Checkpoint Saved

Diving into the Deep End

I have a confession to make: I am a horror fan who has never set foot in the original Raccoon City. While everyone around me was debating fixed camera angles, tank controls, and the nostalgia of the 1998 PlayStation classic, I was a total blank slate.

Well, almost. My only exposure to this infamous setting was running for my life through the R.P.D. map in Dead by Daylight. I knew the layout of a few hallways, but I had absolutely no context for the nightmare that created them.

When I finally decided to play the Resident Evil 2 Remake on the PS5, I expected a fun, scary shooter to pass a rainy weekend. What I got instead was a masterclass in panic, where every corner turned was a gamble and every bullet was a precious resource I likely wasted. Going in with nothing but DBD knowledge was the best—and most terrifying—decision I could have made.

First Impressions & Atmosphere: The Horror of the Unknown

From the moment I stepped into the dimly lit, blood-soaked lobby of the Raccoon City Police Department, I realized I was in for a treat. Without the safety net of nostalgia, the Resident Evil 2 Remake is pure, unfiltered anxiety and discovery.

The graphics are breathtaking. Walking down a hallway, the creaking floorboards and distant groans had me constantly checking my back. I found myself navigating the labyrinthine map purely on panic rather than knowledge, turning corners hoping to find a safe room, only to be met by a zombie tearing through a barricade.

And then, there was Mr. X.

I had heard rumors about him, but nothing prepared me for that relentless, rhythmic thudding of boots on the floorboards above me. Not knowing his patrol patterns meant I was constantly guessing where he was, leading to some of the most frantic moments of gameplay I have ever experienced. Without a map of his pathing in my head, the entire police station felt like a giant, hostile cage.

Gameplay Mechanics: The Brutal Lesson of Survival

As someone used to modern action games where you can just spray bullets and find ammunition around every corner, Resident Evil 2 Remake was a harsh reality check. This isn’t a shooter; it’s a frantic exercise in resource management (Don’t worry, you still get to shoot lots of zombies).

The anxiety of staring at an inventory screen with only two handgun bullets, a single green herb, and no space to pick up a crucial key item is unmatched. I quickly learned that shooting a zombie in the head didn’t always mean it was dead—it just meant it was temporarily quiet.

Regarding the puzzles, I found them to be the perfect blend of challenging yet logical. They provided a fun mental break from the sheer terror of exploration, forcing me to stop, look at my map, and actually think.

The Narrative Experience: Storytelling Under Pressure

Because I didn’t know the original game, I didn’t realize that playing Resident Evil 2 Remake meant experiencing the story from two different perspectives. I ended up playing through Leon’s campaign first, followed by Claire’s, and it was a brilliant way to unwrap the mystery.

Playing as Leon first felt like a slow burn into chaos—a rookie cop thrust into a hellish conspiracy he didn’t understand. Then, jumping into Claire’s campaign gave me a totally different perspective on the same events. Beyond just filling in the missing pieces of the puzzle, it was incredibly fun to switch characters just for the variety of weapons.

Going from Leon’s reliable shotgun and magnum to Claire’s unique grenade launcher and submachine gun completely changed how I approached combat encounters on my second run.

Without knowing the plot twists ahead of time, witnessing the story unfold through both characters made the narrative beats hit incredibly hard. I had no idea who to trust, which made every interaction with characters like Ada or Sherry intense. Following Leon’s desperate fight and then immediately pivoting to Claire’s emotional mission to protect Sherry made the stakes feel high right up until the final escape.

Final Verdict: Was it Worth the Fear?

So, is Resident Evil 2 Remake worth playing if you have no nostalgia for the original? Absolutely. In fact, I would argue that playing it blind is the ultimate way to experience it.

This game is a masterclass in tension, atmospheric horror, and clever design. While I did notice that some of the zombie AI could be “cheesed” by running past them or exploiting certain pathing quirks, it didn’t take away from the overall terrifying experience and clever story telling. It forces you to respect the danger, manage your inventory with care, and embrace the panic of the unknown.

While it provided a difficult challenge at times, it was also one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in years.

Rating: 9.5/10 – Would nervously run from Mr. X again (and learn to dodge zombies better).