After several years of waiting, Capcom has finally debuted its remake of classic survival-horror game Resident Evil 2. If you only watched its E3 2018 reveal trailer, chances are you have some questions regarding how it plays and how faithful it is to the 1998 original. There are still plenty of details that we don’t know, but Capcom has at least offered some clarity on its most curious changes.

To ensure you’re kept up to date on everything there is to know about Resident Evil 2 remake, we’ve compiled all the information we have on the game so far: how it came to be, why its camera is from the third-person over-the-shoulder perspective, its collector’s edition, and more.

To Clarify: It’s A Full-On Remake

While not explicitly titled “Resident Evil 2 Remake,” the game is in fact a total remake of the classic survival-horror game, and not a remastered version of the PS1 original with touched-up graphics–much in the same vein as 2002’s Resident Evil remake. You once again control rookie cop Leon Kennedy and college student Claire Redfield, who must escape Raccoon City after its citizens are transformed into zombies by a virus two months after the events of the first Resident Evil.

The project came to be after Capcom producer Yoshiaki “H” Hirabayashi took to Facebook on July 30, 2015 to ask the Resident Evil community if they’d be interested in a remake. The request was met with enthusiastic support, which prompted Hirabayashi to pitch the idea to his boss sometime later. The result of the pitch meeting was confirmed the following August when the game was formally announced by Hirabayashi in a special message to fans.

How It Plays

The Resident Evil 2 remake plays from a third-person over-the-shoulder perspective, similar to Resident Evil 4. If you’re worried this deviates too far from the original’s fixed-camera system, don’t let this get you down: the remake still emphasizes survival-horror above all else. You’re not given the same amount of power that the more action-oriented games in the series offer you.

During my time with Sekiro, I was impressed with the versatility of the game’s main character, which quickly asked you to learn the ins and outs of his arsenal. With the ability to sneak, hug walls, climb steep surfaces, and even jump, the protagonist’s skills give him an incredible amount of flexibility and range, allowing you to uncover hidden vantages above groups of enemies, or secret encounters off the beaten path–such as a Shinobi-hunting monk who’s immune to many of the Wolf’s tricks. But the protagonist’s most valuable tool in his arsenal is the Shinobi Prosthetic, which acts as your all-in-one support item, akin to Bloodborne’s trick weapons. Allowing you to toss shurikens, spew fire, blind foes, and unleash a powerful axe that can break through enemy defenses, the One-Armed Wolf can pull off all sorts of clever moves on the fly–such as igniting your sword on fire to add extra damage.

Like other titles from the Souls series, death plays a large role in Sekiro. While the One-Armed Wolf is an extremely lethal fighter with gadgets and weapons that allow him to kill most common enemies in only a single blow, he’s extremely vulnerable as well. While you’re certainly able to face off against groups of foes, it’s usually the smarter option not to. During one challenging section, I entered a courtyard with several guards trying to a contain an imprisoned Ogre, only to be spotting by ranged bowmen who had the high ground. With the stealthy approach out the window, I tried to engage each target one-by-one–but then the Ogre broke free and joined the fight. What followed was a cascade of violent blows and flying arrows–culminating in the large Ogre powerbombing me and tossing me like a ragdoll.

You’ll die a lot in Sekiro. But as the subtitle of the game suggests, there’s more to death than what it seems. Referred to as the Resurrection mechanic and used as somewhat of a tactical respawn, you’re able to use up a life token (two at max)–found from resting at Sculptor’s Idols, essentially bonfires–to instantly revive on the spot and pick up where you left. In most situations, you can wait for enemies to walk away, revive, and then sneak up for a kill when their guard is down. But of course, if the situation looks too dire–some enemies will choose to stick around your body–you can accept your death instead, which will send you back to the nearest Sculptor’s Idol. And of course, all common foes will return after visiting the rest point, forcing you to take on that familiar gauntlet once again.

Eventually, you’ll come across elite foes that guard the only path forward. These mid-bosses are among the more dangerous opponents you’ll encounter, and battling them feels more like a game of wits and quick reflexes, rather than brute force. Much like stealth gameplay, melee combat is all about taking advantage of your opponent’s vulnerabilities. With the Posture System, aggressive attacks, timed parries and blocks will add pressure to your opponent. Once the Posture gauge tops out, they’ll enter a stunned state, opening them up to critical attacks. However, the elite enemies can do the same to you, which will decimate your life bar in a single blow.

There were definitely a lot of surprises to be found in this relatively modest demo for the game. After passing through the castle grounds, we entered a large canyon guarded by a massive snake. With the only way forward ahead of it, we had to time our jumps and grapples correctly to enter small cave in time to evade its attacks. Soon after, we faced off against the demo’s boss on a bridge surrounded by sparkling red trees–one of the demo’s most visually stunning areas. Known as the Cursed Monk, this multi-phased fight forces you to use every skill you have–even grappling to higher ground to avoid attacks. It was easily the hardest fight in the demo, and unsurprisingly, we couldn’t beat it.

After playing more than half-an-hour of the game, it’s clear that the roots of the Souls genre are still there–yet it’s undeniably its own beast. One of the more common sensations felt when playing games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne is the sense of apprehension and dread. While those feelings are still present in Sekiro to an extent, the tools and skills that the protagonist possessed gave me much more of an empowered feeling throughout. Having said that, there’s still much we have to learn about Sekiro, and just how far it will go with its mashup of stealth-action gameplay and the best of what the Souls series is all about.

For more on our continuing coverage of Gamescom 2018, which includes our hands-on impressions of Devil May Cry 5 and Hitman 2, be sure to check out GameSpot’s hub page for all the latest news and videos.

It only took two years, but Overwatch’s lean, mean esports queen D.Va — easily one of the game’s most popular characters — is finally getting some time in the spotlight. Alongside her CG short about being the world’s coolest workaholic who also happens to have PTSD, there’s also a new map set in the South Korean city of Busan. Its design lends itself well to fast-paced, nail-biting teamfights, but it’s also marred by a few odd design decisions.

Busan is a control point map (think king of the hill) that is broken up into three sections: a mecha hangar, a gorgeous garden, and a sleek, tightly packed cityscape. Each area has its own feel, and each has a layout designed to funnel players onto the point, which keeps the action feeling frenzied. Already, I’ve encountered some of my longest, most pitched point capture battles ever on Busan, with one overtime in the garden section feeling like an eternity of last-second saves and momentum shifts. None of Busan’s areas are particularly large, but that keeps the pace breezy. If you die, you’re just a hop, a skip, and a hamster roll away from getting back on the point.

The hangar is especially cool. The point that players need to capture is a launch bay with a lethal drop that you can boop people into, and it’s surrounded by a series of short walls that periodically emerge and retract, changing the composition of battle in an instant. The walls’ emergence is telegraphed by a consistently timed alarm, so you can strategise around them, timing your dives such that enemy players get cut off from allies or staggered on their way back to the point.

There’s also a raised platform that you can use for a ranged advantage, or if you’re Hammond, as a diving board for a bunch of cheeky piledriver attacks. A series of cramped industrial corridors surround the point, forcing flankers into combat in the closest of quarters. If you’re not paying attention like me (an idiot), you could get knocked into a pit by a Reinhardt who comes charging down the same ramp you’re walking back to the point on, right after a respawn.

The city area’s point has a similar structure to the hangar. It has its own raised platform and a lethal drop (this time into a moving train — fun!), but there’s more vertical space to play with thanks to a series of skybox-scraping buildings. The whole level also slopes downward towards the point, which creates some tactically interesting sightlines. There are plenty of nooks and cover spots around the point that open up flank opportunities.

This area, however, has some odd quirks. Players have pointed out that team spawn points are asymmetrical. One side sports a sign that can be seen and shot through, and the other has a big inflatable cow in a similar rooftop spot that blocks vision, but — unlike real-life inflatable cows — it cannot be shot through. Building roofs also have weird properties that might come up if you’re, say, a Pharah player. There’s a handful of perches that seem accessible, but are blocked off by invisible walls. Overall, this element of the map feels jarring and unintuitive, especially compared to the tight flow of the rest of it.

The garden area is the most straightforward of the three, with two largely symmetrical bases positioned a short distance away from the point, which takes the form of a shrine with giant drum in the centre. The drum provides cover as teams play murderous games of ring-around-the-rosie and use side pathways to flank. Because spawn points are an especially short distance from the point, action almost never stops, and overtime can go on and on and on. So far, I’ve really enjoyed the rounds I’ve played there, though I could imagine lengthy overtimes becoming tedious if they happened too often.

Overall, Busan’s a fun take on the control point formula with some subtle innovations, like walls that rise and retract. It’s one heck of a looker, to boot. Also, and most importantly, there is a karaoke room in one of the spawn points, and Reinhardt, being the beautiful soul that he is, can sing. Forget about those asymmetrical spawn points and the impenetrable inflatable cow; this room alone makes Busan the best Overwatch map. Or at least the most Nathan-friendly one.

By Joseph Bradford

The Horde vs. Alliance struggle has always sat at the heart of World of Warcraft, although it has at times faded into the background while the world banded together for a common cause. But now that the world-destroying threat from 2016’s excellent Legion expansion is diminished, Blizzard has once again rekindled the burning hatred these factions have for one another, bringing a welcome refocus on our character’s epic storylines and those of some of Warcraft’s greatest characters in the new Battle for Azeroth expansion. Legion left behind some pretty big shoes to fill, and while Battle for Azeroth doesn’t bring many of sweeping changes like its predecessor, it does feel right at home in the Warcraft story.

Battle for Azeroth picks up right after the major events of Legion’s last big update, which saw the Titan Sargeras imprisoned – but not before he plunged a sword into Azeroth itself. The resulting wound caused the planet to begin bleeding its “life-blood,” which solidified into a substance now known as Azerite. This surprisingly plentiful substance enhance the desires and abilities of those who possess it, making it an incredibly valuable resource and raising tensions between the factions as they vie for its control. The stakes rise even higher as you realize that Azeroth herself is dying thanks to the giant blade embedded into the heart of Silithus.

The pre-expansion events set the stage for the conflict in Battle for Azeroth, though the stakes of the new questing pale in comparison to Legion’s world-ending scenarios. In one of their more sinister and memorable acts, the burning of Teldrassil perfectly sets the stage for the struggle to come. Like many other Alliance, I couldn’t wait to hop into Darkshore with my Pandaren Monk and make them pay. In comparison to previous expansions, the carnage seemed personal.

The struggle unfolds on two beautiful new continents, with Alliance players being directed to Kul Tias and Horde to Zandalar. Each continent is stuffed with quests spread across three diverse zones. Thankfully, as in Legion, you’re free to select which zone to start in, making the questing feel less like a predefined grind and more like a sprawling adventure of your own making. You can also do these zones simultaneously, so if you’re starting to get tired of one area you’re able to simply zip off to the next zone and start anew.

The zones themselves are wonderfully diverse. Areas like the swampland temples of the Zandalar region of Nazmir or the hauntingly beautiful forests and mountains of Drustvar in Kul Tiras are so distinct from one another that the experience of seeing what’s around the next corner never grows old. But it’s a shame that the same level of diversity doesn’t translate to the actual questing. While the stories told within the quests are entertaining enough–especially ones like the meadery that starts getting taken over by its honey–the actual quests themselves mostly remain the same mundane kill and fetch quests that have been at the heart of WoW for over a decade. Helping to eradicate the Blood Troll threat is to the Zandalari is interesting and all, but it’s hard not to get a little bored when going through the motions of killing your fifteenth blood troll in a row just to be asked to turn around and kill more. Thankfully the characters helping to tell the excellent main story in each region are entertaining and well written, especially the Loa Bwonsamdi who also pokes fun at you every time you die in Zandalar with some witty quip that never feels old.

Thankfully, new features such as the Foothold quests and the Islands Expeditions do help break up that monotony. Establishing footholds on the other faction’s continent allows you to actually quest and explore in that new zone – meaning you needn’t worry about creating a Horde or Alliance character to at least explore their shiny new continent. Effectively, footholds double the initially apparent questing area for BfA. These foothold quests are largely more of the same kill and fetch quests, but a few stand out, such as when I fended off a Goblin attack by controlling a massive fire elemental as the Alliance, or when I helped start a mutiny among a pirate company in Tiragarde Sound for the Horde. You’re able to travel back and forth between the two continents with ease once these Footholds get established, which comes in handy once you unlock world quests.

The Island Expeditions, on the other hand, feel half-baked. These expeditions take you to a randomly generated island where you and two others fight to collect more Azerite than the opposing faction via monster killing, mining, and so-on. But despite being randomly generated, each  Expedition feels the same: kill and collect, rinse and repeat. There really isn’t much to it.

Expeditions also come with enemy AI characters that are meant to emulate the play of real players for the opposing faction, but they fail to put up a real challenge. Island Expeditions also have different difficulty levels that help make things more interesting, especially the PVP difficulty that pits your team of three against three opposing players.

Battle for Azeroth, of course, includes several new dungeons. Each zone comes with one that neatly ties off its respective storyline. My favorite is Underrot in Nazmir, with its glowing fungal corruption and monsters literally rotting from their surroundings, it presents the most alien landscape I’ve seen in a dungeon to date.. And while overall the normal-mode dungeons themselves aren’t all that challenging with a good group, the powerful loot and great experience reward makes rolling through them well worth your time.

The Azerite Must Flow

Gone in Battle for Azeroth are the powerful artifact weapons of Legion; instead, you are bestowed a necklace named the “Heart of Azeroth” which harnesses the power of the Azerite you collect. In turn, the Azerite powers the new and useful Azerite armor pieces you find along the way. The power of that armor is tied directly to the level of your Heart of Azeroth, and with these levels you unlock powerful new abilities that can augment your skills, such as an extremely clutch bubble shield that absorbs damage every 30s seconds keeping you in the fight longer than normal.

While it is refreshing that most of the grind for artifact weapon power is gone since Azerite itself isn’t hard to obtain, the armor itself feels a somewhat boring in practice compared to the old weapons.  The whole process of leveling up and selecting your upgrades feels wholly forgettable. It’s hard not to miss the individualized quests you needed to go on to obtain this really powerful artifact weapon from Legion, as Battle for Azeroth simply hands you these powerful items regularly.

Once you’ve decided on your armor upgrade, you can basically forget about it unless you swap class roles or need to respec. I actually find myself running with two sets of armor in my bags to swap out if I’m trying a new specialization such as Mistweaver on my Monk or Discipline on my Priest as it’s more convenient than running back to the reforger each time.

War…Mode! What Is It Good For?

One of the most significant changes is the inclusion of War Mode. By toggling this feature on, you’ll enter essentially a player-versus-player instance for your whole server with like minded individuals, doing away with the need of dedicated PVP servers. This opens the entirety of Azeroth up to player versus player combat, adding a heightened sense of adventure wherever you go. It’s also incredibly handy to have access to your PVP talents in the regular world as opposed to just PVP environments, giving extra utility any combat scenario.

Enabling War Mode rewards you with a handy 10 percent persistent experience boost while leveling, but it does come at the cost of possibly being ganked by roving groups of opposing players. At first I didn’t think much of this as the two factions were largely questing on different continents, but after being destroyed by a Horde member roving around in Stormsong Valley, I became keenly aware of how precarious War Mode can be.

If you do revel in player versus player combat, and actually get some good kills in, Battle for Azeroth will actually mark on you on the map for the opposing faction to hunt and shut you down. It definitely adds to the prestige of being great at PVP and nothing has been more satisfying than finally getting that kill on a player who has reminded me of the South Park griefer for the past hour. I found War Mode well worth participating in not just for the EXP boost but also for the increase in overall tension.

You Can’t Give Up On the World…of Warcraft

Once you establish footholds in all three opposing zones, you unlock the mostly entertaining World Quests that provide much of Battle for Azeroth’s current end game. These World Quests vary in the tasks they give you such as slaying an elite monster or gathering quantities of Azerite, and while they are fun after a while they can start to feel a bit repetitive. While we wait for Warfronts and the mythic raid to unlock in the coming weeks, World Quests can help give you the much-needed gear needed to continue progressing. There are also reputation rewards to grind for, which are well-integrated into the expansions other systems, unlocking crafting bonuses and more.

Crafting has been further streamlined thanks to Battle for Azeroth allowing you to craft recipes right away from each new zone. This is especially great for new players or those who boosted a new character to 110 right away as there is no need to go back and grind the lower crafting professions to unlock Kul Tiras and Zandalar crafting. I tend to find crafting hard to get into regardless of the MMO I’m playing, but this thankfully had me actually seeking out crafting nodes and participating in professions where I didn’t bother with Legion before it since I simply wasn’t skilled enough to make it worthwhile.

Battlegrounds fans also got some love in BfA with Seething Shore, the new Battlegrounds map Instead of capturing towers, you’ll parachute into a vale PUBG-style and attempt to accumulate more Azerite than your opposing faction counterparts. It’s intense and incredibly fast-paced, and when coupled with a good healer surviving more than a minute at a time can be a lot of fun.

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