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For the 2019 Resident Evil 2 remake, critics were overwhelmingly positive: Metacritic reported a 91 Metascore from 85 critic reviews when accessed in 2026. Reviews praised its tense survival-horror atmosphere and modern presentation, while some objected to old-school key-hunting and the structure of its scenarios. The 1998 original is a separate game with its own reviews, so the remake’s score should not be applied to it.
Which Resident Evil 2 are critics reviewing?
The title can mean two different releases. Capcom released the original Resident Evil 2 in January 1998; its 2019 release is a reimagining, rebuilt from the ground up. Capcom describes the newer game as a reworking of the classic rather than a simple visual update. Capcom’s 2019 integrated report says the remake was developed for then-current consoles using the RE Engine, with high-definition graphics and real-time binaural audio.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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Resident Evil 2 - PlayStation 5 | $15.19 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Resident Evil 2 Remake - PS5 - UK PAL | $24.75 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Resident Evil 4 Remake for PS5 (100% UNCUT) (German Packaging) | $47.02 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration - PS5 | $44.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Capcom Resident Evil 2 Remake - PS5 | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The critical aggregate figures below refer to the 2019 remake. Metacritic maintains a separate page for the 1998 original, with its own review and platform information; there is no single score in the available evidence that should be substituted for the remake’s aggregate. Metacritic’s remake page and its original-game page keep the two releases distinct.
What is the Resident Evil 2 remake’s review score?
Metacritic reported a 91 Metascore for the 2019 remake, based on 85 critic reviews, when accessed in 2026. The same page showed platform-specific aggregates of 93, 89, and 91 for the platforms represented there. Those numbers can change as reviews or platform listings change, so treat them as a dated snapshot rather than a permanent score. Check Metacritic’s current remake page for the latest totals.
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#1 Best Overall
- TERRIFYING ZOMBIES WAITING AROUND EVERY CORNER -- Driven by insatiable hunger, these creatures act on instinct, gnashing their teeth, ripping at flesh, and devouring their victims. The new immersive camera lets you feel their fangs as they sink into your flesh.
- RACCOON CITY, REBUILT IN INTRICATE DETAIL -- The characters, environments, and story have all been rebuilt from the ground up to create a terrifying world that feels both nostalgic and new.
- NEW FOR PLAYSTATION5 – Upgraded features new to the PlayStation5 version of the game include a higher frame rate, 3D audio, added ray tracing, and engaging DualSense support for Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers.
That aggregate signals very strong critical reception, not universal agreement. A 90-point review on Metacritic highlighted smart changes, lighting, and sound design; a 70-point review argued that the remake tries to satisfy different audiences and criticized its old-fashioned key hunting. The contrast helps explain why the overall score can be high while some of its design choices remain divisive.
What did reviews praise about the 2019 remake?
The sampled coverage most often points to atmosphere, sustained tension, updated presentation, and the way the game reshapes recognizable material without simply reproducing the original. GameSpot’s review roundup described a broadly positive consensus around modernizing the classic while respecting it. Its sample includes different outlets’ scores, not a complete or representative survey of all critics:
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| Outlet | Score in GameSpot’s roundup |
|---|---|
| GameSpot | 9/10 |
| The Guardian | 5/5 |
| Game Informer | 9.5/10 |
| EGM | 9.5/10 |
| GamesRadar | 4/5 |
GameSpot reviewer Alessandro Fillari called it “not only a stellar remake of the original, but it’s also simply a strong horror game that delivers anxiety-inducing and grotesque situations, topping some of the series’ finest entries.” That praise captures the central appeal identified in the reviews: the remake aims to work as an intense horror game in its own right, not only as an act of nostalgia. GameSpot’s review roundup collects the cited perspectives.
What are the main criticisms?
The remake retains conventions that can feel deliberate and atmospheric to one player but dated or frustrating to another. Key-based progression can mean retracing routes through familiar spaces, and the cited Metacritic criticism describes that searching as old-fashioned. Reviews also raised concerns about the relationship between the game’s different scenarios: the Metacritic page includes criticism of the 2nd Run scenarios, while GameSpot’s review praises the sustained horror but notes the game’s roots in the past.
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- Resident Evil 4 Remake for PS5 (German Packaging)
- Key hunting and backtracking: If you prefer a brisk, forward-moving action game, repeated searches and returns through earlier areas may interrupt your pace.
- Scenario structure: The remake’s scenario design may not satisfy players expecting every route or playthrough to fit together in the same way.
- Old-school design: Its older conventions are part of the experience, not just cosmetic references, and may be a drawback if you want contemporary pacing throughout.
Is Resident Evil 2 worth playing?
If you want a tense survival-horror game with modernized presentation and are comfortable navigating, searching, and revisiting spaces, the 2019 remake is strongly supported by the critical reception. If key-based backtracking or old-school scenario design sounds more irritating than atmospheric, those are meaningful reasons to hesitate; the high aggregate does not make them disappear.
The question changes if you mean the 1998 original. GameSpot’s January 28, 1998 review describes Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield trying to survive the Raccoon City outbreak through puzzle-solving and combat. Reviewer Ryan Mac Donald wrote, “Resident Evil 2 seems more like a product out of Hollywood than the videogame industry.” That is one contemporary review’s characterization, not a score or consensus for the 2019 remake. Read GameSpot’s original review.
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Resident Evil 2 original vs. remake: what changes?
There is no established objective winner in the cited reviews. The useful comparison is what each version offers and which design approach suits you:
| What matters to you | 1998 original | 2019 remake |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation | Older presentation and fixed-camera design. | Modernized presentation; Capcom says it was rebuilt from the ground up. |
| Relationship to the classic | The original release and design. | Recognizable material reworked with changes to execution, pacing, and scenarios. |
| Older conventions | Its original design reflects its era. | Retains old-school progression elements, including key-based searching that some reviews criticized. |
Choose based on whether you want to experience the original design or prefer a modern reimagining that changes how the material is presented. Neither the aggregate score nor the cited reviews establish that one is the better version for every player.
Best Value
- A spine-chilling reimagining of a horror classic - Based on the original PlayStation console release in 1998, the new game has been completely rebuilt from the ground up for a deeper narrative experience
- A whole new perspective New over-the-shoulder camera mode and modernized control scheme creates a more modern take on the survival horror experience and offers players a trip down memory lane with the original gameplay modes from the 1998 release
- Terrifyingly realistic visuals Built on Capcoms proprietary RE Engine, Resident Evil 2 delivers breathtakingly photorealistic visuals in 4K whilst stunning lighting creates an up-close, intense and atmospheric experience as players roam the corridors of the Raccoon City Police Department (RPD)
- Face the grotesque hordes Zombies are brought to life with a horrifyingly realistic wet gore effect as they react in real time taking instant visible damage, making every bullet count
- Iconic series defining gameplay Engage in frenzied combat with enemies, explore dark menacing corridors, solve puzzles to access areas and collect and use items discovered around the environment in a terrifying constant fight for survival
What Capcom’s early figures do—and do not—tell you
Capcom reported that the remake had sold more than four million copies approximately one month after its January 25, 2019 release. The company also reported five million downloads of the limited 30-minute “1-Shot Demo.” Those are historical figures from Capcom’s 2019 reporting, not current lifetime sales or a measure of present-day availability.
Capcom’s report says development involved 18 months of trial and error to decide what to retain or change through the police station’s first stage. That describes the publisher’s development process; it is not independent testing or proof that every design decision will work for every player.
Quick Recap
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