Resident Evil 2 Remake - A One-Shot on the One-Shot Demo
Developed By : Capcom Published By : Capcom
Category : Survival Horror Release Date : Jan 25, 2019 Platforms : PC, Xbox One, PS4
I am literally minutes off of finishing the One-Shot Demo for the new Resident Evil game, only 8 days before it sees release. Normally, I haven't gotten excited for any of these re-releases or HD remakes. I let Crash Bandicoot and Spyro pass me by since I proudly still own the PS1 originals. However, this complete rebuilding of Resident Evil 2 has had me excited since I first saw video for it. So much so, that I downloaded the demo the day it was available, and didn't touch it until today. Because...could it live up to the original? Could I fall in love with this game all over again like I did when it first came out?
The answer is, absolutely yes. I wish it wasn't a timed demo, but believe me I soaked up every single second that I could. It was part nostalgia, and part new-wonder. I was seeing everything that I'd seen before, but at the same time it was all new thanks to the new camera angle and controls. Gone are the isometric views, gone are the aim up/down/straight options. This baby is over the shoulder and all of the visuals are immensely gorgeous.
I will say that I am aware the game runs on the new engine Capcom built for the last Resident Evil game, but I'll also point out that when it comes to the technical side I know absolutely nothing about that type of stuff, so will be leaving that with no comment.
What I can comment on though is how this stacks up with the original. Yes it's a complete rebuild, but it pays beautiful homage to it's source material. Let's see what I got to witness on my half-hour journey through Raccoon City Police Department.
Familiar Faces
Now, I mentioned above that I've never been a big fan of these remakes/remasters. What I really mean by that is that I never get all gung-ho about having to own them. I can massively appreciate the work that goes into taking an older game and reshaping it for a new generation, because one of the great things that comes along with it is getting to compare. Especially in this case since I was a huge fan of Resident Evil 2 on PS1. That let's me play this one and see who returns, how they look now, what areas can I visit and are they set up the same way they used to be?
Naturally, one of those names and faces is Leon, the star of our adventure. You can see in the above image that while a lot more detail is given to his face and his hair, he generally looks the same way he did way back. His uniform is probably the biggest improvement since the last reincarnation. It's almost like you can see every individual thread in the sleeves, and like you can feel how tight the straps are for the elbow pad. Obviously graphics have come a long, long way, but it's hard not to admire those tiny little things when you remember how clunky and blocky things used to be.
It doesn't even stop at the character and the clothing though. Look at the floor, you can see all the bloody footprints from whatever commotion went down (like we don't know what that commotion was...). What I really love though, is looking at the wall behind Leon, just below his eye and ear level. You can see in the marble, the reflections of the lights that are mounted on the wall that Leon is facing.
There are many more faces that make a rightful return to the game, most of whom you get to see in the video package that rolls once you run out the 30 minute timer. Naturally Claire, Ada, Sherry Birkin, even the alternate Tofu costume makes an appearance. But, the two I liked seeing the most, because they were actually in the playable demo, were Marvin, and the good old classic typewriter.
For fans of the original, Marvin was the cop you meet once inside the police department. He gives you an access card and sends you off. The next time you see him he's...a little less than dead. However in the remake he appears to have a bigger role, or at least in the demo he does. He talks more, you see him more than once...I'd really be happy to see a lot more of him once the game drops next week.
As for the typewriter, it does appear for this game we're going to stick with the ink ribbon save files. Oddly enough, I'm quite excited for this. I absolutely hated the ink ribbons when I played the original. I felt like I never had enough, or there was an overhanging pressure to start skipping typewriters. Now, it's unsure just how much of these will be in the new game, but it's definite we'll be using them to save. An interaction for saving is visible over top when you walk close to them, but it's X'd out since there's no point to saving in the demo. One thing is for sure though. In the area I was able to explore in my time playing, I found two typewriters, both in identical locations from the original game.
How I Spent My 30 Minutes
In a word, I drooled the entire time. I could not get over just how gorgeous everything looked. Instantly, I wanted to explore everything that I could, and I wanted to see how things changed from the original game.
You start off as Leon standing in the lobby of the RCPD. You can look around a bit if you'd like, and poke around at some things at the main desk. One of these things is a security feed of an officer trapped in a back hallway, screaming that there is a way out and flaunting a notebook up toward the camera. Once you decide to get moving, you can only go one way : towards the officer in need. There's a button that lifts a steel curtain to get down a hallway. The curtain gets jammed as it lifts so you're stuck crawling under, and you're greeted to one hell of a visual as you do.
Blood, everywhere. The back halls of the police station are utter chaos. Things are broken, windows are shattered and boarded back up, lockers are knocked over. You can push through and find a conference room, and things are just as beautiful inside of there too.
Pushing through the hallway some more, you'll eventually come to the room that will connect you with the officer you saw on the feed. As soon as you step inside you can hear him screaming frantically for help, for someone to open the door. Which you do and, to be honest, the result wouldn't have been much different if you'd left it closed. Other than Leon getting possession of the notebook with clues to a way out. Now, the only option before you is to push your way back to the main hall once again, only your trip back features your first serious run ins with some zombies!
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| This isn't half as bad as it looks, trust me. |
Returning to the main hall is where you officially meet Marvin, and it's also where the demo really opens up for you. Marvin has been bitten, badly, and while he doesn't say it, you can tell his comitted to the fact that he's most likely not making it out of RCPD. He gives Leon a combat knife and tells him to find his way through everything, and no matter what he sees "Uniform or not, shoot first". Putting the knife to use immediately, Leon cuts through some tape that was concealing a switch to open the other lower level door in the lobby, and heads on through.
It's here that you get a bit more freedom in your choices. A good majority of the police station has just been opened up for you...where you going to go? Head upstairs and see how the library looks? Push through the hallways looking for as many objective related items as you can? All of these are options...but I chose a more specific hunt. I wanted to find the Licker. If you played the original, you remember this bad boy. Seconds after walking down a hallway, you're greeted with a dead body, pool of blood, and this massive thing that makes you just want to turn heel and head back.
By this point, I've burned through about half of my allotted time with the game, so if I want to find the Licker I need to book it. I started sprinting down hallways, ending up in so many locations that I recognized from the original game. I found the safe room underneath a set of stairs that contains a dark room for developing photos (which is where I found the second typewriter of my demo play as well). I ended up in an upstairs hallway that I managed to get lost in for a bit before dumping out into the library.
After this I found one of the games puzzles that rewards you with a medallion piece for the fountain in the lobby. Thanks to some help from my wife, we deciphered the puzzle and I actually got the medallion. At some point though, Marvin radios over to Leon and tells him to come back to the lobby, there's something important he needs to see. Figuring that it was actually important since, again, the demo was timed, I booked it back. Luckily, I made it back within literal seconds and got to see a special cutscene where someone has arrived, banging frantically outside the station.
And...that's the demo! You'll notice, I mentioned I was looking for the Licker. Sadly I could not find it. I found evidence of it though, so it will actually exist within the game. One piece of evidence I found was the scribblings of someone who'd actually seen it themselves. The other piece of evidence? Well...see for yourself.
A nice big claw mark in one of the cement walls. Unfortunately, nothing else but...I do have two additional consoles I could download the demo on and continue the hunt there. But then...what's the point? The game releases in a week! Although I am tempted because it's worth noting, before you meet Marvin, you're able to go outside through the front door. The original game just warned you that you didn't want to be out there with the zombies, but this ones seems to say "Hey...you wanna be brave? Be my guest..." so it might be worth it to see...
Trust me I'm beyond excited for this one. This demo shows that they are absolutely honoring everything that made the original iteration great, while updating it for a new generation and pushing this series to the limits. As soon as this comes out, I'll be streaming it on my channel on Twitch and it's going to be a ton of fun.
Are you excited for this game too? Let me know in the comments or find me @honestgamermike on all the social medias. See you next week for release!! This demo was played on PC, all images used in this article are screenshots grabbed while I was playing.
