Resident Evil 2 Remake

[A horse of course]

Played another couple of hours, up to reuniting with Sherry and falling down the elevator. Definitely enjoy the way you think carefully about different routes and entrances to take the safest or fastest approach to your objectives - really brought me back to Resident Evil 1 and some of the Silent Hill games where enemy placement was more important. There were some bits that are extremely difficult to get past without burning ammo and using the boards though, such as the west hallway on the first floor full of tight corridors and open windows. I think I managed to avoid passing it more than twice, but there's a bit of meta-knowledge involved there - otherwise you could easily end up in an unwinnable situation.

I was really confused by Lickers. I'd read everywhere that you can just gently edge your way around them, but every time I got close, my movement triggered them even if I was putting the slightest amount of pressure on the thumbstick. I just ended up using fire rounds on anything I couldn't instantly escape from, though I'm guessing flashbangs can incapacitate them for a while.

Mr. X was handled pretty well, though I wish he wasn't so predictable in smaller rooms where you can easily get him confused by minor obstructions and chest-high walls. Would prefer it if there were some scripted instances of him defying your expectations by smashing certain obstacles aside or crashing through weakened walls, making the player panic without putting them in insta-death scenarios. I'm curious regarding his footsteps and opening doors - was anyone able to tell his rough location from sound alone? On a pair of high-end IEMs I couldn't work out if he was above, below, or on the same floor as me - merely if he was extremely close, far away, or in the same room (from the rustle of his coat).

I disliked the bit in the orphanage where you control Sherry. It broke my concentration and engagement with the police station and was generally very much in the vein of "cinematic" Sony pseudo-stealth games. Should've been cut.

Still not a big fan of the facial models and animations. They look noticably worse on side-characters, as well.

I'll try to play another couple of hours tomorrow.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

I was really confused by Lickers. I'd read everywhere that you can just gently edge your way around them, but every time I got close, my movement triggered them even if I was putting the slightest amount of pressure on the thumbstick.

Are they actually attacking you, or just moving toward you? I can get close to them with the standard WASD walking speed - they'll move to investigate the noise, but they won't actually attack unless they touch me or I start running.

Would prefer it if there were some scripted instances of him defying your expectations by smashing certain obstacles aside or crashing through weakened walls, making the player panic without putting them in insta-death scenario.

There is one time this happens (at least in Leon's campaign) but I've seen a lot of people who missed it. I'm guessing you have to take specific actions to trigger it.

I did have trouble telling where he was based on his footsteps. There was one occasion where I was in the locker room and thought he was real close, and stood with my gun aimed at the door for like five minutes because I was expecting him to burst through at any second.

 

[A horse of course]

I was really confused by Lickers. I'd read everywhere that you can just gently edge your way around them, but every time I got close, my movement triggered them even if I was putting the slightest amount of pressure on the thumbstick.

Are they actually attacking you, or just moving toward you? I can get close to them with the standard WASD walking speed - they'll move to investigate the noise, but they won't actually attack unless they touch me or I start running.

Would prefer it if there were some scripted instances of him defying your expectations by smashing certain obstacles aside or crashing through weakened walls, making the player panic without putting them in insta-death scenario.

There is one time this happens (at least in Leon's campaign) but I've seen a lot of people who missed it. I'm guessing you have to take specific actions to trigger it.

I did have trouble telling where he was based on his footsteps. There was one occasion where I was in the locker room and thought he was real close, and stood with my gun aimed at the door for like five minutes because I was expecting him to burst through at any second.

They start moving towards me and screech, sounds like the music changes as well but it happens so fast I immediately unload a grenade to their face. How do you actually get around them if they move towards your position immediately? Do you just keep moving very slowly and avoid their own movement? How does that work in a corridor?

And yeah I had a similar experience with the doors - the first time I triggered him I ran back to the opening to Irons' office (with the straight line to the elevator). It sounded like he was bursting through the office door multiple times. After at least 2 minutes of waiting and listening I just started moving on my own and retreating if I saw him on the stairs.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

9/10 times by the time a licker hears my walking footsteps I'm already past them. Their "searching" state is mostly just there to scare you into running or attacking. There are a couple of times where a licker is scripted to attack, but I'm generally able to just walk by them unless a certain someone is right behind me.

 

[A horse of course]

Ah, fair enough. I usually spent an entire minute shuffling towards them and then get pissed that they seemed to activate once I was actually moving past them. After 2 or 3 instances I just started running or shooting them. Of course there are always scripted encounters like picking up a certain key.

 

[Multidirectional]

I had same confusion with Lickers, wasted way too many fire shots on these fucks.

 

[A horse of course]

I'm really confused by the campaign structure to the game. Once I do finish "Claire A" or whatever your first playthrough with Claire is, what am I supposed to play next? Someone said the "B" scenarios are just harder but more truncated versions of the "A" campaigns with the focus on metagaming/speedruns/replayability, but I also read the "B" scenarios have the "real" endings to the game? I only really care about experiencing the main story/content, not replaying shit. Should I play Leon A or Leon B? Honestly if there's not much more content I might just leave it at Claire A. I certainly don't care about the Mercenaries/4th Survivor stuff.

 

[Kitchen Utensil]

Play Leon B imo.

 

[A horse of course]

Play Leon B imo.

Yeah but why?

 

[Viata]

 

[Kitchen Utensil]

Play Leon B imo.

Yeah but why?

Well, because it gets you a couple more differences than just playing Leon A would.
There are still not that many differences, but enough to warrant this second run, imo.

 

[TheHeroOfTime]

 

[aweigh]

Not as hot as real Ada from the game...

 

[A horse of course]

Yeah, that does seem to be the case: https://steamcommunity.com/app/883710/discussions/0/1779388024838379894/

That's a pretty cool feature tbh, but there are still some aspects of his mechanics that seem to remain obscure. For example, I'm still not quite sure of how he tracks the player. I have heard that if you dally around long enough in an area, he will show up, which in my experience checks out. But that could be either because he has a routine, and thus the area in which you are in will inevitably get its 'turn', or because he 'cheats' and the game gives it your location after a certain amount of time. Apparently running, and footsteps more generally, don't affect his ability to detect you across rooms at all, but gunshots do. I think improving his detection and player tracking capabilities would be a good way of boosting his ability to be a threat.

https://www.reddit.com/r/residentevil/comments/aopzoh/re2mr_x_is_actually_extremely_fast_when_he/

He moves at 4X speed when searching rooms that aren't actually rendered. That's why it seems like he zeroes in on the player. Obviously there's some scripting going on too. But in general he's always just a few rooms behind you if you keep moving.

I don't know for sure whether or not he reacts to sprinting, but in my experience it at least feels like he does.

That guy has some other interesting experiments with camera hacks re: Mr. X





Seems like A: He teleports to the press room for that scripted wall-busting sequence.
B: Once you pick up the lever crank, whilst he doesn't teleport per se, he moves at max speed to right outside the door. So effectively he is teleporting there, albeit not in the same way as the press room spawn.
C: Gunshots do attract him but can also bug out his AI and actually cause him to spaz out. Running actually seems to be one of the most effective ways of attracting him to your direct position.

edit: Seems the embeds are messed up, weird. Anyway they just show Mr. X's behaviour whilst the player is performing certain actions

 

[A horse of course]

Alright, finished Claire A. Game takes a nosedive in the sewers and labs. Much more linear, fewer routes, lots of bullshit scripted fights, simultaneously too many tight spaces filled with enemies but also massive open areas that are completely wasted. The station is definitely their matinee showing and got the most love (and likely playtesting), as well as showcasing the best of classic Resident Evil level design. Feels like everything after that point is just a lengthy epilogue they threw money at. And fuck that bullshit G2 fight on the tiny platform - G3 was a lot easier and G4 (whatever you call the fight where you're chased around the train car platform) never even touched me. I'd give the Police Station maybe 7.5 out of 10, but the later sections drag it down a couple of points.

Started a Leon B just to blast through and see the rest of the story but I feel like the game is pretty much done. Wait for a sale.

Oh, I forgot to mention the music is utter crap compared to the original and sucks all the atmosphere out of the game. The only song that even slightly moved me was the tribute to the classic save theme the first time you enter the dark room.

 

[TheHeroOfTime]

The only song that even slightly moved me was the tribute to the classic save theme the first time you enter the dark room.

And that's not even the true version of the remaked song

 

[A horse of course]

I can't be entirely sure but you might be right as to which version plays in the dark room (1st visit). They probably use dozens of little variations of it throughout the game anyway.

 

[retinoid]

Playing with the original OST is honestly essential. When I reached the basement for the first time I got serious chills with the OG music and the nearly pitch black environment. '98 RE2 had a couple of Lickers down there so I didn't know what the fuck to expect.

Also fuck the Kennel, I killed all the dogs in cages in anticipation that they would be released at some point, which they were, but not the ones which I killed.

Fuck you Capcom.

 

[A horse of course]

The dogs were laughably easy compared to most RE titles. Easy to aim at, easy to stunlock, very low health, predictable animations. I suppose there was a concern the player might be out of ammo at that point or something. I mowed down everything in that section and was very confused when I got to the orphanage and Claire slammed the gate shut behind her as if being chased. It didn't seem like there was much momentum to that section. Perhaps Mr. X should've chased you for longer.

 

[retinoid]

The dogs were laughably easy compared to most RE titles. Easy to aim at, easy to stunlock, very low health, predictable animations. I suppose there was a concern the player might be out of ammo at that point or something. I mowed down everything in that section and was very confused when I got to the orphanage and Claire slammed the gate shut behind her as if being chased. It didn't seem like there was much momentum to that section. Perhaps Mr. X should've chased you for longer.

It's not that I had any trouble with them, it was more the anticipation and paranoia of not knowing how/when they would be unleashed. I'll give Capcom credit for the build up, despite the dogs not being much of a problem in the end.

 

[A horse of course]

The dogs were laughably easy compared to most RE titles. Easy to aim at, easy to stunlock, very low health, predictable animations. I suppose there was a concern the player might be out of ammo at that point or something. I mowed down everything in that section and was very confused when I got to the orphanage and Claire slammed the gate shut behind her as if being chased. It didn't seem like there was much momentum to that section. Perhaps Mr. X should've chased you for longer.

It's not that I had any trouble with them, it was more the anticipation and paranoia of not knowing how/when they would be unleashed. I'll give Capcom credit for the build up, despite the dogs not being much of a problem in the end.

Yeah I wasn't referring to your experience, it just reminded me of the trouble I had with dogs in previous games.

 

[Swigen]

I honestly don’t even remember the kennel, for me it was the fucking morgue that freaked me out. I knew EXACTLY what was gonna happen but the whole thing with slowly pulling the bodies out of their cubby holes... I about shit my pants.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

All the classic RE games kind of fall apart at the end, so it's kind of expected for me. The remake of RE1, as good as it is, has a bunch of puzzles in the lab that I've never bothered to complete without a guide simply because at that point the game's simply stopped being all that good.

I wonder how many survival horror games have actually good endings. I remember ZombiU - a mostly very flawed game - having an extremely strong end game in my opinion, maybe the strongest in the genre.

Edit: That said I do think the RE2 remake ended pretty strong (at least in Leon's campaign, haven't done Claire). The labs were pretty good, up until the final boss fights at least.

 

[Wunderbar]

Dogs weren't much of a problem in older games too.

 

[sullynathan]

lock on to dog, shoot with shotgun. Easy as pie