TheResident Evil 2Remake changes a lot about the original game. Yet, one thing that remains the same is that you’re meant to play through the story twice. This is because there are two main characters, Leon and Claire. You play through the story as one of them before unlocking a second run where you control the other character.
The second run isn’t just a re-play of the story as a different protagonist. It’s a separate narrative that is meant to work alongside the original. So, together, they make for one whole story. However, there is a second version of that story, as the narrative is different depending on which character you play as first. This begs the question, which of these two scenarios is canon?
Which Resident Evil 2 Scenario Is Canon?
The biggest piece of evidence that either scenario is canon comes in theResident Evil 4 Remake. During the opening scene, Leonremembers several characters from the events of the second game, including Marvin, who was a cop in the RCPD.
In Resident Evil 2, Leononly meets Marvin in his first run. He’s already a zombie during Leon’s second run. So, this would mean that playing as Leon first should give you the canon experience.
Yet, it’s not as simple as that. After all,both scenarios contradict themselvesanyway. Claire’s second run doesn’t line up perfectly with Leon’s first, nor does Leon’s second run line up with Claire’s first.
Therefore,neither scenario fits perfectly into the canon.Capcom seemed to prioritize gameplay experience over story continuity.
In the original Resident Evil 2, Claire’s A scenario and Leon’s B scenario were seen as canon because Sherry gets infected in them, and this infection is confirmed in Resident Evil 6. Yet, the girl gets infected in both scenarios in the Remake.
Are The Ghost Survivors' Scenarios Canon?
The Ghost Survivors mode contains a few additionalsmaller scenarios featuring characters from the main game.
It features Robert Kendo, Katherine Warren, Ghost, and Daniel Cortini.None of their scenarios are part of the canon.They’re simply what-if stories.
In the canon, all of these characters died during the events of Resident Evil 2.
The 4th Survivor mini-game featuring Hunk is essentially canon, as the character does escape Raccoon City before its destruction. Whether his escape happened exactly like it does in the mini-game is unclear.
