- Announced at E3 2018
- Set to release on January 25, 2019 for PS4, Xbox, and PC
- Standard and deluxe editions currently available for Preorder
- Playable demos for Leon and Claire coming soon to PS4
Leon is back with a new look for the Resident Evil 2 remake on the new RE Engine.
Announced as the as the Best of Show winner for the 2018 E3 Game Critics Awards on Monday, July 2, The Resident Evil 2 remake is turning heads as the first Capcom title in history to snag the coveted honor.
For new fans to the series, the classic Resident Evil 2 follows the stories of Leon Kennedy, a 21 year old cop driving in to Racoon City for his first day as a police officer, and 19 year old Claire Redfield, who is searching for her older brother Chris Redfield -- one of the main protagonists in the first game. You have the option to play as these two characters while they discover new horrors in the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse, navigating through the city, the police department, and other secret facilities as they uncover the truth behind the zombie outbreak and fight to get out of the city alive.
In this remake, gamers travel back in time with Capcom to see a new side of Racoon City, circa 1998 with this new take on the classic Resident Evil 2. From Kendo’s Gun shop in the streets of Racoon City to the soul-crushing puzzles in the RPD, The Resident Evil 2 remake will take us through all of the locations that fans of survivor horror are familiar with. The new twist? This isn’t a classic take on a game only 90’s kids will remember. Instead, there will be new scares, new items, and even a new map layout to keep new and classic gamers on their toes.
Resident Evil 2 Remake Releases January 25, 2019
Claire Redfield is back with an updated character design to match!
The Resident Evil 2 remake was announced this year at E3 2018 in a teaser trailer that emulated the cinematic opening of the original game from a rat’s-eye-view. The remake was originally announced in 2015 with Yoshiaki Hirabayashi stepping forward as the lead developer on the title. Hirabayashi is no stranger to the Resident Evil series, as he’s worked in the past as a motion caption engineer on the Resident Evil REmake, a scenario writer on Resident Evil 5, and as a producer on the infamous Resident Evil 6.
Resident Evil 2 Remake Gameplay
Investigate the Racoon Police Department in the demo from GamesCom 2018
More than just a reskin, the Resident Evil 2 Remake is an entirely new game built from the ground-up on the new RE Engine in 4K. Those who have played Resident Evil VII will be familiar with the gameplay mechanics and the items menu. However, unlike the first person POV from Resident Evil VII, This remake is returning to the third-person, over-the-shoulder view that was popularized in Resident Evil 4.
Likewise, item-management is back in full-force. As old-school fans of the series know, one of the most significant challenges of the old resident evil games is managing essential items like typewriter ink, healing herbs, ammo, weapons, and keys with only 8 inventory slots. Official word at E3 confirmed that safe spaces like the save rooms with large inventory boxes are back, so be prepared for storing items away and having to run back to get them.
The game also promises to bring new scares to both new gamers and long-time fans of the 1998 classic. While the maps remain mostly the same, old paths are blocked off, and old enemies may not be where they were before. The most exciting difference may come from an announcement on the PlayStation blog that mentioned the developers have taken this a step further with new areas for players to explore.
Capcom also confirmed the inclusion of the fan-favorites, Tofu and HUNK in 4th survivor mode. So far we know that Tofu can be unlocked by completing both Leon and Claire’s chapters. This will, of course, allow you to replay the game as a giant block of tofu armed only with a knife. HUNK, the lone survivor of an umbrella team tasked with recovering a G-virus sample, can be unlocked by completing both Leon and Claire’s chapters with an A rank.
And just in case anyone was worried? We’ve also received official confirmation that the famed giant sewer gator will be jumping fresh out of your nightmares and into this remake as well.
The new Resident Evil 2 will be a unique game in its own rights. While the original Resident Evil 2 was divided into four parts with A and B scenarios for both Leon and Claire characters, Yoshiaki Hirabayashi confirmed that the remake will be parsed down to only two playable storylines. While this will likely mean the total length of story-mode gameplay will be much shorter than it’s 1998 counterpart, only time will tell if this artistic choice by the developers will pay off in a more cohesive gaming experience.
Resident Evil 2 Remake Trailers
Resident Evil 2 Remake Development
Fight to get out of Racoon City alive.
History of this game’s development has mostly been kept under tight wraps by Capcom. The initial announcement came in 2015 after the lead developer, Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, surveyed a select set of fans following the Resident Evil Facebook page on their thoughts of a remake of the game. While this was followed by an online announcement video in 2015, not much else was officially released until the announcement this year at E3 2018.
Resident Evil 2 Remake News
Keep your eyes glued to the official Resident Evil Facebook and Twitter pages to be the first to hear about new updates on the Resident Evil 2 Remake.
- Official Resident Evil Facebook
- Official Resident Evil Twitter
- The Resident Evil Subreddit
- Capcom USA Official Youtube
