Review: Resident Evil 2 – Cloud Version – If this is your only way to play, it’s not bad

Note: This cloud version of Resident Evil 2 was tested on 100MB UW broadband over WiFi and wired Ethernet cable, along with a 5G mobile connection.

Capcom is marching ahead with its plan to release its mod Resident Evil titles like cloud versions on Switch with Resident Evil 2, and while we approach each streaming-only version with a healthy dose of caution and skepticism due to the technology’s inherent caveats, we’re happy to say that this one is a nice addition to the line-up that makes a strong case for the validity of cloud gaming.

The long-awaited remake of the 1998 classic, Resident Evil 2 takes place shortly after the events of the original Resident Evil and reintroduces us to two of the franchise’s most iconic characters: Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. Iconic locations from the original PlayStation/N64 title return here – including the fan-favorite RPD station – but for this version everything has been completely rebuilt and given a significant splash of color, adding new details and implementing visual narrative cues that simply wouldn’t do it. have been possible in the original release.

The game is largely a mix of Resident Evil 4’s over-the-shoulder action with the more “classic” survival horror mechanics seen in the original trilogy and reintroduced in RE7: Biohazard and RE8: Village. Longtime fans will be pleased to hear that ammo in this remake is consistently scarce throughout, though the game does give you a leg up by allowing you to use daggers to fend off the occasional zombie attack, taking cues from REmake’s own defensive abilities. Herbs can be collected and combined into more potent concoctions to aid in healing, while classic key items from the original game, such as station keys, cranks and medallions, all make an appearance here.

With two characters to choose from right from the start, the game effectively has four unique campaigns to go through: Leon A, Claire B and Claire A, Leon B. If you choose Leon to start with, you can move on to Claire’s scenario once you’ve completed your playthrough and vice versa. It’s a nice move that mimics the original structure, which is good because a single playthrough can be done and dusted in just a few short hours if you know what you’re doing (first timers might be looking at around 8-10 hours for a playthrough). Alternatively, you can raise the difficulty to “hardcore” to give yourself a bit more of a challenge; zombies attack with immense ferocity in this mode and you have to collect ink ribbons if you want to save your game, something veterans will definitely appreciate.

Extra modes are included in this edition as standard (with a couple locked until the campaign is complete), so you have several additional mini-campaigns starring the likes of Robert Kendo and HUNK, and these provide welcome changes of pace from the standard story. HUNK’s “4th Survivor” mode in particular is a ruthless test of skill that we recommend you leave until you’ve completed the campaign at least a couple of times. It’s brutal.

In terms of performance, we’re happy to say that our time with Resident Evil 2 Cloud Version saw almost no significant cloud-related hiccups. Load times can be a bit long when moving from the main menu to the game itself, but once you’re there we had a smooth experience from start to finish. As mentioned at the top, we tested via WiFi and wired ethernet directly into our dock and found no noticeable difference between the two. The controls were responsive and the game looked great on the TV and on the PDA screen.

Of course, the visuals don’t look as sharp as they might if the game was running natively on hardware with enough grunt to host it, with minor examples of artifacts evident in our screenshots during this review (also note that the server connection meter in the upper right the corner is consistently at max level). But considering this is the only option available to Switch owners, we were pleasantly surprised at how the overall streaming experience held up compared to the PS5/Xbox Series X versions we’ve played.

It should go without saying that, like all cloud games on Switch, your own experience of performance may differ from ours based on your internet speeds, so keep that in mind and be sure to test the demo thoroughly before paying your money.

Conclusion

Resident Evil 2 is an absolute must experience for fans of survival horror. We’re not yet at the point where we can confidently recommend buying a cloud version of the game on Switch if you have access to a native version on another platform (and being the old school gamers that we are, we may never reach that point), but given that we encountered almost no streaming-related issues during our time with it, this is a more than acceptable choice if it’s the only one available to you. Fans waited years for a Resident Evil 2 remake, and it’s safe to say the wait was well worth it.