Resident Evil 2 (2019)

While an initial playthrough to “beaten” status (by my strict definition: the triggering of the credits roll via gameplay) is shockingly quick, this only reveals the true majesty of CAPCOM and other traditional—typically—Japanese game developers: the magic of the “new game plus”. While this phenomenon is present in the previous franchise entries, Resident Evil 2 hammers it home with additional challenge modes and the quest for unlockable bonus items, scenes, and models. This is a game that takes under eight hours to clear the first time, but upwards of thirty-six to complete. Compared with the 1998 release (six and sixteen hours, respectively) it’s clear that CAPCOM is committed to providing overall playtime value. You only have to look as far as the company’s listing on the Nikkei stock exchange to see that this has translated into investor value as well.

I’ll have to return some day to see how Claire Redfield and the other alternate-timeline Ghost Survivor’s stories unfold. My main mission with this franchise playthrough is to at least beat each entry once in succession, then see how I feel. Black Ops 6 is available today on Game Pass, though. I’ll take a small detour to blast through that campaign. Call it a “palette cleansing” if you will.

2024.10.24 – 2024.10.25

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