Resident Evil 2 (PlayStation) review "The character models are quite detailed, and so are the pre-rendered backgrounds. There're several different kinds of zombies, and they always seem to look a bit different. From the endless amounts of blood, to the expressions on the characters' faces, Resident Evil 2's graphics are nothing but top-notch."

Introduction:

The first Resident Evil was somewhat of a sleeper hit, released before the Playstation was very popular. While it was a great game, hardly anyone noticed it. Still, many people would say that Resident Evil started the whole ''survival horror'' genre. After a couple years of waiting, Capcom decided to bring out a sequel. When I heard about it, I wasn't terribly excited, because I didn't even know much about the first game. Finally, after being persuaded by my brother and several friends, I went out and bought this game. I was not disappointed.

Pros:

+ Spectacular visuals. Resident Evil 2 not only features great in-game graphics, but it also has a series of top-quality FMV cutscenes strung out through the game. The character models are quite detailed, and so are the pre-rendered backgrounds. There're several different kinds of zombies, and they always seem to look a bit different. From the endless amounts of blood, to the expressions on the characters' faces, Resident Evil 2's graphics are nothing but top-notch.

+ Resident Evil 2's story is also a definite plus. There're several mysteries going on during the game which prod you to progress in the game.

+ This game is packed with some great replay value. Not only are there two different paths you can take for each of the two characters, but there're hidden, playable characters plus plenty of secret weapons and other cool items. While the game doesn't take all that long to beat on its own (if you're good you can do it in 3-4 hours) it's sure to keep you coming back for more.

+ At first I wasn't sure whether to think of the sound as a plus or a minus, but by the end of the game, I was totally satisfied with it! The voice acting is so horrible, it's laughable! The characters put emphasis on all the wrong words, and the dialogue is as unnatural as a plastic rose (don't ask where I got the analogy). Aside from the entertaining voice acting, there's also some very mood-setting music which'll keep you on the edge of your seat. It's sure to make you jump when something bad happens.

Cons:

+ A lot of the gameplay is just item-hunting. You get the key to the spade door, and inside that, you find another locked door, so you go and find the key for that one. Then you need the special item to trigger an event in that room, etc... It can get rather tedious and boring. While there is a good amount of zombies, infested-dogs, and other such ghouls roaming around the old police-station in which the game takes place, I still can't play the game longer than 2 hours at once without getting bored out of my mind.

Conclusion:

Simply put, Resident Evil 2 is a phenomenal game. The graphics and replay value never cease to amaze me, and sometimes when I'm bored, I'll just play through the game to see if I can get a good rating. While it can be slow and boring at times, it's great in small doses. This sequel to the cult-classic, Resident Evil, got me very into the series, and after seeing the last cutscene in RE2, I just couldn't WAIT for RE3.

Staff review by James Gordon (Date unavailable) A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this review, you can update your bio from the Settings page.