Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 remake was a surprising return to the original trilogy. Even starting with the third title, the game became more action-focused and less about unlocking secrets and puzzles.
It’s no surprise the remake has won several awards this year, including the Japan Game Awards’ Award for Excellence and many games of the year nominations.
Resident Evil 2 introduces players to rookie cop Leon Kennedy and the first series’ protagonist’s little sister Claire Redfield. Both are trained in firearms, but none of them are prepared for a biological outbreak in Raccoon City. The remake also showcased high-resolution graphics, new character models for the game’s stars, and an updated soundtrack.
Capcom recently announced on its Investor Relations website that the remake was highly successful, sales wide.
“The Resident Evil series has garnered high praise from both fans and the media internationally, with Resident Evil 2, a remake released in January of this year, achieving more than 5 million units in sales and being honored with Ultimate Game of the Year in the U.K. Golden Joystick Awards 2019—the highest prize awarded to games released in the current year.” states the news release. This data is according to sales as of December 4, 2019, which is sure to sell even more thanks to holiday game sales.
Capcom didn’t give any information about why the remake may have sold so much more. It’s likely due to the game was sold on multiple consoles and PC at launch. Resident Evil 2 was also sold both physically and digitally, making it more accessible to players. The “one-shot” 30-minute demo (which has now been updated) certainly made skeptical fans more intrigued in the remake.
Since the debut of the series in 1996, the series has sold more than 94 million units worldwide. Capcom considers Resident Evil its “flagship game series.”
The news came with the official announcement that the Resident Evil 3 remake was now in progress. Similar to the original game, RE3 stars the original game’s Jill Valentine as she tries to escape Raccoon City. Capcom has stated in a special video feature that the title focuses more on action than puzzle solving.
The remake announcement came with a first-person and third-person trailer, plus a collector’s edition of the game that comes with a Jill Valentine statue.
