Update: Now with four new clothing, enemy, model swap, and cheat mods that recently came online!
You had to know it was coming. Now that the Resident Evil 2 remake is finally here, the avalanche of fan made mods has begun to arrive.
Sadly, there's no Steam Workshop support yet, which mostly limits the options to the big sites like Nexus Mods. Despite that limitation, there are already some mods that you simply have to download to enhance your experience when returning to this classic zombie shooter, and some, like this Dino Crisis mod, that are just dripping with nostalgia.
In the following slides we round up the best options currently available, including a handful of mods that make the game more like the original '98 version — which is kind of ironic, but sometimes nostalgia gets the best of us. These mods also cover major UI changes, such as adding in a first-person mode.
X Gon' Give It To Ya
Let's start off with the best mod hands down — one in which a Resident Evil 2 meme becomes reality. Yep, you can now hear DMX's X Gon' Give It To Ya, rather than the original soundtrack music, every single time Mr. X chases you around the mansion.
This one requires a good deal of work, as it isn't available as a straight mod through any of the usual sites. Instead, you've got to download it through a file hosting service and then manually make changes to get the song to play.
The links and files have been removed a few times already, but they keep popping back up. This is why we've linked to the instructional post above instead of directly to the mod.
X No More!
All the fun and games of Mr. X and his theme song aside, sometimes he's just too much of a pain in the ass to deal with, especially if you've heavily modded RE:2 2019 with a bunch of gameplay tweaks.
When you just want to experience the story from beginning to end and not worry about hiding and dying for the umpteenth time, you can remove Mr. X from the equation entirely. Don't worry though -- he's still there for important scripted events.
First-Person Mode
Did you love the first-person view of Resident Evil 7 and want to see it return in the RE2 remake? That's a lot easier than many would have thought, as this nifty little mod shows.
Surprisingly, the first-person mode is mostly seamless, with just a few hiccups here and there. If there's a top candidate for something from the mod community that the developers need to make official, it's this one right here.
Easier Spare Keys
You might not always want a big cheat mod that makes everything super easy and turns Leon invincible... but at the same time there are some frustrating elements that could be less difficult.
This is a very simple -- but very effective -- mod that replaces the portable safe puzzles with spare keys you can just directly pick up. Genius! Just keep in mind the mod only works when you start a new game, so you can't use this one with an existing save.
Classic UI
The whole point of a remake is to bring a classic game up to modern standards, but some players may still prefer elements of the original RE2. That's where this mod comes in, changing many of the remake's upgraded UI elements to those from the classic, old school release.
Just want some of the changes but not all of them? A future update to the mod is expected to bring a toggle option so that you can choose which classic elements you want to keep and which to jettison.
2B Claire...
Right after the UI retools, color reshades, and infinite ammo mods landed online, it should be much of a surprise where the modding community went next.
There are already plenty of sexy variant Claire and Leon mods floating around to look through (if you're into that sort of thing, the Claire Katz one is pretty fun).
Rather than listing a bunch of the skimpy clothing mods, we'll just show you this one here, which at least puts in a character from another game. Now Claire is dressed up like android 2B from Nier: Automata!
VHS Filter
Another one clearly inspired by segments of Resident Evil 7, this mod simply makes the game look more old school by adding in occasional VHS tracking lines. This makes it feel more like it came out in the '80s or '90s before the advent and widespread usage of disc-based technology.
This mod is simple, but it is effective in changing the tone of the game. Furthermore, when it is combined with the first-person mod, it becomes very clear that we need a VR rendition of Resident Evil 2 post-haste.
Vignette Removal
If you hadn't noticed, the RE2 remake features a heavy vignette effect that darkens the edges of the screens like an old photo. While that looks cool for a while, it also makes it difficult to see certain details.
If you'd prefer more clarity, this mod simply removes the effect. It gives you overall brighter and lighter visuals that are easier to make out while running from horrible creatures.
Classic Claire
Not too keen on some of the updated character models and outfits in Resident Evil 2? A handful of classic themes are returning now through mods, including this one that gives Claire her old red outfit back.
This mod is still a work in progress, as most of these early mods are. As such, you may notice some issues occasionally with weapons clipping oddly in the new model.
Swap Mr. X With Nemesis (Unfinished)
Oh boy, this one is just going to further fuel many fans' strong desire for a full fledged Resident Evil 3 remake. Sadly, it is currently a work in progress that can't actually be downloaded yet, but the promising preview video shows Tyrant, the infamous Mr. X, replaced with a skin of Nemesis from RE3.
Hopefully, this mod doesn't turn out like the horde of super awesome looking Fallout mods that never seem to ever get finished. If you notice a download link finally go up for the Nemesis mod, be sure to leave us a comment.
Fixed Camera Angle Mod (Unfinished)
This is an unfinished mod that isn't quite ready for public consumption yet. When completed, it will be another way to bring some of the classic Resident Evil 2 feel to the remake, switching to the old school fixed camera angle.
Personally, I always felt the fixed camera angles of the early RE games were more of a hindrance to be overcome than a desirable aesthetic we should return to. To each their own I suppose...
Ultimate RE2 2019 Trainer
Having trouble with a particular segment of the Resident Evil 2 remake, or want to try swapping clothes or re-arranging UI elements? Here's your ultimate cheat/utility mod all wrapped up into one convenient trainer.
Check out stats, skip cut scenes, change the player position, give yourself a universal key, turn on one-hit kills, or even walk directly through walls to get where you need to go all with a few clicks.
With the RE2 remake still a fairly new release, we can expect to see many more mods arrive in the coming months. This brief list is just the tip of the T-Virus iceberg.
What did you think of these picks, and have you found any other must install Resident Evil 2 remake mods? Let us know what we missed in the comments section below.
If you're wondering, yes, the nude mods have started arriving, but we generally keep those articles separate. You can take a gander at what's available so far over here.
Published: Feb 13, 2019 02:16 pm