The first Resident Evil brought a new kind of horror to video games. It was tense, terrifying and atmospheric, combining fixed camera angles and pretty pre-rendered backgrounds with 3D character models to evoke a fantastic zombie-horror atmosphere. But it was Resident Evil 2 that perfected the formula, and it's safe to say that no successive game in the series has been as successful in delivering a true survival-horror experience. Resi 2 may have been more action-oriented than something like Silent Hill, but it was a game in which every bullet counted, forcing you to consider whether you want take out a room full of zombies, or try to weave around them, knowing that there's only a finite amount of ammo in the game world. The ruined Raccoon City setting was also one of the first times we played a horror game that ventured beyond the cliched haunted house.The horror was in the streets, in police stations, and in sewage plants. The environments felt more varied and real than ever before, thanks in part to the excellent pre-rendering job done on them. Sure, you can criticise the sclerotic tank controls and obscure puzzles, but these didn't detract from making Resident Evil 2 the most complete survival horror package of its time - if not ever.
Gamer, Researcher of strange things.
I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.
