Resident Evil 2

You play as either Leon Kennedy, a rookie cop who's having a really bad first day on the job, or Claire Redfield, sister of one of the stars of the original Resident Evil. Leon and Claire's meeting is depicted in a visually stunning, B-movie cutscene. They're quickly separated, but occasionally meet up throughout the game.

Right after the gruesome intro, you're dumped into the thick of things and have to dash through the devastated city streets, fleeing from one horde of zombies after another. As you make your way to a supposed refuge--the city police station--you find evidence that the citizenry fought bravely against the undead menace--and lost. Smashed barricades, abandoned police cars, boarded-up stores, dismembered bodies, and hundreds of expended bullet shell casings are all-too-common sights. Once you reach the station, you discover the remains of a siege. The defenders' desperate final hours are recorded in a fragmented journal. Its pages detail a possible escape route through an underground passage. Did the cops make it out? The alarming number of zombies wearing tattered police uniforms may be a clue.

Resident Evil 2 keeps the terrific puzzles and action of the original while vastly improving cinematic qualities such as dialogue, camera angles, cutscenes, atmosphere, and location design. An instant survival horror classic, Resident Evil 2 has it all. --John Cocking

Pros:

• Zombies
• Cheesy horror movie action
• Real sense of dread--actually makes you jump with fright
• 2 characters, 2 different angles on the story

• Clumsy save-game interface
• Backtracking for puzzles