Resident Evil 2 Gets New Version, and Some People Can Play It Right Now

The Resident Evil franchise is one of Capcom’s biggest, and fans have a lot to celebrate in the coming months. There’s Resident Evil Requiem coming next year, and there’s even a mobile game in the works called Resident Evil Survival Unit. Capcom has fans of both console and mobile gaming pretty well-covered right now, but what about those gamers that still like to check out arcades? As luck would have it, not only is there a Resident Evil arcade game on the way, but it happens to be playable right now.

As reported by IGN, what seems to be a test cabinet has been discovered at Namco Funscape, an arcade located in the UK. The game in question is called Resident Evil 2: Dead Shot, and it appears to have been made in collaboration between Capcom and Bandai Namco. The game takes the scenario of Resident Evil 2, but converts it into a light-gun shooter. IGN had a chance to go hands-on with the game, and noted that the first two missions are unlocked from the start, with five in total. As in the console versions of Resident Evil 2, Dead Shot centers around Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield.

Anyone that has played any version of Resident Evil 2 should have a good idea of what to expect from Dead Shot. The game takes place in iconic locations around Raccoon City, and enemy types include both zombified versions of humans and dogs. As IGN notes, the game’s visual style appears to be based on the Resident Evil 2 remake, which was released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC back in 2019.

Resident Evil has a long history with light gun games, going back to Resident Evil Survivor in 2000. Several other light gun games based on the franchise have been released over the last two and half decades, on platforms such as Nintendo Wii. An arcade take on one of the most popular Resident Evil games of all-time makes a ton of sense, and it could just lead to more people discovering the horror series. At the very least, it could be a fun way to revisit the story of Resident Evil 2 in an arcade setting.

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Unfortunately, IGN is not aware how long the test unit will be available at Namco Funscape, and there’s no word when (or if) this game will see a wide release. Given the popularity of the franchise, it’s hard to imagine that Resident Evil: Dead Shot won’t get a wide release, but stranger things have happened. For now, fans of the series that happen to be located in or around the UK might want to see if they can get some time with the light gun game while it’s available to play.

Are you hoping to see this Resident Evil game released locally? How do you feel about the Resident Evil light gun games? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!