On December 21st, at exactly ten in the morning, the long-anticipated Resident Evil 2 officially launched across the game store and the three major platforms simultaneously.
During the same window, aside from a handful of second- and third-tier indie or mid-sized titles, there were virtually no releases capable of posing a real challenge to Resident Evil 2. At least in terms of marketing momentum and production scale, it stood completely unopposed. As for whether a surprise might emerge, that would ultimately depend on the games' actual quality.
Countless players who had been eagerly waiting rushed to download the game the moment it went live. Among them was Louis. From The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim to Resident Evil Resistance and Metal Gear, he could be described as someone who never missed a single release from PixelPioneers Games. Part of that loyalty came from genuine appreciation. Another part, admittedly, bordered on superstition; after all, wasn't Outlast that first propelled him into the spotlight?
Meanwhile, inside PixelPioneers Games, John and Luna temporarily set aside their work, sitting down side by side in front of their computers, ready to experience the game together. Although John had already gone through internal testing, that had only been an earlier build, and at the time, he had been playing alone.
Compared to the original version preserved in his Dream Memory, John had made numerous adjustments in the GDD he handed over to Martel. One of the most notable additions was the implementation of a multiplayer mode.
Take Ashley, for example, the president's daughter. Among players, she was notoriously labeled as a "burden." While she played a crucial role in driving the narrative forward and her character model was undeniably charming, her in-game behavior often left players both loving and hating her.
However, in John's revised design, multiplayer functionality changed everything. In certain segments, players could cooperate to progress, one controlling Ashley and the other controlling Leon, or even other characters. What was once frustration could now become teamwork.
"I've noticed something," Luna suddenly remarked as the story unfolded on screen. "Being the protagonist's companion is basically a death sentence. It's always the supporting characters who sacrifice themselves. Every time a vehicle explodes, the protagonist walks away, and everyone else… doesn't."
"Ah, the classic protagonist effect," John replied with a smile. It wasn't just Resident Evil 2; this trope appeared everywhere, from games to TV series, movies, and even comics.
As gameplay progressed, the story of Resident Evil 2 gradually revealed itself, layer by layer, alongside the main narrative. Compared to the earlier Resident Evil, the combat system had been significantly enhanced.
Leon's physical combat abilities, for instance, were no longer those of a rookie cop fresh out of the academy. After years of special forces training, he now moved with precision and confidence. Armed with a dagger, he executed fluid melee techniques against infected villagers, each motion sharp, efficient, and undeniably stylish. Even the game's cutscenes leaned more toward cinematic action, emphasizing dynamic, visually striking combat sequences reminiscent of blockbuster films.
"I don't think this game is that scary…" Luna commented, sounding slightly surprised.
At this stage, the prologue didn't yet support multiplayer, so the two were still playing separately. Watching Luna's screen from the side, John couldn't help but notice something off. Compared to the previous Resident Evil, she genuinely didn't seem to feel much fear.
"Try lowering your brightness to around 40," John suggested, pausing his own game. "And maybe put on some headphones; it'll feel way more immersive."
He glanced at her screen; the brightness was cranked to maximum, washing everything in glaring white. John was momentarily speechless. Horror relies heavily on atmosphere: dim lighting, oppressive sound design, and tension-building music. Remove those, and the fear collapses entirely. With maximum brightness, no audio, and broad daylight streaming into the room… how could anything feel scary?
"I'm not stupid! Why would I deliberately scare myself?" Luna shot back, glaring at him.
Years of experience told John exactly what to do next, and he quietly turned back to his own screen.
Although Resident Evil 2 leaned more heavily into shooting and action elements, naturally reducing its overall horror intensity, it still retained puzzle-solving mechanics. These had been streamlined, however, with clearer hints and a more accessible design. In terms of level design, Martel had done an exceptional job.
In one sequence, Leon, humorously framed as a "rude outsider," entered a seemingly "simple" rural village. After eliminating waves of "friendly" yet infected villagers, he discovered a man bound and gagged inside a cabinet. Tearing off the tape from the man's mouth, Leon freed him.
"A bit rough, don't you think?" the man exhaled, clearly relieved.
"You're not one of them, right?" Leon asked while cutting the ropes.
"Of course not. What about you?"
Their exchange was abruptly cut short. The towering village chief suddenly appeared, catching Leon off guard and knocking him unconscious with ease. When Leon regained consciousness, he found himself tied up alongside the man, Luis. Both had been injected with an unknown substance.
The opening sequence was straightforward: Leon travels to a remote foreign village to rescue the president's daughter, only to encounter a biohazard outbreak eerily similar to the Raccoon City incident years prior.
As more players progressed through the game, online discussions quickly intensified. Opinions began to diverge, especially regarding the gameplay direction.
"It's so satisfying! Leon feels amazing to control, way more mature than in Raccoon City. And I haven't even gotten to the best part yet!"
"The melee system is insanely good! And there are merchants now; you can even buy ammo. No more constant resource anxiety like in the old Resident Evil!"
"The knife is OP! One slash per enemy!"
"Seriously? What even is this? Why didn't John develop Resident Evil 2 himself? The whole tone feels off; it's barely scary anymore. At best, it's just tense."
"This isn't horror; it's basically an action game now."
"I really hope it gets scarier later. Right now, the atmosphere just isn't there."
"I actually think it's great. The puzzles plus the constant pressure from villagers keep me on edge."
"Same here. The original Resident Evil was so terrifying that I couldn't even play it myself; I had to watch walkthroughs. This version is tense but manageable."
Before long, as more players experienced the game firsthand, the community split cleanly into two camps.