Resident Evil’s 2002 remake changed the game and offered audiences a reimagining of a survival horror classic. It fundamentally replaced the original, even changing and bolstering the canon in the process. Considering Resident Evil 2’s status as an amazing game with a convoluted (in a good way) story, fans were eager to see a remake bring it to life.
Like with the original remake, Resident Evil 2 (2019) brings it own changes to the canon. Unlike the original remake, it doesn’t really hold back and actually embraces editing the events of Resident Evil 2 into something more coherent and easy to follow. There are still plot gaps and inherent inconsistencies, but the story is undeniably easier to follow.
10 Leon’s Backstory
A piece of info most fans tend to miss is why Leon’s late on his first day in the original game. His girlfriend has actually broken up with him the night before and he got so drunk he overslept. Yup, that’s it. It’s certainly humanizing, but it doesn’t quite match Leon as he’s portrayed later in the series. The remake opts for something more digestible and easier to follow.
This time around, he was simply driving into the city to see why his first day was postponed. He meets up with Claire, they manage to pass through an unchecked blockade, and the two start their trek towards the RPD.
9 Leon And Claire’s Relationship
Leon and Claire interacted fairly often in the original game and gradually built solidarity with one another by the end of the game. Unfortunately, the remake has Leon and Claire apart virtually the entire time. They rarely if ever meet up over the course of the game, only briefly meeting up a few times.
On the flip side, Leon and Claire have an insane amount of chemistry, way more than they did in the original game. They barely interact, but each interaction sells it. They don’t have as natural a unity by the end of the remake, but the group shot of Leon, Claire, and Sherry walking into the sunset is earned from a character perspective.
8 Leon And Ada’s “Relationship”
Ada originally presented herself as just another civilian trying to survive the Raccoon City outbreak. She managed to catch Leon’s attention and the two worked together to get through the events of the game. Unfortunately, Ada wasn’t entirely genuine with Leon, and while she did care about him to some extent, it was clear she was manipulating his feelings in hindsight.
Not so in the remake. Ada is clearly trying to play Leon, but it’s also obvious she develops real feelings for him by the end of the game. Interestingly, the remake puts Ada in a position of power immediately as far as their dynamic is concerned. Leon, the rookie cop, thinks Ada is part of the FBI and generally defers to her judgement.
7 The Birkin Family Dynamic
In the original game, William and Annette don’t seem to care about much else beyond their work on G-Virus, least of all Sherry. Annette’s main concern is William and almost exclusively William. Sherry is barely an afterthought to her and Claire & Leon are left as the only people in Raccoon City capable of doing anything for Sherry.
The remake changes things to make Annette more sympathetic. She’s cold towards Sherry, but she does love her daughter when it comes down to it. Annette comes off more compassionate, even if she is just a villain at the end of the day.
6 Ben Bertolucci’s Death
A reporter investigating Umbrella, Ben Bertolucci’s fate is unfortunately consistent across all versions of Resident Evil 2. No matter what he does, Ben will die. In the original, he was once canonically killed by William Birkin. Now, he’s killed by Mr. X. Not just that, though, the context surrounding his death has changed.
In the original game, Ben has locked himself up for safety. Leon offers to help him out, but Ben refuses to leave the cell and ends up killed. The remake flips the script so Ben is begging Leon to let him out, but Leon’s naivety (and the fact he never met Chief Irons) prevents him from letting Ben out in time. Not that he could even if he wanted to.
5 A More Aggressive Outbreak
Resident Evil 2 (2019) may not have the first remake’s Crimson Heads, but it certainly doesn’t need them. Zombies have never been more dangerous or aggressive. Where the original Resident Evil 2 had fairly tame zombies to handle– with the harder enemies non-humanoid– zombies in RE2 are a massive threat.
They’re sneaky, they can take a lot of punishment, and they can easily overwhelm Leon or Claire. Headshots aren’t guaranteed and they’re not even worth attempting with the Handgun. Narratively, the remake’s zombies are shown to be much stronger than the series’ typical zombies. Raccoon City falling to the outbreak has never been more believable.
4 Mr. X’s Motives
In the original game, Mr. X follows Leon and Claire around during the B-plot because both B storylines center on Sherry Birkin and the G-Virus, the latter Mr. X is very interested in getting his hands on. That’s changed in the remake where Mr. X is seemingly completely unconcerned with both the G-Virus and Sherry.
Rather, he’s just going around making sure anyone who can rat out Umbrella is silenced. It’s an interesting shift, and one that likely only exists to justify Mr. X’s presence in the 1st Scenario, but it’s an interesting enough detail where it doesn’t hurt the canon by any stretch of the imagination.
3 Marvin’s Role In The Plot
In the original game, Marvin’s role is fairly minimal. Players briefly interact with him and then he shows up much later down the line. He doesn’t have major plot presence and he’s barely even a supporting character. The remake beefs up his role considerably, making him a valuable ally to whoever gets to the RPD first.
He gives players direction early on and does everything he can (which admittedly isn’t much) to help Leon or Claire get to safety. It’s actually quite sad leaving Marvin behind in the 1st Scenario only to find him turned later on. It’s a change that adds more emotional weight to the outbreak.
2 The Orphanage
By far the best addition the remake makes to Resident Evil 2, the inclusion of the orphanage adds a very important layer that’s missing in the original Resident Evil 2: the children. Resident Evil 3 also neglects to meaningfully comment on the fact that, realistically, children were bitten, infected, killed, and turned.
Resident Evil 2 turns it all into a setting and it’s harrowing. Few areas in the series are as unsettling as the orphanage. It’s also just painfully sad. Reading letters left behind by the kids is almost too much to handle at times. It’s an overwhelming reminder of Umbrella’s capacity for evil.
1 The Vile Chief Irons
Chief Irons is certainly a petulant bastard in the original game, but the remake really ups the ante. Players now get a full look into Irons’ deranged mind through his taxidermist log. He planned to stuff the mayor’s daughter in the original game, but the remake makes it all so much more siveral, with Katherine’s dead body on full display.
With the addition of the orphanage, players also have the luxury of escaping from Irons as Sherry. It’s genuinely one of the scariest set pieces in the entire game and really puts into perspective just how utterly deranged and attached from reality Chief Irons is. And to think Leon wanted to follow protocol.
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