Resident Evil 2, known as Biohazard 2 in Japan, is a survival horror video game by Capcom originally released for the PlayStation in 1998. The second installment in the Resident Evil series, its story takes place two months after the events of the first game. It is set in Raccoon City, a Midwestern American mountain community whose residents have been turned into zombies by the T-virus, a biological weapon developed by the pharmaceutical company Umbrella. In their escape from the city, the two protagonists Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield encounter other survivors and are confronted by William Birkin, the mutated creator of the even more powerful G-virus.

The gameplay of Resident Evil 2 primarily focuses on exploration, solving puzzles, and fighting enemies, although the title also contains typical elements of the survival horror genre, such as limited saves and ammunition. The main improvement over the predecessor is the "Zapping System" that provides each playable character with a different scenario featuring unique storylines and puzzles. Developed by a team of 40 to 50 people over the course of one year and nine months, Resident Evil 2 was directed by Hideki Kamiya and produced by Shinji Mikami. The initial version of the game, commonly referred to as Resident Evil 1.5, differed drastically from the released product and was scrapped at a development stage of 60–80 percent, deemed too dull and boring by the producer. The resulting redesign introduced different settings and a more cinematic story presentation, supported by a soundtrack that employs "desperation" as the underlying theme of the musical compositions.

Following the initial success on the PlayStation, Resident Evil 2 was ported to Microsoft Windows, the Nintendo 64, Dreamcast and Nintendo GameCube, and was released as a modified 2.5D version for the Game.com handheld. Well-received by critics, the game was praised for its atmosphere, setting, graphics, and audio, but criticized for its controls, voice acting, and some of its gameplay elements. Years after its first release, Resident Evil 2 was included in several lists of the 100 best games, has become a million-seller, and is the franchise's most successful title on a single platform. The story of the game was retold and built upon in several later games, and adapted into a variety of licensed works.

Platform

Game.com

Developer(s)

Tiger

Publishers(s)

Tiger

Genres(s)

NA Release Date

January 21, 1998

MVGL User Score

9 by 2 user(s)

MVGL Difficulty

2.0000

Composer(s)

-

Added by

3 User(s)

This game also exists on:
PlayStation 1 Nintendo Gamecube Nintendo 64 Sega Dreamcast PC PlayStation 3 Sony PSP Sony PS Vita

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