RESIDENT EVIL 2
I distinctly recall countless sleepovers at my great-grandparents’ house over the years. Like many kids our age, my cousin Eric and I were big into video games. The N64 alone holds a special place in my heart. Out of all the games we played, for some reason I consider Resident Evil 2 my most nostalgic gaming experience. I guess it’s due to the subsequent sleepless nights caused by playing it. We weren’t exactly good at the game. The mechanics were hard to master and we would spam through bullets without a second thought. For a game based around survival, we sure didn’t last very long.
As I got older, my appreciation for the game grew. I’m a huge fan of the franchise in general (yes, even the maligned Resident Evil 6). I find myself replaying through an entry at least once a year. It’s always Resident Evil 2 that seems to be my first option. In hindsight, I think it’s half nostalgia and half ingenuity. Out of all the games made prior to the Xbox/PS2/Gamecube era, it perfectly balanced both halves of what defined Resident Evil. The first game, while still excellent, was a little over reliant on puzzle solving. The third game, Resident Evil: Nemesis, went overboard in regards to horror/action. Resident Evil 2 manages to perfectly blended both together. The puzzles were not frequent but they were nevertheless challenging. There certainly was no shortage of zombies and other T-virus infected monsters either.
With the recent announcement of a remake, I’m sure Resident Evil 2 may garner more attention. A remake did wonders for the original game on the Gamecube. I’m sure that I’ll be first in line to purchase it. With that said, there’s something about that original game that can’t quite be duplicated. That may be because I still have flashbacks to my younger self playing it well past my bedtime. Then again, maybe it’s the questionable voice acting the series is known for. -Matthew Goudreau
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