Back in 2015, Capcom confirmed that they were working on a Resident Evil 2 remake. However for years we haven’t heard much except that it would be announced soon. Three years later it looks like we finally have an official announcement as Capcom has confirmed the game’s release for January 2019.
According to Capcom, “A complete remake of the original from 1998, Resident Evil 2 revisits the nightmare of Raccoon City with modern gameplay mechanics, new and unprecedented visuals, and a photorealistic style powered by the RE Engine that was behind the stunning graphics of Resident Evil 7 biohazard. Keeping in line with the survival horror that defines Resident Evil 2, grotesque hordes of the undead are brought to life with a visceral sense of wetness and gore, reacting to attacks in real time with visible damage from every bullet and shotgun shell.”
What makes Resident Evil 2 so iconic is similar to how Final Fantasy VII is so iconic, in which its characters are probably the more well-known in the series compared to the rest. In fact the Resident Evil movie franchise was pretty much based on the characters from Resident Evil 2. As Capcom notes, this is a complete remake. This is not a remaster or a port, so the brand new graphics should make it feel like a brand new game.
The game is currently set for a release on the 25th of January, 2019 where it will be playable on the Xbox One, PS4, and the PC. No word on a Switch release, but given that Capcom found a way to bring Resident Evil 7 onto the Switch, hopefully they’ll find a way to bring Resident Evil 2 onto the Switch as well.