In July 2015, Capcom producer Yoshiaki “H” Hirabayashi asked the Resident Evil community on Facebook if they would be interested in a remake for Resident Evil 2. When the suggestion was met with enthusiasm from the community, Hirabayashi brought up the idea with his boss a short while later. Hirabayashi confirmed the remake later in August 2015. We haven’t had much to go on besides the E3 reveal trailer last month. Now, Capcom has offered some more details on the game.
The remake offers two separate campaigns for the two heroes, Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy. We don’t know if the decisions you make in either campaign will affect the other. This is different from the zapping system used in the original where the story lines changed up depending on the order you chose to play their stories in.
The game will be third-person and over-the-shoulder view like Resident Evil 4. Just like with Resident Evil 4, you will not be able to move and shoot. You stay in position to shoot and have to line up your shots. Remember the loading screen doors you used to escape zombies in pursuit? They have been removed. Zombies will now chase you into rooms without pause. You can, however, use wooden boards to bar windows and doors to stop Zombies from pursuing you. You can also explore the game at your own pace and in any order you want, unlike the constricted progression of the original. Some of the corridors of the Police department have been darkened too, in order to force players to use a flashlight. There will also be a gunpowder crafting mechanic that helps you create various ammunition in order to take down strong enemies. One interesting new feature forces you to pick your knife back up from the zombies you counter as they try to grab you.
The over-the-shoulder view, darkened corridors and no loading doors were designed for gamers to experience up-close encounters with zombies, which makes the nature of the gameplay scarier. Combine these elements together and you have the workings of a claustrophobic feel as you play the game. Not to worry though, there are still elements of the game that will remain the same. Progress still revolves around solving puzzles and finding keys and resources you have to use in different parts of the game.
The remake to Resident Evil 2 will be launched on January 25, 2019 for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
