Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition - Switch 2 Review
"A classic for a reason"
Raccoon City has collapsed due to the zombie outbreak. Home of the dubious Umbrella Corporation, now Leon and Claire have come to the city with their own goals to achieve. Capcom’s classic Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition is now out on the Switch 2 and ready to be taken with you on the go. I won't be treading a well-worn path of covering the game itself, but more specifically going over the Switch 2 port and how the game looks and feels.
The Good
Resident Evil is a staple franchise in the horror genre for a reason and Leon and Claire’s first venture is a keystone to this reputation. The monsters, zombies, and creepy scenery are shown in high detail, really making you see how messed up Raccoon City has become. While there is a minor issue with all of the character's hair, everything else is rendered beautifully and draws you into the world, while simultaneously heightening the fright factor.
Capcom have really pulled the most out of the Switch 2 hardware in the early days of the system's lifespan, with Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition running extremely smoothly. It's genuine magic how they're able to pull out some amazing performance with a stable 60 fps on a higher-fidelity game. Exploring around RPD felt extremely creepy and even in handheld mode there was no stuttering, even during some of the more tense moments.
Two main campaigns, one focusing on new police recruit Leon Kennedy and his first day on the job at Raccoon City Police Department, while the other is focused on Claire Redfield as she tries to find out what happened to her brother. Being the deluxe edition, you also have access to character costumes, including making them look like their PS1 models. There's also more to explore after you've finished the campaign, so don't wrap up your playthrough too soon.
TL;DR
- Great visuals
- Good performance
- Faithful remake
The Bad
The most notable downside in Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition is the fact the hair textures are on the fuzzy side, which are distracting during cutscenes. While everything is clear and of high quality, I couldn't get past how the hair looked. At certain points I thought it was a modern game with GameCube-era hair modelling pasted on top.
Unfortunately, as much magic as Capcom has put into RE2 and getting it to run on the Switch 2 as smoothly as they have, they haven't completely utilised the system itself. There are no mouse controls or gyro controls, which is a bit nitpicky, but it would help differentiate the title across the different consoles, aside from the portability.
TL;DR
- Hair textures are rough
- Doesn't utilise Switch 2 features
Final Score: 8/10
Resident Evil 2 is a classic for a reason, and the remake helped bring that experience to a modern audience. Having access to the scary experience on the go is a fantastic way to experience the story. Capcom have been knocking it out of the park with their recent works, and I can't wait to see what Monster Hunter Wilds brings in December.
Thank you for checking out our Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition Switch 2 review, thank you to Capcom (via Five Star Games) for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:
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