Resident Evil 2 demo coming Thursday, on a timer
Thirty minutes in zombie hell
The demo of Resident Evil 2's remake will put the squeeze on players beyond the usual 'trapped in a building full of zombies and wall-smashing monsters' tension. Due on January 11th, Capcom's "1-Shot Demo" gives players just half an hour to explore the Raccoon City police headquarters with a mission to complete. Die, and you restart, but the clock keeps on ticking down. Win, and you restart, and the hands keep on turning. Once your thirty minutes are up, you're locked out of the city until the full game lands January 25th. An odd choice, but one sure to cause some panicky deaths.
Brendy tried out the remake in his Resident Evil 2 preview, and found it to be an intriguing blend of old and new. It's effectively a whole new game, but covering the same plot points as Resident Evil 2, with heavy controls designed to evoke that sense of claustrophobia we know the series so well for. Whether you win or lose, the Resident Evil 2 demo will be capped off with a new, previously-unseen trailer, and that's all you'll get if you load it back up after your half hour has ended. If nothing else, completing the demo cleanly should be a fun challenge for streamers.
Given that so few games even do demos nowadays, it's nice to see something a little bit different done with the idea. The idea of a time-limited trial isn't exactly new (see the trial periods that Origin Access users get), but this sounds like it's trying to capture the feel of a show-floor demo. There's inherent tension and pressure in a ticking time limit, especially when you're in a horror game where ammo and health scarcity is a constant concern. I'm looking forward to trying it myself this weekend - maybe I'll even survive to the end.
The Resident Evil 2 remake demo launches this Friday, January 11th. The full game is due two weeks later on January 25th, priced at £45/€50/$50.