Since I bought my Steam Deck, I’ve been ripping through remakes and remasters like a smoker punches darts. I’d say I’m easily closing in on double digits. Anyway, let’s dive right in:
Resident Evil 2 was originally released on the Sony PlayStation in 1998, before later making its way to Nintendo 64, PC, Dreamcast and GameCube. It was a hit from the start and earned critical acclaim for its atmosphere, setting and, for the time, its impressive graphics and audio. It still cops a bit of a knock for the control scheme. Tank controls aren’t everyone’s favourite. But even while clunky, they’re still functional. Returning to them now may drive you a little insane if you’ve experienced any of the remakes though.
The Resident Evil 2 Remake was released in 2019 as a full reimagining from the ground up. It runs on Capcom’s RE Engine, which was originally developed for Resident Evil 7. The remake clearly takes advantage of modern lighting, physics and improved animations. Many of the original game’s locations have been reworked or enhanced to feel more natural and more cohesive. Characters have also been updated and some of the story has been adjusted to fit the updated presentation and pacing.
I tell ya hwhat, the quality of life improvements that the RE Engine brings are more than welcome. Even the small details, like the map updating to reflect which rooms you’ve cleared are a godsend. Doing away with ink ribbons for saving? Oh man, thank you Capcom. Managing your inventory space still comes into play, but its less critical with the addition of hip pouches. These expand your inventory and lets you focus more on the game and less about what you should be carrying. For me, I think that’s unreal. Less back-tracking to a storage box or specific location is absolutely welcome. Of course, if you emulate the original you can save your inventory space with save states anyway if you know what items you need. Cheating? Probably. I don’t care.
The first thing you’ll probably notice is the graphics. I ran the game with HDR on and a mixture of medium-high settings on my Steam Deck OLED. The remake simply looks fantastic. The RE Engine certainly delivers the goods graphically. They really nailed some of the finer details in the character models. I could totally buy that Leon is an actual human, I really could. The zombies look fantastic and the attention to detail in their movement is even more impressive. Plus, you can blow different bits of them into the environment when you shoot at them. Let them giblets fly! The remake does trim the monster roster a little bit, though. Big-booty spiders? Gone. Giant Moth? You’re cut. Crows? Cut. Honestly, I can’t say I really miss any of them. But then again, I haven’t played the original since the Dreamcast so it’s not exactly fresh in my mind. Another massive change is the removal of the old school tank controls. Instead, it uses a much more enjoyable and highly functional over the shoulder camera style. The control layout is very logical and controlling Leon or Claire feels incredibly comfortable on the Steam Deck.
There isn’t much in the ambient music department here, but I don’t mention that as a bad thing. As you traipse through the vast, pokey, labyrinth-feeling hallways of the Raccoon City Police Station you’re just waiting for the next jump scare. It creates a really nice interactive horror movie-esque feel. I think Capcom would be, or should be, shooting for that effect anyway. Especially when you’re stalked by the huge bio-engineered tyrant for a good two-thirds of the game, the heightened sense of ‘oh shit’ you feel when you hear his footsteps is legitimately terrifying.
The story is more or less true to the original. Both stories include a brief side story with a secondary character, which is fairly short but no less enjoyable. It really doesn’t matter which character you choose to play as, both stories end up practically the same. Could that be viewed as a missed opportunity? Maybe, but personally I don’t think that matters a whole lot, except maybe for replayablity. Combat is slightly different as each character uses different weapons, but that’s really not a huge deal. I think if you really want those achievements and unlockables, you’ll be replaying the game to death anyway. That brings me to the only real negative of the game: it’s overall fairly short – maybe 9 hours for a first timer.
Capcom, honestly, kudos on this one. This remake of arguably one of the most iconic early console games is better than I could have imagined. Exploration, combat and the overall atmosphere are all thoroughly enjoyable thanks to the new engine and attention to detail. It transforms an older story into an infinitely more playable and modern experience. Sure, I may have been late to the game in playing this one. But I’m really looking forward to seeing what you’ve done with Resident Evil 3.
Verdict:
Resident Evil 2 could honestly be the benchmark for remakes. Capcom has successfully reimagined the original for the modern age, delivering fantastic quality of life improvements to an true classic.
Deck Compatibility: 10/10
Overall Game Rating: 9.5/10 – Classic survival-horror perfected.
Dad with a Deck 
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