Going For 100%

I just started replaying Resident Evil 2 on PC, having first played it on my then-new Xbox when it launched in 2019. I had tons of fun with it back then and did a few playthroughs, but never took the time to complete all the challenges and unlock all the goodies on offer. This time, I thought it would be fun to test my mettle and try to go for 100% completion.

All done!

I’ve done this with Resident Evil HD Remaster and Resident Evil 3, so I suppose it’s only fitting that RE2 gets the same treatment. Resident Evil is my favorite video game series, and one of the things I love about it is just how much time you can sink into these games that aren’t particularly long. There are always bonus modes such as The Mercenaries and The 4th Survivor for arcadey goodness, as well as unlockable weapons and costumes to shoot for. Getting rewarded with infinite ammo weapons, especially an infinite rocket launcher, always feels like a nice little achievement. RE3 included a points shop for unlockables, which I thought was a nice touch.

The points shop added lots of replayability to RE3.

I think 100% completion in video games is an interesting topic because there’s so much variance in opinions. Some people play a game once and never touch it again, always seeking new experiences. Others are hardcore achievement hunters who go for full completion with every game they play. I fall somewhere between those two, as I love replaying my games but will only go for all the achievements, challenges, etc. if I really like the game in question and think the list seems fun. If I see something like “Win 10,000 online matches”, I’m out. Beat the game on the highest difficulty? If I love the game, sure. Otherwise, maybe not. I feel like everyone has some criteria for how much time they’re going to spend on a single video game.

I’m looking forward to facing the challenges provided by Resident Evil 2 (hello, Ghost Survivors). A game that throws a bunch of extra tasks at you but makes them fun and rewarding is always a plus in my book. I can’t wait to see how tough The 4th Survivor is after not playing it for a few years, and will keep an eye out for any more games that make going for 100% a fun task.

Games of 2019: Resident Evil 2

The classic reborn.

I’ve talked about this game before, but it bears repeating that Resident Evil 2 rang in the new year with a bang. An excellent remake of a classic game, RE2 saw Claire and Leon’s journey through zombie-infested Raccoon City updated with near-photorealistic graphics and modern controls. A slew of added content and surprises for veterans of the game made for a fresh experience even for those of us who first experienced the thrills 20 years ago.

Zombies are a bigger threat than I expected going in.

The biggest surprise that greeted me was the change to zombies’ health. Varying health pools mean that you can rarely be sure that a zombie is down for good. This can lead to jump scares thanks to being grabbed and wasting ammo. The redone gameplay segments with Ada and Sherry are also welcome changes, especially the creepy stealth section with Chief Irons. Two gameplay episodes that were nearly identical in the original game now feature unique gameplay and locations. The redesigned ivy enemies in the Umbrella lab kept me on my toes with their instant-kill attack. Boss fights were given more variety thanks to mechanics like the crane and gas canisters when fighting William Birkin. Finally, I really enjoyed collecting Mr. Raccoon bobbleheads, a throwback to Mr. Everywhere from Resident Evil 7.

The RE Engine is capable of some truly impressive graphics.

Resident Evil 2 also provided one of my favorite characters of 2019 in the form of its revamped Mr. X. While he existed in the original, Mr. X was confined to a couple of brief encounters in the B route. Here, his role has been greatly expanded to make him a seemingly ever-present threat. Like Lisa Trevor in Resident Evil (2002), the new and improved Mr. X adds tension and scares for both new and old players alike.

Cue “X Gon’ Give It To Ya”.

Resident Evil 2 is a terrific revival of a survival horror icon. The familiar locations, characters and monsters are given new life with impressive graphics, modern controls and camera, fresh scares and twists on the original formula. Replayability in the form of returning 4th Survivor and Tofu modes, plus the all new Ghost Survivors mode, kept me playing this game all year.

Great, Recent Remakes

Disclaimer: There are some spoilers for Resident Evil 2 (2019) in this post.

In the past year, two games have come out that managed to devour most of my free time following release. I spent weeks at a time completely enthralled by them, doing multiple playthroughs and obsessively completing the various challenges and tasks offered by their achievement lists. This isn’t unusual behavior for a gaming enthusiast. What is unique, however, is that both of these games were remakes of games that came out 20 years ago.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy released in September 2018, after many rumors suggesting it would be Activision’s follow-up to the smash hit Crash N.Sane Trilogy. I was hyped beyond belief, because, while I enjoyed Crash back in the day, the original Spyro holds a special place in my heart. Many late ’90s weekends were spent playing the game at my best friend’s house, taking turns trying to uncover all of the game’s secrets.

One of the strengths of the original Spyro trilogy was its stellar art direction. The color palette and character designs give the games’ worlds a dreamlike quality. Spyro Reignited Trilogy nails this aesthetic, in my view. The updated visuals maintain the otherworldly fantasy presented by the originals, with added pop in the form of unique dragon designs for the first game.

I couldn’t wait to see all of the varied designs when I rescued the dragons.

I keep finding myself telling people that all 3 games look like I remembered them looking as a child, and I think that’s the biggest compliment I could give them. I loved them enough to get all of the trophies and achievements across both the PS4 and Xbox One versions. The only complaint I had was the rightly-criticized lack of subtitles, but that was eventually fixed in a patch.

I could get lost in the lovely Magic Crafters World. The druid enemies are especially adorable!

The other game that captured my leisure time recently was Resident Evil 2, released in January. The 2002 remake of Resident Evil is one of my favorite games of all time, so I had high hopes for this one. I always liked Resident Evil 2, but Capcom’s slight change in direction by giving the remake a more serious tone and presentation was welcome to me.

Unlike the original game, I actually did find myself getting a little scared when Mr. X would appear or a licker would would turn hostile after I thought I walked past it undetected. The game provided me with some great anecdotes to share with friends, such as the time I couldn’t tell where Mr. X was and boldly decided to run out of the room I was in, only for him to burst through the door as I opened it and toss Claire into the far wall, prompting a startled yelp from me. I had his patterns in the original game memorized, but his bigger role in the remake gave me many fun frights.

Top 10 photos taken seconds before disaster.

Even with the focus on more serious scares, I think the game strikes a nice balance between being faithful to the source material and adding new surprises. The RPD looked like I imagined it as a child, to echo my Spyro sentiments. All of the characters look amazing, and I feel Claire’s new outfit fits her style perfectly. Marvin’s expanded role is another change that I appreciated, as I felt more attached to him when he met his end this time around. I honestly didn’t mourn the loss of the moth boss as some people did, and felt the redesigned plant-based enemies in the lab made up for its absence. Overall, the experience felt fresh and exciting, despite my having played the original several times over the past 20 years.

I absolutely love the noir filter and costume DLC, even if it makes the game impossible to see properly.

People often complain about the abundance of remakes, remasters and re-releases in the modern gaming industry, but I love the potential to breathe new life into classic games that they provide. If we get more remakes of my childhood favorites with love put into them, I can’t see myself complaining.