Pros: too many to list - read the review
Cons: voice acting, few small camera errors
The bottom line: check the bottom

I still remember picking up Resident Evil 2 back in February 1998. The hype surrounding it's release was decent - not FFVII-style but still fairly big. Everyone was excited about the prospect of a sequel to Capcom's ground-breaking first endeavour and for good reason: RE2 became the best survival horror game of it's time, and even to this day is unchallenged in it's ability to scare the player silly. A masterpiece for the ages, RE2 has no equal.

RE2's uniquety comes in the form of a double-stranged storyline that takes two entire play-throughs to fully comprehend. On one hand, you have Claire Redfield who's looking for her brother Chris, and on the other a cop named Leon Kennedy. Both have matters that tie into Raccoon City and the Umbrella Corporation, and both will eventually become deeply intertwined in Resident Evil's unspeakably brilliant storyline.

It is from the collision area of a huge truck and a few police cars that you start the game. Playing as either Leon or Claire, you must enter the Police Station, solve numerous puzzles, battle legions of zombies, and find out the mysteries of the T and G Viruses. Though these objectives may seem paltry in comparison to other SH games, there is a lot more to RE2 than meets the eye.

First, this is without a doubt the most frightening game ever created (only Silent Hill matches the fear experienced during this game). Zombies can sometimes burst out from every nook or cranny, and only occasionally is their sudden appearance predictable. The fear of walking through an empty hall in complete silence is one of RE2's shining points, and ultimately what will keep you coming back for more.

While the mechanics in RE2 are standard-fare, the gameplay is just so well done that it won't bother you even after playing through hordes of other survival horror games. Basically, you get to choose between two characters each with their own unique abilities. Claire can use a lockpick to open up simple locks while Leon is equipped with a lighter, both of which will aid them throughout the Raccoon City Police Department. For example, during one scene, Leon must use his lighter to set ablaze a chimney that triggers the appearance of a Red Jewel. In another, Claire must use her lockpick to procure the various munitions in RPD's police station drawers. Though they come equipped with most of the same weapons, Claire and Leon go through the game differently using these items, and thus the replay value is doubled from what would otherwise be a fairly linear, short six hour quest.

Another point to make about the gameplay is how utterly fun it is. Simply walking through a hall and blasting at zombies with a shotgun is exhilirating, and the game is so perfectly woven together that you'll never feel like "just putting it down for a sec".

If I can register a single complaint about the gameplay in RE2, it would have to be in regards to the camera. 'Tis true that the environments are prerendered, but in certain places you're stuck blindly shooting at zombies slowly lurching towards you in another screen which can get annoying and even cause certain death. Competent auto-aiming would have made up for this minor glitch, but rest assured it becomes a problem only on some occasions - not a 'game-ruining' thing.

The Playstation's Dual Shock Analog controller is perfect for survival horror games, a fact proven by Resident Evil 2. Guiding around the characters is a flawless affair, using the Analog for rotation and movement while opening doors with the X button. Though many would argue that simply shooting your weapon and aiming it is inaccurate and overcomplicated, I never had troubles with it. The setup hasn't changed since the very first RE game, and for good reason: there is not a thing wrong with it.

Visually, RE2 still stands as one of the best looking original Playstation games right alongside FFIX, Legend of Mana, the never-released C-12, and Metal Gear Solid. Char-models are well animated using enough polygons to avoid the very-typical (at the time) blockiness. Though the backgrounds feature a heavy emphasis on shadowing, they're still well lit and contrasted (just so you aren't left wandering through near-total blackness like in AITD). One aspect of RE2 that made it's graphics revolutionary for the time was the sheer amount of zombies on screen at one time - you could have four in one corner fighting your character and there still wouldn't be a trace of slowdown. Lastly, while the weapon effects aren't bad, they're nothing special either. This is a single, barely noteworthy flaw (the only one to make in terms of visuals).

Sound is where RE2 faulters somewhat. Though music heard throughout the game is amazing and fits any situation, the voice acting just plain sucks. Never have I heard such over-acted phrases and insipid dialogue; whoever did the audio-casting for this game needs to be shot. There is no excuse for having such poor actors do the voices for this game when MGS came out just nine months later.

Overall, an excellent gameplay engine combined with a deep storyline help embed RE2 in the tablet of Top Ten PSX Games Ever Made, right alongside FFVIII, MGS, Xenogears, and their ilk. It is hands-down my favorite survival horror romp and will be yours too if you give it a chance. This one gets my highest recommendation - buy now damn it!

Overall: 9.5 / 10