Shacknews Top 10 Games of the Year 2019

#2 Game of the Year 2019 - Resident Evil 2

In a sea of HD remasters (many of games that were already available in high-def), no developer does full-on remakes better than Capcom. Witness 2002's Resident Evil on GameCube, a reworking that remixed puzzles, redid familiar milieus in a jaw-dropping graphics engine, and added real estate that flowed from paths fans of the 1996 original new and loved.

Capcom became the standard bearer for the time and attention to detail that a proper remake warranted in 2002. In 2019, the publisher/developer has outdone itself with Resident Evil 2. The project was announced in the summer of 2015. Nearly three years of radio silence followed. Then, at E3 2018, Capcom pulled the bloody curtain back to reveal a game that looked at once familiar and fresh. Gone were static camera angles and tank controls, in were the behind-the-shoulder cam--that RE4 helped popularize in 2004--and true, 3D movement, knocking down the high barrier of entry that frustrated so many who may have otherwise enjoyed the classic RE games.

In January, I was ecstatic to discover that the game played as well as it looked. Like the remake of the original game, "RE2make" features new game systems, enemies, and events that meld seamlessly with familiar trails and plot points: the corruption and madness of Chief Irons, the tragic yet deserved downfall of William Birkin, the tense strategy of determing how to make your way down dimly lit corridors packed with zombies and lickers, which now hunt by sound.

The true star of Resident Evil 2's remake, hwoever, is Mr. X. Only able to appear in select areas back in 1998, X--who, rumor has it, will give it to ya--can follow you nearly anywhere. His sound design is exquisite. Relish the horror of cowering in a save room while his heavy bootfalls thud further and further away, spurring you to make a mad dash for your next objective or the puzzle you had to abandon when he appeared--only for those footfalls to pause before starting off again, this time growing louder as he closes in on your location.

Resident Evil 2 is not the 21-year-old game your remember. Shades of that classic still exist, but for this remake, Capcom did what it does best: Staying true to its roots while carefully curating new systems, visual styles, and aural soundscapes to modernize its veritable bottomless well of beloved titles. "RE2make" is not just the best Resident Evil game. It's one of the best games of 2019, and one of the best games ever.

-David Craddock, Long Reads Editor

Shack Staff

Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often involve entires from several editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group.