Ever since the release of the positively superb 2002 remake of the 1996 Resident Evil release, people have been clamoring for its successors amongst the PS1 generation to go under a similar such evolution. Resident Evil 2 perhaps more so than Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, though that too tends to get shuffled in alongside its more beloved predecessor for good measure.

During the years following the release of the remake such wishes were understandable. Given the incredible recreation of the original into a beautifully haunting and atmospheric horror adventure, one that was different enough to feel like its own entity while still managing to feel familiar all the same, it's only logical to then start envisioning just how that would transpire with the latter games. However as the years have gone by, the hunger for a Resident Evil 2 remake has gone on unabated. Hell, it very well might have intensified! But...

Do we really want a Resident Evil 2 remake?

Regardless of what's actually being posted, whenever a Resident Evil-anything crops up from Capcom you're bound to see a handful of comments demanding a remake of Resident Evil 2 (and sometimes Resident Evil 3). Obviously there are going to be people who do simply want a remake of Resident Evil 2 at seemingly at cost, but I feel that for most of the sort of folk who actually comment on Capcom facebook posts or whatever don't actually know what they're even asking for. Because of the sad state the series is in, people asking for Resident Evil 2 to be remade comes across as a sort of involuntary impulse; a shot in the dark as to what might somehow save the series from its own rotting demise. That, and the more appropriate reboot, self-destruct-and-start-anew idea.

However, I again have to wonder if they actually understand what they're even asking for. I would have to assume that a solid majority of RE2 remake yearners are holding on to their memories of the original remake. When they're asking for a remake of Resident Evil 2 they're asking for it to be given the same treatment that the remake underwent. But unfortunately as each year passes us by such a wish has only gotten more and more unfeasible. The idea that Resident Evil 2 could be remade with the survival horror trappings intact is certainly appealing! That it could be designed with the intent to provide a fresh experience that captures that same delicate balance of feeling like its own beast, while preying on the expectations of players who have already played the original, is something I too immediately longed for soon after I had finished the remake.

Unfortunately times have changed, Resident Evil has changed, and perhaps most importantly Capcom have changed. The remake excelled in no small part down to Shinji Mikami's direction, which benefitted from the fact that he was the mastermind behind the very original. However he along with many of the other notable faces of Capcom--including of course RE2 director Hideki Kamiya--have moved on elsewhere.

When I try to realistically imagine what a Resident Evil 2 remake would resemble in this day and age, I think cooperative gameplay, I think over-the-shoulder shooty-shooty, I think gameplay that incentivises you to kill everything in your wake, with zombies dropping ammo and forced combat encounters. I think of what would essentially be Resident Evil 5 in Resident Evil 2 clothing. Now, that's likely what a contingent of Resident Evil 2 fans want, to be able to play the older games but with many of the modern conventions introduced. But I would have to imagine that for those that are seemingly plagued with a nervous tick of randomly screaming for a Resident Evil 2 remake, the idea of Resident Evil 2 being actioned-up inline with the likes of Resident Evil 4 and beyond would be seen as blasphemous.

And really, when you consider the state of the series, who's to say that Capcom could even successfully manage developing a more action-orientated interpretation of Resident Evil 2? Confidence in Capcom, especially when it comes to their efforts with Resident Evil, are at an alltime low. However...

They're trying.

For the longest time, Capcom have spun the whole ''we want to take the series back to its roots'' ad nauseum. It's practically tradition at this point, a rite of passage for the next Resident Evil project to be taken hold and lead into something tangible. While such attempts like the Leon S. Kennedy campaign in Resident Evil 6 make for an especially hilarious fallacy with their supposed aim to ''getting back to their roots'', we do have games such as Resident Evil: Revelations.

Now, I personally don't consider the first Revelations to be particularly stellar, but it was appreciative to see them actually trying. Despite Revelations functioning as a limp mishmash of both styles, leaving it festering and failing to flourish as either a survival horror game or a traditional Resident Evil action-shooter, it was at least a respectable first attempt at bridging the gap - brainstorming a happy medium between the old and new. And with Revelations 2 on the horizon looking to be trying out some new things, then that proves they're willing to experiment further.

Most importantly of all is of course the Remastering of the Remake that is but mere days away from release. If what Capcom have described is true, then they've really gone the full nine yards in sprucing up what is now a classic remaking of a classic. Not only does it of course include all the Ps, but a few of what were once pre-rendered backgrounds have in fact been completely redone in polygons. That may possibly make the aesthetic of the game look a little jarring, but it's important purely for the sake of the effort they're willing to put in. When you note the addition of a more modern analogue control scheme to coexist alongside the tank controls, and it actually gives me pause as to whether a Resident Evil 2 remake could work. Just, not one that is as drastically different from the transition the original saw between 1996 and 2002.

Remaking Resident Evil 2 - The Yummylee Way!

The Ideal

Anyone who knows me shouldn't be too surprised to learn that I'm of the ilk that would most love to see Resident Evil 2 rendered with the same design philosophies as its original release. I'd want it to play with all of the hallmarks of yesteryear, with the notorious mix of camera angles and tank controls. Though that's not to say there couldn't still exist an alternative analogue control scheme like in this REcent REmastering of the REmake... I'M SO VERY SORRY OH LORD SAVE ME.

Hell, they could perhaps even include the option to move and shoot, allowing you to slowly pace backwards or forwards. While your inability to simultaneously move and shoot was pretty key to the third-person shooter design of Resident Evil 4 & 5, allowing you the courtesy for the older games wouldn't alter them too drastically I feel. Just so long as the pace of which you can move while shooting is at walking speed of course. No running 'n' gunning with a FAMAS ala Metal Gear Solid for example. They had already implemented moving & shooting within the classic design in Resident Evil: Outbreak File 2 before hand. In fact they even allowed analogue control, too!

I would also expect a few twists here and there within the gameplay much like how the remake introduced self-defence items. Crimson Heads would certainly have to carry over in particular. Further expanding on the Scenarios system, by most importantly featuring many more decisions that will reflect in the alternate B scenario, would be a must as well.

The tone of the story would still be within the realm of... well, I don't want to see Leon defying the laws of everything like during that laser hall scene in Resident Evil 4. I also wouldn't want them to take themselves too seriously, however. The extreme melodrama of RE6 could get to be a little nauseous, although while the story was needlessly convoluted, the original Revelations managed to recapture the silly spark of the older games with its goofy dialogue and seemingly intentionally strange line readings.

Though when it comes down to it, that Capcom would be willing to remake Resident Evil 2 under these guidelines seems highly unlikely unfortunately.

Survival Horror Shooter-Vania

The other primary alternative is of course with the over-the-shoulder setup and having it function more as a straight shooter. However that too isn't completely without appeal in my eyes. When we consider the recent influx of shooters such as The Last of Us and The Evil Within, and maybe even Alien: Isolation to a certain extent, the 'survival horror shooter' is starting to form into a sub-genre of its own. Capcom have already been taking some obvious cues from The Last of Us with how they're steering the direction for Revelations 2. That could then perhaps work as the blueprint for this hypothetical actioned-up remake of Resident Evil 2.

However they would have to keep the exploration aspect intact. The RPD station in particular would still have to allow you to explore (mostly) at your leisure. Though to account for the higher action-focus, the open nature of the game could then lead into what would basically be a MetroidVania style of shooter. You would not only be acquiring the necessary key items to move on but also upgrades, hidden away behind all sorts of optional puzzle rooms or boss battles or what have you maybe, and they could even add a bit of randomisation to it. Not only with what sort of loot you'd find, but enemy placements, too. That would further strengthen the survival element of this 'survival horror shooter' by way of it forcing the all important aspect of improvisation into the design.

There's also the question of cooperative gameplay. Under my rule, the story would primarily stay single player. However funnily enough what I think would be interesting is if they took a cue from Resident Evil 6. Specifically the cross-campaigns connection. With the Scenarios system still intact, they could then have Leon & Claire occasionally meet up with one another, only the alternate character could potentially be another player who is playing the alternate Scenario. In the original game they never actually fought together, but for the sake of this hypothetical remake idea's higher focus on action, having them working together to best a boss or survive a noticeably tough encounter would fit in without cooperative gameplay being too overbearing.

The randomisation element would ideally promote the concept of replay value, and not to mention the typical suite of unlockables one would expect from a Capcom game, so there'd hopefully be enough people playing to successfully allow such a specific match up.

Playing It Safe

What is the most likely route for Capcom would be what they're doing with the Remastering of the original remake. No, not the remake itself, but the remastering of the remake specifically. So while they wouldn't go to the extent of creating all these new assets and so on, they'd at least be willing to layer on a shiny new coat, while maybe adding in some additional mechanics similarly to the many upgrades Resident Evil: Deadly Silence saw. Y'know, stuff like the 180 degree turn - finally!

Like many of Capcom's games, Resident Evil 2 has seen a lot of porting throughout its time. Many of which include their own additions both big and small. Some like the N64 version featured a mode that would rearrange all of the item placements just like the Advanced mode in Resident Evil: Director's Cut, alongside some new costumes to wear and files to read. Its PC version has itself its own exclusive Hard mode setting at that, and every version from the Dualshock PS1 version (meaning not the very original) has the Extreme Battle minigame, which sort of functions as a very early prototype to the recurring Mercenaries minigame. Sort of...

In any case, if this Ultimate Edition of Resident Evil 2 could compile all of Resident Evil 2's content into one accessible package, alongside all of the other aforementioned bells & whistles, then I know I at least would be content. (pun...)

Oh! Conclusion!

I'm generally sort of torn when it comes to the idea of Resident Evil 2 being remade. As described above, it's clear that I would certainly love to see it get its due, but whether or not modern day Capcom could properly execute any style of interpretation without bungling it all up is tricky to ascertain. After the Resident Evil apocalypse of 2012 it's clear they're trying to make amends, and they're obviously aware of the demand. With them also re-releasing the most survival horror-est of Resident Evils in 2015, then perhaps that's a sign that they understand those classic design philosophies still hold weight for a certain subset of people. Enough that my 'Playing It Safe' hypothetical may come to pass at the very least.

Or perhaps 'Playing It Safe' would in actual fact be that they simply keep their mitts off of Resident Evil 2 and let sleeping zombie dogs lie.

Outro Mosaic

...Also Music:

If the tone of the RE2 segments in The Darkside Chronicles is anything to go by, it'll be a lot like that. Leon will be in his swag agent persona and Claire will be one-shotting zombies with throwing knives. I wonder if the multiple campaigns scenario will get in the way of the budget however. That original game was like 4 games in one.

The possibility of a metroid-esque shooter is intriguing though. Although, I don't know if Capcom knows how to make shooting at zombies fun considering the zombie enemies in RE6 didn't flinch one bit when shot at.

When people mention a modern Resident Evil game, I immediately think of The Last of Us. You mentioned it, others have mentioned it, I just mentioned it.

I don't necessarily mean the flow of the story, but the gameplay. Every encounter is impactful, you're scavenging ammo, and it works in close quarters. RE 2 spends a lot of time in an urban setting that would make TLoU combat feel right at home.

Now, the core difference would be the exploration and puzzles. Naughty Dog excels at storytelling and put you on a linear path. Capcom could take the template and let you loose on Raccoon City. The Gamecube remake changed a bunch of stuff, and I believe a remake of 2 should, as well. But the core of RE was getting you from place to place finding notes and keys and slowly progressing through a place.

This approach could also cut down on the ridiculous budgets in future games. Instead of taking you to a bunch of places with no personality for 20 hours, they could focus on one tight area and make it memorable. This would involve some backtracking, but finding out how an area was connected was always a neat experience back in the day.

So what I'm saying is, a remake of RE 2 that copies the gameplay of The Last of Us would be a great lesson for Capcom. They could revisit one of the best games in the series, see what makes it work, and update the shooting. Problem with the HD remake of Remake is they aren't changing much aside from the visuals. They aren't learning much.

Completely reimagining 2 would be like an old band playing some obscure song from their first demo that was recorded in a garage. "Hey, we were onto something. Let's rerecord it with equipment I didn't find in a dumpster."

looks like your blog double posted Yummylee.

I'm with you if RE2 were to get reamde I'd want it play like what I consider a real RE game, tank controls, fixed camera all that. Those games made me tense in ways the modern ones never come close to replicating. That is a big part of what made those games so special. They were the best at making those kinds of games

If they got the RE5 route, the as you mentioned they are competing in a format where frankly I don't think they are the best in class.

You have no idea how many ritualistic sacrifices I would commit to have a legitimate remake of Resident Evil 2 in the classical style. But of course, that will never happen. But that's okay, when the Capcom of today makes whatever lame adaption they end up making I will make fun of it and you and I will complain about it together.

Alright, here we go!

Resident Evil 2 is one of my all time favourite. In fact it's my 4th most favouritest game of all time. It was last time i tried to put some actual thoughts into the subject anyway which is the dumbest thing. Don't do that! You can't order pure emotions!

I like RE2 the best in the franchise but i have to admit that 99% of it is nostalgia and the soundtrack. For one, it's the first game in the series i played and the first survival horror game too. As a game, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is in every way superior, minus the soundtrack. It plays better, has better enemy design and the aforementioned Nemesis is one of the most incredible Boss of any game. Certainly the best in the series.

I said plenty of times i want to see Capcom give the REmake treatment to RE2. Not turning it into a bad Resident Evil 4 (sorry, 4 Resident Evil) knock off. Certainly not a co-op game a la Resident Evil 5. No, a proper REmake 2 but actually i don't really care that much. I have no problem at all just replaying the original. I'm a grumpy old man now that probably goes around saying games were way better back in my days 2-3 times a week (they are!) and have absolutely no confidence in Capcom to not crap this up whether because there's no one left at the company who truly understands what RE is or because they'd do something perfectly competent in line with expected modern game designs (damn those modern games! *shakes fist at the sky*).

Then there's every other possibility you laid out. A The Last of Us type game or Alien: Isolation type game or whatever else in between that's currently popular in horror games design and all that sounds good but what's the point of turning an RE2 remake into one of those when they can just reboot the whole thing instead if they're gonna go in that direction? That series needs rebooting, urgently, and i'm all for it going in a significantly different direction at this point. Just leave RE2 alone!

If they ever did a proper REmake 2 i'd gladly give them 20$, play it, enjoy it and think yeah that game's still great.

They won't though.

(But damn it'd be cool if they did!)

I think my favorite part about RE 2 was how each character's A/B scenario were sightly different, and it also impacted the game of the other character. Oh, so that's how that helicopter got there! Oh, so that's why the Umbrella lab has crazy monsters, because jerk-face Leon needed an easier time and left the BOW gas on. I never understood how the keys/puzzle items ended up where they were. Realistically, the puzzles were already solved or the doors were unlocked, so you would think the next character to get there wouldn't even need to do anything. Though imagining Tyrant sneaking around and "reseting" the puzzles for the next guy is quite amusing. Like Tyrant has to re-plaster/re-finish the wall he just burst through for the next go around. Poor guy...

I'd love a REmake version of the game, but I don't have faith in Capcom doing it justice.

I'd like to think that a proper reimagining of RE2 would have a little more care paid to it than the RE2 segments of dreck like the Chronicles and Operation Raccoon City games. Still, it depends on what sort of remake they went with. If they wanted to actually craft a horror game, then they'd need to subdue the bravado and confidence they typically gift Resident Evil protagonists. Otherwise with my Survival Horror Shooter-Vania idea, I wouldn't mind if they went a little silly with things, again with the quality of writing and voice acting from Revelations being a fine benchmark.

I think Revelations 2 makes for a clear case that Capcom are well aware of The Last of Us and have been taking notes. As did The Evil Within, sort of. If anything The Evil Within has to me always looked like a game that initially aspired to resemble The Last of Us with its mix of ammo-conservative shooting & stealth, but then soon morphed into something that more closely resembles a more difficult RE4.

Yeah, it happens. I think it's because of how long it can sometimes take to actually post the blog, and I'll thusly click the post button a few times just to make sure the gears are still turning, which is likely what results in me posting duplicates. With the state of the site fluctuating between varying degrees of broken, I rarely ever trust any of the site's systems to reliably work and I'm just waiting for the floor to collapse from beneath me... Least only one of the blogs actually made it to the forums!

Indeedly. To which I will then swear off the series completely before immediately getting back on the horse and my avatar will once again will be the sole face that fills the Resident Evil 7 boards as I continue my undying obsession. Such is our curse.

Ha, yeah, I always thought it was strange how despite Leon & Claire supposedly doing their own thing within the precinct, many of the puzzles are repeated and their actions rarely reflect in the other playthrough beyond a handful such as choosing to take the SMG and/or sidepack or not. Though I do like your theory about the Tyrant being the RPD caretaker of sorts that goes around placing everything back to where it was :P

In any case if RE2 was to get a remake, that would also give them a chance to further expand the RPD station and to better distinguish the travels and locations Scenario A & B takes you.

As you would likely expect, you and I are on the same page in that regard!

Resident Evil requiring a reboot is such a commonly held opinion these days, but it's one I of course share and continually fly the flag for! Regardless of whatever Capcom have planned for Resident Evil 2 (if anything), a reboot will surely be in order. But like you said, given the current state of Capcom it'd probably be best if they leave it as is lest they potentially sully one of the series best and result in alienating the series' waning fanbase all the more.

At the same time, it would be nice to have my 'Ultimate Edition' come to fruition, just to have a copy that has all of its accumulated content in one tidy place. I just want to have a reason to play through it again, as given the nature of the game it's gotten to be awfully easy once you've completed it a few dozen times...

I dunno. The ideal remake will never happen for RE2. It's sad, but it's something I've come to terms with.

I'll just sit in my corner, crying, wearing my Leon RPD button up shirt, clutching my copy of RE2.

I love all of the responses saying "I want this remake, but I don't trust Capcom to do it right". You just know there has got to be at least one person at Capcom who thinks about that from time to time. "Man, we should do a RE2make! So cool! Nah, wait a second. We'd just find a way to fuck it up."

They should just leave it alone and not entertain any thoughts of reboots because it can only do harm at this point. I think with Revelations 2 and the ReREboot they are on the right track to figuring out this identity crisis.

This is going to sound silly, but one of the things I miss from the old games, its being able to "click" on my surroundings and get a description, which for whatever reason helped me immerse myself in the world and exploring every room. Check out a useless painting here, a bookcase there, etc. It might not be needed nowadays since graphics have reached a point where you can basically see everything and gather your own description from that, where as back in the day everything was so muddy and low res. Still every modern RE game is just so straight forward, aimlessly gun down hordes of B.O.W.s and run to the next cut scene. I wish they would slow down once in awhile, let the player explore, read logs, refer to his map.

I have enjoyed every RE game, 4,5 and even 6 are fun shooters, don't misunderstand me, I just don't consider anything after 3 a "real" RE game, expect maybe Code Veronica, I can hardly remember that game. Revelation tried and I like that game quite a bit, still.. It does not quite feel right to me.

@tothenines: Code Veronica is in the old style, I'd imagine it counts.


On topic, I'd pay a lot of money for a Resident Evil 2 REmake. That's just me.

Not at all, I know exactly what you mean. I love being able to investigate my surroundings and to have my character provide a bit of commentary for everything, helps enrichen the world a little. Though even RE4 and 5 had a surprising amount of 'Investigate' prompts and files to read. I especially liked how in RE5 you'd get slightly different text responses when investigating something depending on whether you're playing as Chris or Sheva.

Also, if by ''real'' you mean classic survival horror Resident Evil, then Code: Veronica, Zero, and the remake are as 'real' as you can get.

I'm not sure I understand the concern of Capcom remaking Resident Evil 2 and turning it into a straight-ahead shooter. I mean, unless I'm forgetting something, there's no precedent for that sort of thing is there really? Sure, that's the direction the newest games in the series have gone in, but I couldn't fathom why they would give an older Resi game that sort of treatment. I know that trust in Capcom is not exactly at an all-time amongst purist Resi fans, but this train of thought seems a bit like over-worrying to me.

In my mind there's two possible scenarios I could envision: One where Resident Evil 2 gets remade and it's done pretty much the same as the first Resi Remake, and another scenario where it just doesn't get remade.

I didn't mean to put myself across as being worried or anything, I just wanted to write up a bunch of hypotheticals and what I'd preferably like to see should an RE2 remake come to pass.

I would rather see no remakes at all but I have to admit I was very disappointed when only RE1 got an actual remake while 2 and 3 just got shitty ports.

Seriously though, no remakes. Just stop. The only thing I want from the RE/Biohazard series at this point is a complete reboot or for it to die and stay dead.