Resident Evil has been providing tension and scares to gamers for multiple decades, and it’s a series I really love. I wasn’t part of the early years of Resi though, because as a youngster I was a real wimp. I found Ocarina of Time too scary most of the time, so an actual horror game was out of the question. Eventually I put on my big boy pants and bought Resident Evil 4, and fell in love with my floppy haired hero Leon. Getting into the premier survival horror series late meant I missed out on a lot of the games the first time around, and although I went back to that tank control era it never quite clicked with me. Thanks to the remakes though I can finally ensure that I experience all of the adventures back in Racoon City, and Resident Evil 2 Deluxe on the Switch 2 is a wonderful stop on this journey.
Depending on who you choose as your character, the story of Resident Evil 2 is rather different. I obviously started with the younger twinkier version of Leon, who on his first day as a cop has to deal with a zombie outbreak. He meets other protagonist Claire when everything kicks off, and then ends up separated from her and stuck in the police station – which is overrun by evil. There are plenty of ridiculous moments from there, often told in the form of notes scattered around. Experiencing the origins of Leon’s Resident Evil journey was a joy, and following on to play as Claire was very different despite similar locations.
Resident Evil 2 Deluxe is a seriously upgraded version of that 1998 classic, with tank controls replaced by over the shoulder action. Despite featuring the style of movement made popular in the fourth entry though, the horror is still firmly in place. A lot of this is because you don’t quite move as quickly as in later Resi games, but it’s also how enclosed all the locations are. You simply don’t have room to dodge and weave around enemies, and don’t have enough ammo to take them all down. It’s a seriously tense time, and I honestly wasn’t expecting to struggle so much.
I died a lot even in the opening hours of the game, and often it was because of inventory management. You’ve got such a small amount of space to store any key items, ammo or herbs you find, so most of the time you’ll want to set out with the bare essentials and leave some supplies in your big box. Without all my best firearms I’d end up far from safety with a distinct lack of bullets, and every missed hit on a swaying zombie would make me sweat all the more. It’s a great way to build tension, and makes every additional zombie, licker, or dog feel like a mountain to overcome.
There’s a wonderful variety of enemies to encounter in Raccoon City Police Station and beyond, but none are more menacing than Mr X. This brute stalks you across the map, smashes his way into safe zones, and generally just makes your life hell. At first his presence feels almost cruel, and you’ll have to learn how to be stealthy and to listen out for his booming footsteps.
There’s so much to manage when it comes to Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition, from zombies and brutes to fiendish puzzles. The classic Resident Evil structure of finding keys and symbols to ferry across the map is alive and well here, as are the puzzles that require you to look at your notes or even your surroundings to solve them. Finding a free moment to do so is another thing entirely though, because zombies and monsters don’t wait for you to figure out a locker code.
It’s very likely you already know that the Resident Evil 2 remake is fantastic, and want to hear about the Switch 2 port. It is simply flawless. The game looks gorgeous and runs like a dream, and playing it on a handheld console is absolutely perfect. I played so much of Resi 2 tucked up in bed with the lights off, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
There’s so much to love about Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition, but it has one particular issue. His name is Mr X, and especially to begin with it feels almost unfair that he’s so strong. The game doesn’t help you figure out the best way to avoid him at all, and he makes getting from one side of the station to the other with a new key an absolute nightmare. With practice I was able to manage his stalking and wandering, but not before using up way too many bullets and herbs.
Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition is a spectacular remake of one of the all-time survival horror greats, and on the Switch 2 it’s exceptional. Whether you’re playing for the first time or the tenth, this is the perfect way to do so, and it’s another exceptional port from Capcom.
