, the 3D rendered backgrounds were quite improved from the first game and succeeded in setting the ominous mood for gameplay. Although choppy, the FMV sequences were exquisite for their time and never took away from the movie-like experience Resident Evil 2 imparted.

Plenty of thrills and chills await you around every corner. Prepare to be surprised and spooked out of your wits.

Audio
Composed by Masami Ueda, Shusaku Uchiyama, and Shun Nishigaki, the eerily classical soundtrack provides a haunting background experience for gameplay. Additionally, there are plenty of various groans, screams and sinister environmental sounds that help to add to the overall atmosphere of unnerving the player. Opening any sort of door, for example, has its very own special cut screen and daunting musical score. The creepier the music, the creepier the outcome on the other side (for the most part). The voice acting is quintessential Resident Evil: campy, cheesy, and reminiscent of classic B-grade horror movies. Each auditory component does a successful job of building the tension Resident Evil is hailed for.

Alternate Versions
Resident Evil 2 was originally released in Japan as Biohazard 2. In 1998, Capcom released the English version for the PlayStation. It was later ported to the Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, and GameCube. Each port possessed varying degrees of improvements and extras. The GameCube version boasted sharper resolutions and slightly faster frame rates, while also employing a different use of controls to support the GameCube controller. The Nintendo 64 version plays just as good as its PlayStation predecessor, but features significant improvements in the following area: visuals. Sporting one of the biggest cartridges thus far, and using some smart compression techniques, the 64 was able to handle and sufficiently play the game with stunning clarity. While being the only port that did not feature an Extreme Battle Mode, the 64 port did contain some pretty nifty extras. These included a series of in-game documents known as the “EX Files”, new unlockable outfits, an item-randomizer, and a violence control setting (allowing for players to change the color of the blood). However, while the controls on each port differed slightly, the 64’s was quite insufferable. The idea is good in theory, but it takes a lot of patience and inexperience with the previous Resident Evil to use the controls effortlessly. My opinion? Go with the GameCube’s.

The cutscenes are beautifully rendered and feel more like a movie than just a mere gaming experience.

Lifespan
If you are a seasoned Resident Evil veteran, then you could end up completing the game within a couple of hours. If this is your first time, however, Resident Evil won’t be gentle. It could take someone up to five plus hours to finally solve all the puzzles and learn how to progress forward without experiencing multiple deaths. However, the true lifespan of the game proves to be quite longer than meets the eye. Not only are there four different scenarios for Leon and Claire, but there is also an Extreme Battle Mode and two unlockable minigames. The replay value is off the charts here with the plethora of scenarios, and the motivation to earn a better ‘grade’ each time through. (A grade of an “A” for example, will unlock better weapons and the B scenario for the other character). Capcom also implemented a new “Zap” system which basically tracks your character’s choices and directly affects the second character’s gameplay. For instance, if you took a weapon or moved an item in the first run through, it will be present and/or missing in the second character’s game. This opens up an endless world of possibilities.

Recommendation
Fans of the original Resident Evil will be pleasantly satisfied with this action-packed sequel.  Not only does the game provide you with more character development, captivating FMV’s, and larger places to explore, but it also presents you with sharper graphics and smoother gameplay. Resident Evil 2 showcases just why the series became so big in the first place and still stands as one of the strongest leaders of the survival-horror genre to this day. This is one sequel that truly outshines the original. So remember, in times of doubt: Conserve your lead or you’ll end up dead!

Resident Evil 2
System: PlayStation, GameCube, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64
Developer: Capcom
Publisher:  Capcom
Find: Amazon - Gamefly - Goozex
All reviews are based on final retail code unless otherwise noted.

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