Resident Evil 2 vs Resident Evil: Revelations 2
Resident Evil 2 is a horror puzzle game from Capcom (1998) while Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is an action-RPG FPS game from Capcom (2015).
Quick answer: Resident Evil 2 rates higher, 8.6 to 6.7 on the GamingPickz Score, and Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is the cheaper at $19.99.
What each one is
Resident Evil 2 is filed under Horror and Puzzle. In contrast, Resident Evil: Revelations 2 under Action-RPG and FPS.
A deadly virus engulfs the residents of Raccoon City in September of 1998, plunging the city into chaos as flesh eating zombies roam the streets for survivors. An unparalleled adrenaline rush, gripping storyline, and unimaginable horrors await you. Witness the return of Resident Evil 2.
RE Revelations 2 continues the series acclaimed essential survival horror experience, while uncovering startling truths.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Depending on which order the scenarios are played in, the player experiences one of two courses of events which mutually contradict each other. This plot summary covers only the path followed by playing the Claire A and Leon B scenarios, which was suggested by Capcom to be the canon version of events. On September 30, 1998, two months after the events of the first Resident Evil , most citizens of the Midwestern American mountain community of Raccoon City… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Resident Evil 2 received critical acclaim upon release. Its original PlayStation release holds an average aggregate score of 93% at GameRankings based on 25 reviews, and 89 out of 100 points at Metacritic for both the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 versions based on 13 reviews. The majority of reviews praised Resident Evil 2 for its atmosphere, setting, graphics, audio, and overall gameplay, but criticized its controls, voice acting, and certain… (Wikipedia)
Plot
The storyline is composed of four episodes divided into a past scenario with Claire Redfield and Moira Burton and a present scenario with Barry Burton. Episode 1 - Penal Colony Claire Redfield and Moira Burton, daughter of Barry Burton, work for biohazard prevention agency TerraSave. While attending an office party, they and several other TerraSave members are captured by armed mercenaries. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reviews for the game have been mixed to positive. There was praise for the setting, story, characters and the co-op gameplay, but the graphics and some technical issues were largely criticized. According to Kimberley Wallace of Game Informer , the game has crazy plot twists, laughable dialogue, and campy moments, all of which come together in a satisfying way. (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Resident Evil 2 | Resident Evil: Revelations 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 8.6/10 | 6.7/10 |
| Steam rating | Overwhelmingly Positive (97%, 221,677) | Mostly Positive (78%, 32,092) |
| Critic aggregate | 89/100 | No aggregate |
| Price | $39.99 | $19.99 |
| Install size | 26 GB | 23 GB |
| Steam Deck | verified | playable |
| Released | 1998 | 2015 |
| Developer | Capcom | Capcom |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Resident Evil 2 vs Resident Evil: Revelations 2, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Resident Evil 2Horror puzzle gameResident Evil: Revelations 2Action-RPG FPS gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Resident Evil 2Zombies, Survival Horror, HorrorResident Evil: Revelations 2Zombies, Horror, Survival HorrorThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Resident Evil 2 ✓Score 8.6 · 97% on Steam · 89 criticResident Evil: Revelations 2Score 6.7 · 78% on SteamThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Resident Evil 2221,677 reviews · 13 add-ons · 26 GBResident Evil: Revelations 232,092 reviews · 22 add-ons · 23 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Resident Evil 2$39.99Resident Evil: Revelations 2 ✓$19.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Resident Evil 2 ✓VerifiedResident Evil: Revelations 2PlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Resident Evil 2 takes 2 of the marked rounds to 1. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueResident Evil 2 and Resident Evil: Revelations 2 on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Multi-platform
- PlayStation
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Resident Evil 2 (GamingPickz Score 8.6)
- The cheaper right now: Resident Evil: Revelations 2 ($19.99)
- Better on a Steam Deck: Resident Evil 2 (verified)
- Lighter on storage: Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (23 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Resident Evil 2 (221,677 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
ZombiesSurvival HorrorHorrorSingleplayerThird PersonGoreActionAtmospheric
Where they differ
RemakePuzzleViolentClassicDarkDifficult
Co-opThird-Person ShooterLocal Co-OpEpisodicOnline Co-OpAction RPG
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Resident Evil 2 is demanding, for players who want a challenge. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Resident Evil 2 | Resident Evil: Revelations 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960 | NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800 GTS |
| Minimum CPU | Intel® Core™ i5-4460 | Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E6700, AMD Athlon X2 2.8 GHz |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB | 2 GB |
| Install size | 26 GB | 23 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Resident Evil 2 · Resident Evil: Revelations 2.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Resident Evil 2 and 1 for Resident Evil: Revelations 2. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil: Revelations 2 in scope?
Resident Evil 2 has drawn 221,677 Steam reviews, ships 13 add-ons and installs in 26 GB. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 has drawn 32,092 Steam reviews, ships 22 add-ons and installs in 23 GB.
Is Resident Evil 2 or Resident Evil: Revelations 2 better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Resident Evil 2 rates higher (8.6 to 6.7). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Resident Evil 2 or Resident Evil: Revelations 2?
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is cheaper right now at $19.99, against $39.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Should I get Resident Evil 2 or Resident Evil: Revelations 2?
Resident Evil 2 rates higher, 8.6 to 6.7 on the GamingPickz Score, and Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is the cheaper at $19.99. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
All comparisonsHow we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.