I haven't actually completed both disks of this game yet (only one), but I have spent a great deal of time with it. Usually, about midnight, I turn out the lights, turn on my Playstation, and crank up the volume. This sets the mood for about four more hours of spine tingling horror.

I'm not really a horror buff. I almost always pass on scary movies, and barely play these types of games. I just seem to be bored with them. When I was around 18, watching horror flicks was kinda cool. It was neet to stay up late, and get an ocassional jolt to the heart by seeing something shocking on the screen. Now I'm 31, and I've pretty much seen all the horror variety Hollywood has to offer. It's not scary, nor is it the same anymore.

I've been hearing about Resident Evil for years. I knew what it was about, and decided it wasn't for me. I did like the theme of killing walking zombies, because it reminded me of the movie "Dawn of the Dead". This movie was my first scary movie as a child. Even though, I have long outgrown the "spooky" thing, so I never purchased the game.

One day, I walked into my local video game store. They had "Resident Evil 2" tee shirts for a mere $2.00 each. What a bargin I thought! I am always looking for cool video game shirts (Still don't understand why there aren't more of them), so I decided to buy one. After I had the shirt, I decided it wouldn't be cool to have people asking me about the game (If I haven't played it). I had to break down and purchase the game! This, to my surprise, was one of the best video game purchases I have ever made!!

I suppose I should tell you a little about the game. I'm gonna be purposely vague here, because I don't want to give too much away. This is such a good game that I don't want to spoil the plot  for anyone. Here's a brief explanation of what's going on:

Just a normal everyday Midwestern  town. Racoon City was thriving. New industries were springing up, and all was well. That is until, the corporation arrived............. There was a disaster at the mansion lab. The "T Virus", which was developed by "Umbrella Corp." broke loose. Living beings everywhere began mutating into all sorts of decaying creatures. The creatures begin to appear everywhere, they start to overwhelm the community. They are on the city streets, in the sewers, even in the Police station.

You begin by playing one of two characters. You choose by selecting one of the two CD's included in Resident Evil 2. Each of the CD's begins a separate unique mission depending upon which CD you choose.  Disk one is for Leon S. Kennedy. Leon is a promissing new recruit to the Racoon City police department. Leon was recruited by the captain in an attempt to calm the growing fears of the community. Disk two is for Claire Redfield. Claire is in a search of her missing brother. She begins her search in Racoon City, the last known location of her brother. During the search she becomes aware of the "accident" that occured in the forest outside of town.

Once you have selected a character, you are thrust right in the middle of Zombie Land. When you begin  the living dead are everywhere! They surround you, each moaning a horrific sound duplicated only in the top movies of Hollywood. You must escape. You head down the city streets, and straight for the police station. It's here where your adventure begins.

First, before I go any farther, I gotta tell you that THIS GAME IS SCARY!!! I don't care if you don't get scared at horror flicks (like me), you will get scared here. A couple times, I jumped outta my chair so high that I almost hit the ceiling. Unless you've played, you can't imagine how shocking this game can be. The feeling is unbelieveable. Here you are, walking through dark and dreary corridors, when suddenly dozens of hands burst through a boarded up wall and  firmly grip your neck. Or, your walking past a full size 2 way mirror when a Licker (A large size... well thing....Trust me, he's scary) bursts through and lands at your feet. Wow! What a rush!!! It's instances like this, combined with the interactivity, that really get ya going.

The Game is a polygonal 3D type, that doesn't really remind me of anything previous. You walk through rooms, like many other 3D games (Quake, Doom, ect..), but all are hand drawn and have the look that the game "Myst" has.  Very dark, lonely, and eerie looking.

You look for items, and clues  to help you on your way. For instance, in one place you will need a lighter to light a fireplace. In another, you have to find the combination to a safe, before you can open it. You are forced to do much backtracking throughout the police station (and various underground levels) before you can complete your mission.

The graphics in this game are awesome. The characters are hugh, well shaded, and ack exactly like you'd imagine a zombie would. You really get the feel that you are part of whats going on. Even the CG cut sceens are awesome. They blend perfectly with the gameplay. You'll be playing along, then a new character will appear. You hardly notice your not playing anymore. It's really hard to explain, but the the merging of the two is seemless.

There are loads of scary mutant characters to deal with too. There are Crows, Lickers, Mutated Plants, Zombies, Giant Spiders, Giant Alligators, and various other creatures. All are grim looking and highly detailed. Character animation is top notch too. Capcom spent a fortune making this game and it really shows.
 
The perspective is not like your everyday 3D game. You are not viewing this game from the same angle all the time. You have no control over the view, but it is awesome. You actually feel like you are playing a movie. Sometimes the camera is smack dab in your face, other times it is overhead form the rooftops. The perspective always changes. Definetely a cool effect for this type of game.

For replay value, Resident Evil 2 is equipped with an extended gameplay system.  What this means is that situations that you encountered the first playthrough, have a bearing on situations you encounter the the next playthrough. Basically, it works like this: You first complete a game using either Leon or Claire (Then save your game). When your ready to play again, load the previous completed game with the opposite CD (Leon, or Claire CD). Now the new mission will be played with the opposite character, using the information gathered from the first game. It's things like this that make this game really stand out.

About the only thing I didn't like about the game was the control. It is very hard to get used to. I've played through the first mission as both Claire, and Leon, and I still look woblly walking the halls. It's not really the fault to Capcom, rather it is a fault of the PS controller. Nontheless, after a while you do get used to it and it isn't bothersome anymore.

I highly recommend this game. It is definetely one of the greatest games ever made for any system. If you like the horror thing, or just want a good thrill, get this game. It's won't disappoint you!!!
 

RATINGS
GRAPHICS 99%
SOUND 99%
GAMEPLAY 95%
ORIGINALITY 98% 
REPLAY VALUE 90%
OVERALL 96%