apcom's long-awaited sequel to its mongo-smash hit Resident Evil is finally here, replete with the soft-tissue-shuffle of slushy zombies and the bad-ass gnash of mystery monsters. As in the first go-around, players guide one of two main characters from a third-person perspective, picking up clues as to the whys and wherefores of what's going on while fighting hordes of the undead and near-dead. The weapons are similar (handgun, shotgun), with some new additions (machine gun, crossbow, flamethrower, armament add-ons).
Although the setting of RE2 is a murky police station in the middle of Raccoon City (affectionately known as "Zombietown"), the clues and action will be very familiar to veterans of the original. Players must collect medallions and keys, perform actions in particular sequences, and decipher obscure puzzles. Play is split about equally between puzzle-solving and foe-fighting in a somewhat non-linear fashion, with many opportunities to save progress.
Unlike its predecessor, RE2 is packaged in two CD-ROMs, each devoted to a single avatar: Leon, a fiery rookie S.T.A.R.S. cop, or Claire, the sister of S.T.A.R.S. officer Chris Redfield, of Resident Evil fame. Additionally, two other characters intermittently make appearances throughout the game. The enigmatic, headstrong and weapons-capable Ada Wong frequently pops into Leon's storyline, while the winsome, lost, 12-year-old Sherry toddles into Claire's. At certain junctions, the game forces players to switch avatars--Leon switches to Ada, and Claire switches to Sherry. The switch from heavily-armed, young-adult Claire to non-weaponed Sherry is especially unnerving when the zombies are swarming.
Evil is back in residence
So, mutant for mutant, how does RE2 rate as a successor? The avatar and supporting graphics are more detailed, fluid and realistic, and the weapons action has a more powerful, undefinable "blam-blam" tang to it. There are more animated passages to flesh out the storyline, and the game has an undeniably interesting twist: once players are finished with the storyline of one avatar, there is the second to play. So, just as players are combing the last of the viscera from Leon's locks, Claire's nightmare begins, and vice versa.
Junior does pretty well: RE2 is technically superior, has a more sophisticated plotline, and delivers some honest scares. However, there's something about the first version that just can't be improved upon--it's hard to beat a classic spooky mansion with just the right mix of turn-of-the-century ghoulishness and modern techno-terror. Additionally, nouveau-dead twitchy lab assistants have more quirky-jerky charm than zombified police. This is not to besmirch those fine cadavers in blue--they're perfectly hideous-- they're just a little dull.
Basically, RE2 was worth the wait and is as strong as or stronger in many ways than the mansion that spawned it--not bad for a sequel. But ultimately, RE2 has less Karloffian flair than the first. The difference in scare-quality between the original and the sequel is akin to the difference in styles between SS and Dawn of the Dead. But under the sterile gleam of the autopsy lamp, it just comes down to each survival horrorist's personal taste.
