13. Resident Evil 2 (1998) - PC
This game is disgustingly fun. The Resident Evil series has always banked on the instinctive human desire to blow zombies’ heads off, and this chilling sequel fulfills that mandate and then some. The sequel is a lot more serious than its predecessor, although not without a sense of humor, but gone are the absurdly campy cutscenes and atrocious dialogue. The concept, however, remains unchanged: you travel the zombie-plagued streets of Raccoon City and, finally, find shelter in a spooky police station. This is where most of the action takes place. What sets Resident Evil apart from other zombie shooters is the heavy emphasis on puzzles and problem-solving. Yes, you will spend ample time looking for a keys for locked rooms, but other puzzles are more thoughtful. You will find negatives, notes, and letters around the environment that will help you piece together the mystery behind the Umbrella Corporation and their involvement in this outbreak. Resident Evil has some great reveals, many characters have ambiguous allegiances, and you won’t know who is working for whom until the end.
Let’s face it. The real reason we play Resident Evil is to have the shit scared out of us, and, for scares, Resident Evil 2 is the best in the series. The brilliance here is in the shock scares, the ones that make you fall out of your seat as your heart races to the moon. Resident Evil 2 knows that we’re expecting this, and so it plays with these conventions. You’ll walk passed a boarded window and nothing will happen. Assured that it is safe, you will approach the area with nonchalance on your way back, but that is when they get you. The boards break and hands reach in to grab you. My favorite scare is in the police station interrogation room. There is a key you require in a cabinet on the other side of the room, but to reach it you must cross the path of a one-way glass mirror. You, of course, are on the mirror side. Noticing the obvious gimmick, you walk back and forth across the room, waiting for the attack. Nothing happens. Contented, you grab the key and go to leave. Crash! The enemy bursts through the glass.
If you like being scared, you can’t lose with Resident Evil 2.
This game is disgustingly fun. The Resident Evil series has always banked on the instinctive human desire to blow zombies’ heads off, and this chilling sequel fulfills that mandate and then some. The sequel is a lot more serious than its predecessor, although not without a sense of humor, but gone are the absurdly campy cutscenes and atrocious dialogue. The concept, however, remains unchanged: you travel the zombie-plagued streets of Raccoon City and, finally, find shelter in a spooky police station. This is where most of the action takes place. What sets Resident Evil apart from other zombie shooters is the heavy emphasis on puzzles and problem-solving. Yes, you will spend ample time looking for a keys for locked rooms, but other puzzles are more thoughtful. You will find negatives, notes, and letters around the environment that will help you piece together the mystery behind the Umbrella Corporation and their involvement in this outbreak. Resident Evil has some great reveals, many characters have ambiguous allegiances, and you won’t know who is working for whom until the end.
Let’s face it. The real reason we play Resident Evil is to have the shit scared out of us, and, for scares, Resident Evil 2 is the best in the series. The brilliance here is in the shock scares, the ones that make you fall out of your seat as your heart races to the moon. Resident Evil 2 knows that we’re expecting this, and so it plays with these conventions. You’ll walk passed a boarded window and nothing will happen. Assured that it is safe, you will approach the area with nonchalance on your way back, but that is when they get you. The boards break and hands reach in to grab you. My favorite scare is in the police station interrogation room. There is a key you require in a cabinet on the other side of the room, but to reach it you must cross the path of a one-way glass mirror. You, of course, are on the mirror side. Noticing the obvious gimmick, you walk back and forth across the room, waiting for the attack. Nothing happens. Contented, you grab the key and go to leave. Crash! The enemy bursts through the glass.
If you like being scared, you can’t lose with Resident Evil 2.
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