The stunning graphics, incredible survival horror combat and wonderfully eerie setting make picking up a copy of Resident Evil 2 a no-brainer.

The silliness helps tie together Resident Evil 2’s combination of genuine terror with baroque puzzles and excessive action, making sure that it is frightening but always fun. It has always been the ethos that has made Resident Evil such an enduring survival-horror success for over twenty years. This remake captures it perfectly, but makes sure it has plenty of fresh tricks up its sleeve to ensure it has as much of an impact on the here and now.

Drawing inspiration from the simplicity of the original trilogy, the improved movement from Resident Evil 4 and the exciting, gritty realism from Resident Evil 7, the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 is the greatest genetic success to ever come out of the Umbrella Laboratories. An incredibly fresh-yet-classic experience that sets new standards on how a survival horror game should be designed in our era.

Resident Evil 2 is likely the single most excellent video game remake ever created and I'm hard-pressed to think of anything else that could even compare.

Resident Evil 2’s remake highlights just how great Capcom’s first sequel in the Resident Evil series ways, but does it in a way that makes it the most compelling entry in the series thus far. It’s smart changes merge with the classic design expertly, while its atmosphere is rich thanks to gorgeous lighting and incredible sound design. It’s a reminder of the past, but this remake would be a fine direction for the future of Resident Evil.

Don't labor under the delusion that, if you played the original Resident Evil 2, that you should skip this one for some reason. There’s no excuse of “I’ve already played the original, so I don’t need to grab this one.” You couldn’t be more wrong if that’s your line of thinking. From top to bottom, this is already an early contender for Game of the Year 2019, and one of the greatest reasons ever to be a survival horror fan.

By trying to please so many different players the game will probably not satisfy anyone completely. Resident Evil veterans will feel like it is a bit too simple and unfaithful. New players will wonder about the 90s logic in spending so much time looking for keys so you can politely unlock doors when your backpack is loaded with rocket launchers and oversized shotguns which could just as easily have blown them off their hinges.