There’s a new version of Resident Evil 2 made specifically for arcades, and an early version of it is already playable at Namco Funscape in the UK.
Resident Evil 2: Dead Shot, as this on-rails lightgun iteration is known, is the product of a collaboration between Bandai Namco and Capcom to create a fresh arcade iteration of the latter’s survival horror classic.
IGN has visited Namco Funscape in Romford, north-east London, and gone hands-on with Resident Evil 2: Dead Shot ourselves — as you can see in our first footage above.
In it, we can see that Dead Shot has split Resident Evil 2’s narrative into five episodes, with the first two already unlocked. It’s believed that this arcade cabinet has been installed within Namco Funscape for testing, with early bugs ironed out after public play.
Dead Shot’s first episode is its prologue, with a second episode titled “Hunted”. Loading up the prologue, the game then introduces Resident Evil 2’s setting to players: “Leon and Claire find one another on the streets of Raccoon City. Chased by zombies, they evacuate to the police department only to discover further horrors within.”
As you select your episode, a zombified hand shatters through the screen, pulling you (and your co-op partner) in.
The opening section sees Leon and Claire fighting their way into the Raccoon City Police Department, past zombie cops and zombie dogs. The game’s visuals appear to be based on Capcom’s 2019 Resident Evil 2 Remake.
Once inside the building, the pair introduce themselves to each other before more zombie cops interrupt the party. Still, there’s time for a little bit of exposition from just-about-still-alive cop Marvin Branagh, before the action continues.
As with other arcade lightgun games, you’ll need to point the gun away from the screen and pull the trigger to reload. You’ll automatically reload when you run out of bullets, but manual reloading is faster.
It’s unclear how long Resident Evil 2: Dead Shot will remain playable at Namco Funscape, but if you’re headed down in the near future look out for the neon red-lit cabinet with images of Leon, Claire and Ada Wong.
It’s intriguing to see the Resident Evil series featuring Raccoon City here once again, ahead of the franchise’s 30th anniversary next year, and the launch of Resident Evil: Requiem.
Capcom has teased that Requiem will see a return to the “overarching narrative” of Resident Evil begun 30 years ago, and an early trailer has already featured the reappearance of the RCPD — albeit after its later destruction in Resident Evil 3. (Fans are also certain Leon will appear, though for now, Capcom is keeping schtum.)
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
