• Publisher: Capcom
  • Release Date: Jan 16, 2003
  • Also On: PC
Metascore
59 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 15
  2. Negative: 2 out of 15
  1. Sound, suspense, storyline, and action make RE 2 a classic on any platform. [Apr 2003, p.89]
  2. As far as extra features being a reason to own it on the Gamecube though, there isn't much incentive other than having the full series on the GCN.
  3. Great story and challenging scenarios. [Mar 2003, p.136]
  4. 70
    A nostalgic experience with the Resident Evil franchise should always include number two.
  5. Aside from the price, Resident Evil 2 is a worthwhile game and is an extreme necessity to those who want to follow the series' storyline but haven't yet played the title on any other console.
  6. The passing of time has paid its toll on this game, and Capcom did little to nothing to overcome this aging. The gameplay remains solid, but I don't think its enough to really enjoy the game, there are just too many shortcomings.
  7. Great news if you've never played the games before and have large pockets, but for those who hoped to revisit the entire series in the same fashion as they did the original, this is nothing short of a major disappointment.
  8. 60
    Upset as I am towards Capcom for the price hike, and putting the cosmetics rant aside, Resident Evil 2 is still one of my favorites in the series.
  9. Enjoyable but dated... Considering that these are nothing more than the Dreamcast versions released a year ago for the low price of $19.99, charging an extra $20 is nothing more than highway robbery.
  10. A FRICKIN' RIP-OFF... [yet] still deserves playing. [Apr 2003, p.128]
  11. 50
    Totally unchanged and -- five years old, just feels completely outdated.
  12. The most frightening aspect of Resident Evil 2 for the GameCube isn't the zombies that walk the hallways, the enormous spiders lurking deep within the sewers, or the other horrid denizens of Raccoon City--it's the fact that a mediocre port of a 5-year-old game retails for nearly the same price as an entirely new product.
  13. Players are recommended to skip Resident Evil 2 if only to send a message that repackaged titles should be treated as such -- not as full-fledged releases.
  14. You'll find yourself cursing the lack of inventory spaces, and the inability to drop objects (which was only introduced in Resident Evil Zero), and all told the trip down memory lane merely serves to illustrate how far games have come generally, and how forgiving we must have been back then to put up with such wholly irritating fundamentals.
  15. 40
    Even factoring in the many heart-pounding battles with gangs of bloodthirsty zombies, there's no denying that most of the game is spent walking around hallways trying to find a key or some other random object.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 15 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 1 out of 8
  1. XISMZERO
    1
    Resident Evil 2 was a groundbreaking title - five years ago... here we have another no-frills Capcom port for $39.99 - unacceptable.
  2. EvadN.
    10
    Best survival/horror EVER! I got mine for 19.99. 19.99? You've got to be @#$% kidding me!
  3. A.S
    10
    This is a GREAT game. all the reviewers are rating it by todays standards which is fine but giving it 50% mostly because of the graphics is still stupid. I still think this game looks great to this day (though obviously not as good as remake, zero, 4). The gameplay is almost as good as the newer resident evils. If you are someone who wants to play resident evil and hasnt yet done so, then i'd recommend one of the new resident evils rather than this, as you would probably be disappointed. but for all the resident evil fans like me who cant get enough of resident evil and want the whole collection on gamecube GET IT! I paid about AU$50 for this which is expensive for an old game i know, but for me i had to get it and am not disappointed. I had only played the PC version before (which was bad because you could easily tell the difference between backdrop and character models) and so i was expecting similar graphics but the Gamecube version looks much better because of better lighting and all round cleaner graphics (unless my PC version was just screwed up or something). Although it's not remade like REmake, it still looks great and its not something you're gonna be complaining about the whole time you play it. Once again its a great game, and if you want to get it on gamecube to complete the set then go for it! Full Review »