OG Resident Evil 2 given fan remaster treatment with excellent overhaul

Resident Evil 2 has just received the fan remaster treatment, with a brand new mod giving the game a massive overhaul.

RE:Enhance has just released its 4.0 update, a mod for the original PC version of Resident Evil 2 which adds performance improvements, a graphical facelift, and many other quality-of-life improvements.

As revealed in a new gameplay trailer of the 4.0 update, this new version of RE:Enhance has been released just three months after the 3.0 update.

The trailer shows off the mod's new upscaled graphics on all character models, backgrounds, and cutscenes. The FMVs in particular have seen a notable improvement, with a huge resolution bump compared to what it was in the original.

60 FPS is now implemented into the mod as well. The original Resident Evil 2 was limited to just 30 FPS, which was done as a restriction of the engine rather than to save on performance.

You also get the option to now play in a true 16:9 aspect ratio, without the picture or UI looking distorted. Instead of a 4:3 image being stretched to fit 16:9 as is typically the case with some emulators, the image has been remastered to fit widescreen displays, zooming in slightly and then panning the camera as the player character moves. This is entirely optional if you prefer the original 4:3 format, but we'd say it's a great option for those who want Resident Evil 2 to fill their screen.

SonicB00M doesn't shy away from the fact that they used AI tools to get some parts of this mod working, citing Claude and Codex as tools they used to get it working, with "thousands of manual edits" used to tidy it up.

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RE: Enhance for the original Resident Evil 2 gives the game a huge makeover

Meanwhile, additional graphical features such as dynamic shadows and additional reflections to certain surfaces have also been added to complement the upscaled backgrounds, and it helps the game look pretty gorgeous as a result. New textures on zombie models adds extra blood effects depending on where you shoot them.

What is particularly notable about this new update though is the addition of lip sync and blinking eyes in cutscenes, where characters finally move their mouths according to what they're saying. It's a small change, but it adds a lot to the drama of any given scene.

Other features added by the mod include new modernised controls which removes tank controls and adds a more freeflow system similar to what was added in the 2002 Resident Evil remake. Corpse ragdoll effects are now present so bodies flail around as you move over them.

Although many people play Resident Evil 2 on console or via an emulator, these enhancements are available on PC only using the Classic REbirth version of the game. Setting up mods for this version of the game is pretty simple, and they should work with the Steam and GOG re-releases as well, so you don't have to hunt down an original copy from the '90s or anything like that.

Download RE:Enhance for Resident Evil 2 now from ModDB.