GAMEBOX.WIKI
← BACK TO GAME DATABASE
HORRORSURVIVAL HORRORACTION

Resident Evil 2

1998 · Capcom

One of the defining survival horror games of the PlayStation era, combining exploration, puzzles, combat and cinematic storytelling.

PLATFORMS

PS1PCN64DreamcastGameCubeGame.com

GAMEBOX SCORE

97

Provisional GAMEBOX editorial ratings. These are not verified facts or aggregate review scores.

/ 100

Retro Score99
Hidden Gem85
Revival Potential97

GAME DNA

experience
Survival tension · Strategic planning
genre
Horror · Survival Horror · Action
mood
Tense · Dark · Cinematic
gameplay
Exploration · Puzzle · Combat · Resource Management
difficulty
Medium
era
1990s
pacing
Slow
perspective
Fixed-camera
structure
Interconnected

DISCOVER BY GAME DNA

Game DNA is GAMEBOX editorial classification; era comes from the sourced release year. Ratings are separate editorial judgements.

TenseDarkCinematicExplorationPuzzleCombatResource Management

ABOUT THE GAME

One of the defining survival horror games of the PlayStation era, combining exploration, puzzles, combat and cinematic storytelling.

Play it for its iconic police station setting, memorable enemies, excellent pacing and foundational survival horror design.

WHERE CAN I PLAY IT?

Availability information will be added to the GAMEBOX database.

We only list legal and officially available platforms and services.

RETRO HISTORY

Resident Evil 2 became one of the most influential survival horror games of the late 1990s and helped establish the genre as a mainstream success.

ORIGINAL RELEASE
1998
Developer
Capcom
Publisher
Capcom

DISCOVER MORE

SIMILAR GAMES

Explore what makes games feel like Resident Evil 2

GAMEBOX algorithmic assessments of editorial Game DNA. Confidence describes overlap strength, not a probability of enjoyment.

1996

Resident Evil

69% SIMILAR

STRONG MATCH

Strategic planning · Survival tension · Survival Horror · Horror · Dark

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Strategic planning experiences (weighing resources and planning consequential decisions) and Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity); Survival Horror / Horror genre; Dark mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Strategic planning · Survival tension100% distinctive overlap · 83.0 / 83.0 points
  • mood: Dark21% distinctive overlap · 13.1 / 62.2 points
  • genre: Horror · Survival Horror71% distinctive overlap · 19.0 / 26.7 points
  • gameplay: Exploration · Puzzle27% distinctive overlap · 7.1 / 26.3 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Slow100% distinctive overlap · 10.1 / 10.1 points
  • perspective: Fixed-camera100% distinctive overlap · 15.3 / 15.3 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 3.6 points
  • era: 1990s100% distinctive overlap · 4.4 / 4.4 points

1999

Dino Crisis

64% SIMILAR

GOOD MATCH

Strategic planning · Survival tension · Survival Horror · Horror · Dark

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Strategic planning experiences (weighing resources and planning consequential decisions) and Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity); Survival Horror / Horror genre; Dark mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Strategic planning · Survival tension100% distinctive overlap · 83.0 / 83.0 points
  • mood: Dark21% distinctive overlap · 13.1 / 62.2 points
  • genre: Horror · Survival Horror71% distinctive overlap · 19.0 / 26.7 points
  • gameplay: Exploration · Puzzle27% distinctive overlap · 7.1 / 26.3 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Slow100% distinctive overlap · 10.1 / 10.1 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 10.9 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 3.6 points
  • era: 1990s100% distinctive overlap · 4.4 / 4.4 points

1999

Silent Hill

42% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Survival tension · Survival Horror · Horror · Dark

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity); Survival Horror / Horror genre; Dark mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Survival tension32% distinctive overlap · 23.4 / 72.7 points
  • mood: Dark21% distinctive overlap · 13.1 / 62.2 points
  • genre: Horror · Survival Horror71% distinctive overlap · 19.0 / 26.7 points
  • gameplay: Exploration · Puzzle27% distinctive overlap · 7.1 / 26.3 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Slow100% distinctive overlap · 10.1 / 10.1 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 10.9 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 3.6 points
  • era: 1990s100% distinctive overlap · 4.4 / 4.4 points

1998

Shadow Tower

40% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Strategic planning · Survival tension · Dark

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Strategic planning experiences (weighing resources and planning consequential decisions) and Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity); Dark mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Strategic planning · Survival tension55% distinctive overlap · 43.5 / 79.4 points
  • mood: Dark14% distinctive overlap · 10.3 / 75.2 points
  • genre: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 34.8 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Exploration · Resource Management52% distinctive overlap · 16.3 / 31.6 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Slow100% distinctive overlap · 10.1 / 10.1 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 11.7 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 5.9 points
  • era: 1990s100% distinctive overlap · 4.4 / 4.4 points

2003

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly

40% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Survival tension · Survival Horror · Horror · Dark

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity); Survival Horror / Horror genre; Dark mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Survival tension32% distinctive overlap · 23.4 / 72.7 points
  • mood: Dark14% distinctive overlap · 10.4 / 72.6 points
  • genre: Horror · Survival Horror71% distinctive overlap · 19.0 / 26.7 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Exploration · Puzzle44% distinctive overlap · 11.6 / 26.3 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Slow100% distinctive overlap · 10.1 / 10.1 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 11.3 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 3.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points

1999

System Shock 2

39% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Strategic planning · Survival tension · Horror

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Strategic planning experiences (weighing resources and planning consequential decisions) and Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity); Horror genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Strategic planning · Survival tension50% distinctive overlap · 41.6 / 83.0 points
  • mood: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 75.9 points
  • genre: Horror20% distinctive overlap · 5.3 / 26.5 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Exploration · Resource Management63% distinctive overlap · 17.5 / 27.9 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Slow100% distinctive overlap · 10.1 / 10.1 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 11.7 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 3.6 points
  • era: 1990s100% distinctive overlap · 4.4 / 4.4 points