Resident Evil 2 is a survival horror game developed and published by Capcom. It was released for the PlayStation in North America on 21 January 1998 and in Japan, as Biohazard 2, later the same month. Hideki Kamiya directed it and Shinji Mikami produced it.
The game had a troubled start. An earlier version, known as Resident Evil 1.5, was scrapped at 60–80% completion because Mikami found it dull, and screenwriter Noboru Sugimura rewrote the scenario after the restart. The finished game sold over 3 million copies worldwide within six weeks.
Capcom followed it with a Dual Shock Ver. in 1998 and ports to the Nintendo 64, Windows, Dreamcast and GameCube. The 1999 Nintendo 64 port added 16 extra 'Ex Files' documents and adjustable blood color. In 1999 Italy temporarily banned the game over its violence, lifting the ban a few months later.1
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Resident Evil 2 | PlayStation | Jan 21, 1998 | Capcom | 1 |
| NA | Resident Evil 2 | Nintendo 64 | Nov 16, 1999 | Capcom | 1 |
| JP | バイオハザード2Baiohazādo TsūJapanese Wikipedia lists 29 January 1998 | PlayStation | January 1998 | Capcom | 1 |
| JP | バイオハザード2 デュアルショック ver.Dual Shock Ver.; earliest of two dates listed on Japanese Wikipedia (regions not labelled; the other is 11 November 1998) | PlayStation | Aug 6, 1998 | Capcom | 2 |
| JP | バイオハザード2Dreamcast; earliest of the Dreamcast dates listed on Japanese Wikipedia (regions not labelled there) | Other | Dec 22, 1999 | Capcom | 2 |
| JP | バイオハザード2GameCube; Japanese Wikipedia lists 14 and 23 January 2003 without labelling regions | Other | January 2003 | Capcom | 2 |
| JP | バイオハザード2 デュアルショック ver.PlayStation Store Game Archives; North America 2009 | PlayStation 3 | Dec 26, 2007 | Capcom | 2 |
| WW | Resident Evil 2GOG re-release of the PC version; on Steam from 1 April 2026 | Windows | Aug 27, 2024 | Capcom / GOG.com | 1 |
| WW | Resident Evil 2PlayStation 4 and 5 | PlayStation 4 | Aug 19, 2025 | Capcom | 1 |
Also known as: バイオハザード2 JP2Biohazard 2 JP1Baiohazādo Tsū JP1Resident Evil 2 Dual Shock Ver. WW1Resident Evil 1.5 WW1
Box art by region
NA Resident Evil 2
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.
Version differences
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ContentDual Shock Ver.
The Dual Shock Ver. added analog control and vibration, the unlockable Extreme Battle minigame and a Rookie mode with a powerful infinite-ammo weapon; the Japanese release also gained a 'U.S.A. Version' difficulty setting.1
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DifficultyPS1 (NA)PS1 (JP)
The North American release was made harder than the Japanese one to discourage short rentals, and its more violent game-over screens were left out of the Japanese version.1
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ContentNintendo 64
The Nintendo 64 port fits the game on a cartridge with compressed video and adds 16 'Ex Files', a random item mode, adjustable violence and blood color, and Dolby Surround, but leaves out Extreme Battle.1
Translations
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Spanish Official
Capcom / GOG.com2024Windows · 1999 PC versionReleased · complete
The GOG re-release lists Spanish text and audio alongside English, German, French, Italian and Japanese.3
Where to play legally today
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GOG Purchase
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Steam Purchase
How to run it today
Buy the GOG or Steam edition of the original PC version. GOG's build adds Windows 10/11 compatibility, a new DirectX renderer with windowed mode and integer scaling, modern controller support and cloud saves.3
Reception
The PlayStation version sold 4.96 million copies and the game over 6 million across all platforms. It holds 93% on GameRankings; critics praised the atmosphere and the two-scenario structure but criticized the controls and voice acting.1
In lists
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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