@mookysamThe game has a number of amazing fourth-wall breaks that I've not seen before. These are essential to its satire insofar as the game forces the player to question basic assumptions about how they're supposed to interact with characters in an RPG. This is, as I noted, most explicit in the game's genocide run, where the basic behavior of grinding is likened to mass murder (because... it is), and the way characters interact with the player is altered drastically as a result of this perception. The game is so different on a genocide run that it's practically an entirely different experience altogether, and becomes something akin to a horror game where you're playing the monster. If you found a normal run to be challenging, though, you should know that the genocide route has a couple of boss battles that are several orders of magnitude more challenging than anything in the rest of the game. I thought the bosses in the normal/pacifist routes were a bit on the easy side, though, so I enjoyed the challenge.
I’m getting close to finishing my Leon 2nd run in REmake 2. I am now in the Lab and so far it seems to be following the 1st run closely in this section so I anticipate only a couple more hours at most.
So far I’ve enjoyed the 2nd run almost as much as the first. Leon is a charming and relatable protagonist.
This run has been a little harder. The sewers got a little tight with ammo. But now in the Lab I’m swimming in it so far.
I will say Ada is pretty cool, but I feel like her arc has gotten a bit rushed. I enjoyed her section and the hacking mechanic, but I didn’t feel like her character got enough room to breathe. I don’t know if her and Leon’s relationship is able to simmer a little more at the end but so far it seems like one minute she’s annoyed at Leon giving him the cold shoulder, and then the next minute she’s grabbing his face and kissing him. It almost feels like she’s using him; that once she got injured now suddenly he has value to her whereas before he was just getting in her way. Which I guess is true and ‘desperate times call for desperate measures’ so if the world needs saving, then she is justified in using her womanly charm to get his cooperation. I also think it’s amazing that she’s able to run around and fight zombies in a miniskirt and 5 inch stilettos! 😂
As far as weapons, I like the flamethrower more than the electrical gun, but I liked the grenade launcher better than the shotgun. So maybe it’s a wash between the two characters’ weapons.
Hopefully I’ll have some closing thoughts if I can make it to the true ending this weekend.
@nessisonett Wizard. I'll get cracking Monday evening. Will be using it to test out a new sound system, so I'll be able to fully appreciate all the good things I've heard about its soundtrack!
***
@Th3solution Holy cow, Ada kisses Leon in the remake? That never happens in the original, at all. There's definitely a romantic undercurrent between them, but it's generated almost entirely by Ada and it's all subtext, which the remake looks to be making... well, text. That being said, your feeling that there's some "using" going on is interesting to see. The writing and character animation obviously allows for way more subtlety than before. Best of luck seeing it through; even if there's some overlap with Undertale, please let us know your thoughts, if possible!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@Ralizah Yikes, that really is grim. It’s interesting how the game does challenge what the player expects from an RPG, and I liked that it made me question the character’s actions. It’s always great when games with such rudimentary presentation can evoke those feelings. Reading the various story bits dotted throughout the world had me convinced that the monsters had every right to live their lives and that the humans were actually the villains all along.
@ThrillhoThe flower is hands down one of the nastiest pieces of work I’ve encountered in a game.
Well, I’m finished with RE2 Remake, Leon 2nd run and what a great ride it was! Seriously am probably going to put this game in my PS4 top 20, which is high praise this late in the generation with as many gems it has had. I’d have to look at my list but maybe it’s even top 15 material. Was gripping from beginning to end and there is even something satisfying about the 2nd run since you know where you have to go, kind of. Then they switch things up just a little bit to keep you on your toes.
I finished the run on just under 8 hours and with 43 saves and a “B” grade.
Overall, the polish of this game is great and I liked the 10ish hour play time, which becomes 20 hours with both runs and potentially 40 hours for all 4 runs. I am curious to see how many differences there are in the Leon A/Claire B scenario.
One of the things that made this even better than REmake 1 for me is the flow of the game. I hardly ever felt lost, yet it was a challenge with enemies and puzzles that were just the right amount of difficulty for me. It struck a great balance.
I really enjoyed the ending. The final bosses and the story and cut scenes at the concluding moments were ace. I have to laugh at my impressions of Ada that I posted earlier. I had no idea about her twist at the end, even though I had my reservations about her. I’m not sure the original has the same storyline so I won’t get too spoilery, but I love the way her and Leon end up and then the mystery at the end of not quite knowing what’s going on there.
And yes, @RogerRoger there’s a moment where she is injured and needs Leon to abscond the G-virus and grabs Leon by the face and plants one on him, as if to convince him to join her. It comes across rather abrupt, but in the end, I guess it’s genuine? Hard to say. Some things point to a romantic interest there’s. But it’s funny at the true ending when Sherry meets Leon for the first time and asks if he is Claire’s boyfriend and suggests that the couple should adopt her 😂. It’s pretty cute.
Tagging @Col_McCafferty@TheOtherEden who have been following along wanting to know my final thoughts and also recently finished the game.
Also, has anyone played the extra modes? Like the 4th Survivor and the the other supplemental modes available from the beginning?
I definitely will play REmake 3 soon and maybe RE4 since it’s Leon as protagonist again, but I’ll take a little break and play something a little more light. Like Undertale! And I think I might mix in God of War finally as well.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@Th3solution I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as you did! It really is a perfect Game Club game, not too long but generates lots of discussion from the different scenarios and the like. There’s a few ways in which you can go with Resi. There’s Code Veronica X, which continues Claire and Chris’ stories, Resi 3 Remake which continues Jill’s story of Resi 4 which continues Leon’s story. All available on PS4 and perfectly fine to play next!
Great to know they you really ended up liking the game in the end. I just finished my hardcore play throughs pretty recently. I always hoped that in my head that Leon and Claire live a happy life together with sherry in the end. Lol
RE: 2 has such a perfecting ending for me. It caps off so nicely.
@Th3solution Good job mate, I tend to disagree a little bit regarding the 2nd playthrough being even better than the first but not enough to argue about it.
😉
At some point I'll be tempted to start a new game but play as Leon first. I'm definitely a Resi fan now and plan on playing Resi 3 next year.
@Col_McCafferty Oh, I’m pretty sure we’re on the same page. I actually I agree with you that the first run was better, blow for blow since it was all new. Also, I preferred playing as Claire and Sherry a little bit more than Leon and Ada. But the story and getting the true ending are what I liked better this go around. If I would have finished with the game after just the first run then I would have been satisfied and scored the game highly, but playing the second run just was the icing on the cake due to the closure (kind of 😄) of the narrative. Otherwise the gameplay part was better the first run.
In that sense it reminds me of NieR Automata. Totally different game, but the repeated runs really cap off the plot, even more so in NieR.
If you think of it tag me when you get around to Resi 3. I’d enjoy hearing how you get along with it. I’ll probably revisit the series in a couple months, all depending on if I am able to come up with a Christmas miracle PS5.
@TheOtherEden Totally agree on the ending. And I used to think people who played the game on hardcore must be sadists, but now I can see the allure and if I ever do replay the game it’ll be to try hardcore.
@nessisonett Thanks for the tip — now that makes sense on how the series unfolds. I’ll probably go : 3, 4, Code Veronica X then. I’m wondering how the latter two have aged though.
@Th3solution 4 has aged really well, I played it last year and it was proper good fun. CVX is a bit dated and needs a proper remake but still a good game.
@Th3solution First up, congratulations! Glad you've found a new favourite, that's always a nice thing to read about around here. Fingers crossed you enjoy the Resi 3 remake as much!
And yeah, it sounds like the reinterpretation of all the romantic subplots is a little more scattershot than the original intended, which is really interesting. Maybe they're playing up foreknowledge of future games, or the fanbase expectations? Because, in the PSone version's Leon story, Ada is very blatantly a spy who's been using her missing "boyfriend" for information and access, and therefore Leon approaches her with cautious confusion. They soften up the more they survive together, and Leon starts saying things like "I'm not gonna leave you behind!" but it's only right at the last second, when he's trying to rescue her from what appears to be a fatal fall, that she says something along the lines of "I would've liked to escape this... with you." That's literally it; just a hint that she wanted to hook up with Leon afterwards, and nothing beyond two-dimensional heroism on his part. So if anything, I'd say that the original Ada definitely developed some genuine feelings for Leon.
There's also no suggestion of anything between Leon and Claire, either (not even from Sherry as they escape on the train) so I guess they were just adding layers wherever there was space!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@Th3solution 4 is still brilliant. Aspects of it have certainly aged, but the overall design and pacing are top notch. Although Leon is stuck on the spot (necessitated by the original GameCube version’s controller) when aiming weapons, it feels right as it ups the tension and forces the player to be more strategic, rather than just blasting through everything. Things like aiming and handling are great. There are some genuinely scary bits too. I still think the Wii version is the best!
@RogerRoger Huh, I always assumed Leon was gay, but then I thought the same thing about Solid Snake.
@RogerRoger That’s super interesting. In the remake (spoilers for the game story of the remake which is slightly different although basically ends up at the same spot) Ada had me fooled that she was an FBI agent tracking down the development and illegal use of the G-virus and she initially dismisses Leon as a rookie cop and ‘this case is all out of his league, so just leave it alone’, etc. Then she is injured and cannot walk well, so she convinces Leon that she needs his help to get the G-virus for evidence and legal purposes. That’s when the aforementioned kiss occurs. Then, he only hears of her deceit when he confronts Annette Birkin near the end and she tells him Ada is a mercenary trying to get the virus to sell to the largest bidder, not an FBI agent. Feeling stabbed in the back, a tense interaction ensues when Leon and Ada are reunited moments later, he asks her if its true, and she all but confirms the accusations when she pulls a gun on him and demands he hand over the virus. However, he call her bluff saying “I don’t think you’ll shoot me” and she lowers her gun, clearly having a moment of self reflection due to inner conflict. And at that moment Annette shoots her, and then the rest seems like the original — Leon tries to save her from falling off into a dark abyss, she says something vaguely suggesting a connection to him, I forget, and then says to just let her go, and she tumbles down. It was all very dramatic and occurred right before the ending boss sequences, so it was a really great reveal and had me a little taken aback when Ada’s true original intentions came to light
I’m really interested in the plot line going forward, but I’m taking a mini break from RE. Loaded up Undertale on the Vita, so I’ll see when I get some time if it sticks this go around.
@mookysam I think Snake and Otacon are two straight men who are also inseparable life partners. They built a family and a life together. Not sure what you'd call that, but I don't need characters to be doing the dirty to ship them.
@Ralizah It’s just like one of my Japanese animes where muscular men who lack nipples swim/cycle/play basketball and develop totally not gay relationships while still being gay enough to hook 15 year old girls
@nessisonett I think I'll sit this one out, I thought Undertale might have been a ps plus game at one point but I just checked and it wasn't so maybe I'll join in next month if you end up choosing God of War or something like that
@mookysam@Ralizah I think Solid was mostly straight because of Meryl and Otacon too because of Sniper Wolf and Naomi but you are right that their bond goes deeper than any of their romantic relationships!
Just one friendly dude inviting another friendly dude to spend some time inside his box.
@nessisonett I don't usually care about barbie doll nudity in anime, but it's almost impossible for me to watch Free! because the guys spend most of the show with their shirts off and the uniform muscle distribution and lack of nipples make them look like fish people.
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