Which Character Should You Play as First in Resident Evil 2?

At the very start of Resident Evil 2 , you’re asked to select the campaign of either Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield, and it’s this character that you’ll play as until the closing credits. In this guide to Capcom’s stellar remake, we’ll be walking you through deciding which character to play as first out of Leon or Claire.

But if you instead need help with any other areas of making it through Raccoon City alive, head over to our Resident Evil 2 walkthrough. Here you can find our complete beginner’s guide to the game, and much more.

Should You Play as Leon or Claire in Resident Evil 2?

For those not in the know, Resident Evil 2 (2019) features two campaigns for its lead characters, just like the original game did back in 1998. When you select ‘new game’ from the main menu, you’ll be given the option of playing as either Leon Kennedy, or Claire Redfield.

Leon is a rookie police officer, who was due to start in Raccoon City right around a week ago. Since he’s heard nothing from his post in the city, he’s decided to head on down, and see what’s up. As for Claire Redfield, she’s a college student on the hunt for her missing brother, Chris Redfield, protagonist from the original Resident Evil .

No matter who you pick to play as in Resident Evil 2, you’re going to encounter the other character right near the beginning of the game. Leon and Claire meet up at an overrun gas station just outside of Raccoon City, and drive into the city from there. This is where the characters become separated, and the two campaigns take their form.

Although there’s one campaign for Leon, and another one for Claire, they don’t actually differ all that much. For example, both characters meet Marvin Branagh in the police station, and have to make it through the underground parking lot. There are some differences in locations between the two campaigns, but we won’t spoil them here.

Simply speaking, it really doesn’t matter who you choose to play as first in Resident Evil 2, because you can start a new campaign straight after as the counterpart character. People have always debated whether Leon or Claire’s stories are ‘canon’ in Resident Evil 2, and it certainly seems like everyone generally chooses to play as Leon first. This might be to do with the fact that Leon being in the police station instead of Claire feels more logical, since this is where he was meant to be coming to work.

If it’s more content for Capcom’s remake that you’re after, head over to our essential Resident Evil 2 tips page. Alternatively, you can hit up our page on how to unlock Fourth Survivor in Resident Evil 2 with the enigmatic Hunk, our article on how to unlock the magnum in Resident Evil 2, or our Resident Evil 2 Leon’s desk locks guide. If you want more Resident Evil goodness, check out our definitive ranking of the best Resident Evil Games.

Resident Evil 2 Remake

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As Resident Evil remakes continue to print money, Capcom confirms plans for more of them

But no conirmation as to which games it plans to remake.

To the surprise of presumably no one, Capcom has in fact confirmed that it’s planning another Resident Evil remake - but it hasn’t said which game’s getting one.

It’s no secret that Capcom’s Resident Evil remakes have been doing exceptionally well - Resident Evil 4 Remake sold three million copies within its first two days . So hearing that Capcom is working on more was pretty much a given. Resident Evil 4 Remake director Yasuhiro Anpo was the one to confirm more remakes are on the way, quite simply replying “Yes,” when asked by IGN if the developer had plans for more. “We’ve released three remakes so far and they have all been received very well. Since it allows a modern audience to play these games, it is something I am happy to do as someone that loves these older games, and we want to continue doing more.

“What game we will remake in the future is something that we would like to announce in the future, so please look forward to it.” There hasn’t been any kind of hints so far as to which games Capcom might remake, though it has been trying to figure out which games you want to see remade . Code Veronica seemingly isn’t off the table , but of course there are games like the original Resident Evil or Resident Evil 0. Plus, there’s the more actiony Resident Evil 5, which is the next one numerically, though that one obviously marked quite a shift for the survival horror series.

Capcom does have an “unannounced major title” due out before March 2024 , though I personally wouldn’t bet on a new Resident Evil game. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is out March 22 , but that one was already announced, so it can’t be that. Perhaps there’s a new Monster Hunter on the horizon? We could always hope for a new Lost Planet or Darkstalkers too.

Resident Evil 2 Remake

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