For as long as I’ve known, horror has always been such a niche genre. Who in their right minds wants to pay more than the reasonable amount to have the living shit scared out of them? People want to have fun, feels badass, and ride their wish fulfillment illusion high as far as the game is willing to take them. It seems only the emotionally masochistic truly derive a good thrill from fear. It’s not hard to see why horror games don’t sell too well compared to the more mainstream genres.
I’ve played the demo for the Resident Evil 2 Remake back in October of 2018, and so far I do have a favorable experience when it comes to this game.
Surviving The Horde
It seems that Resident Evil 2 Remake is reminiscent of the claustrophobic type of fear that is similar to games like Dead Space. The tight corridors you have to navigate through allows for only the slightest of mistakes. Dodging enemies can be difficult but necessary if you want to save up on ammo. Resource scarcity should already be an expected feature in this game. In this kind of scenario, thinking fast is a prerequisite for survival. That split second decision between flight-or-fight is what will get many hearts pounding.
Zombies are also tough and difficult to get a clear shot. In the dark hallways of the Raccoon City Police Station, it can be difficult to properly aim your gun. And since bullets are scarce, you have to make each shot count. Should you take the shot or save your bullets for another day?
It’s good to know that the remake isn’t making things any easier for us. How can we call something horror if the monsters are too easily dispatched? In order to make things truly horrific, we need a sense of vulnerability and limitation.
The Resident Evil 2 Story
One of the biggest key factors of fear, is fear of the unknown. And this is something I strongly agree with. Curiosity is what drives as humans to explore the unknown no matter how dangerous. The same applies to any horror medium. In Resident Evil 2, we already know what’s going on and why exactly the zombie outbreak is happening. And to me, that takes away quite a bit of the fear. Since this is a remake, the plot has already been revealed to us. But that’s not to say that everyone’s played the original Resident Evil 2. So many might come in here, not knowing what’s going on at all.
But this doesn’t mean that the atmosphere scary will be any less for it. One of the biggest highlights of the Resident Evil 2 Remake is the improved graphics. With the Resident Evil 7 engine, we get to see the gore in detail up close and personal. And it might also be interesting to see the story again from a more modern interpretation.
Ultimately, this feels like an installment that will welcome both old and new fans alike. People who like games such as The Evil Within or Dead Space will find many to like in this new installment of Resident Evil. We haven’t gotten a good horror game lately, and I feel that the Resident Evil 2 Remake is a welcome addition to the collection.