The Resident Evil 2 remake is out now and it’s full of terrifying enemies and tricky puzzles to solve, but it’s also got plenty of secrets too. The Capcom team clearly loved putting in references to the wider Resident Evil universe in the game, so we decided to put together a full list of all the Resident Evil 2 remake Easter eggs we could find.
We’ve scoured the game, and the internet, for all the references and secrets we could find, and we’ve got them all down below. You’ll find nods to secrets from the original version of Resident Evil 2 from 1998, characters from other games in the series, a developer catchphrase, fellow Capcom zombie survival game Dead Rising, and even hints towards the fearsome Nemesis. Let’s have a look.
Resident Evil 2 remake Easter eggs – Brad Vickers
Brad Vickers is a member of the RPD’s S.T.A.R.S. team from the original Resident Evil, which also included Claire’s brother Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine. He was the pilot that helped them escape the first game, and was killed by Nemesis in Resident Evil 3. However, he could be found as a secret zombie in the 1998 version of Resident Evil 2 if the player made it to the RPD without picking up any items or weapons.
Brad’s zombie isn’t in the Resident Evil 2 remake, as far as we are aware, however in the exact same spot there is a reference to him. In the 2nd Story playthrough you begin in an area outside the police station, and once you’ve got the bolt cutters you can open a door here and get a decent handgun. On the wall of this room, which is next to the corridor where 1998 players encountered zombie Brad, you can see the above poster featuring Brad Vickers himself.
Resident Evil 2 remake Easter eggs – Nemesis
Speaking of Nemesis, there is possibly a reference to the colossal experimental Tyrant in Resident Evil 2 remake. The antagonist of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was essentially a more powerful version of the Tyrant known as Mr. X seen in Resident Evil 2, with a similar size and a knack for bursting through walls. Indeed, there are several walls around the RPD, such as the one above in the Shower Room on Floor 2, that look like someone large smashed through them.
However, it cannot be Mr. X since at this point he hadn’t been dropped into the police station. The first half of Resident Evil 3, however, takes place before the events of Resident Evil 2, and sees Jill Valentine being pursued into the RPD by Nemesis. Nemesis’ goal is to hunt S.T.A.R.S. members. Guess which room the Shower Room leads to? Yes, it heads straight to the S.T.A.R.S. office.
Resident Evil 2 remake Easter eggs – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
The fun thing about the Resident Evil 2 remake is that it contains nearly every Easter egg that was in the original 1998 game, whether it makes sense now or not. Also back in 1998, Capcom released a fighting game based upon the Jojo‘s Bizarre Adventure manga comic book series. Presumably there was some crossover between the Jojo and Resident Evil 2 teams back in the ’90s, because the latter contained an Easter egg to the former in the form of Jojo’s name appearing on a locker in the main office. Now 20 years later, despite not having made a Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure game for years, the same Easter egg (in the same handwritten style no less) can be found on a locker in the West Office on Floor 1.
Resident Evil 2 remake Easter eggs – Rebecca Chambers photo
Speaking of Easter eggs from the original coming back in the remake, one of the perviest Easter eggs in Resident Evil 2 has been redone too. In the original, if you used Wesker’s desk a whopping 50 times you’d find a roll of film. You could then develop this film in the Dark Room, and you’d find it’s a cameo appearance by Rebecca Chambers, the S.T.A.R.S. rookie who appeared in the first Resident Evil game, and later had a starring role in Resident Evil Zero. The kinky thing about it though was that it was a picture of Rebecca in tight-fitting sportswear, and the body actually appeared to be a real woman with Rebecca’s face imposed on top of it.
In Resident Evil 2 remake, if you find the Hiding Place photographs, one will direct you to Wesker’s desk in the S.T.A.R.S. office. Use the desk to open the drawer, and you’ll get a Custom Part for one of your firearms. However, you may spot a roll of film in the back of the same drawer. There’s no button prompt, but if you use the desk again, you’ll pick up the roll. You can develop this too, and you’ll get an updated version of the picture of Rebecca Chambers in her sports gear.
Resident Evil 2 remake Easter eggs – “Wellcome” Leon sign
This is a neat one, because it makes fun of an error in the original Resident Evil 2 game. If you look up in the West Office, you’ll see a banner proclaiming “Welcome Leon” for Leon’s first day. This banner was in the 1998 game, except it was on Leon’s desk, and it was misspelled “Wellcome Leon.” If you look at the 2019 version of the banner, you’ll notice a distinct gap between the letters “L” and “C,” as if another letter had fallen off. Sure enough, on one of the nearby desks you’ll spot the missing “L” letter.
Resident Evil 2 remake Easter eggs – Dead Rising
Of course Resident Evil isn’t the only zombie survival game series Capcom has ever made. They’ve also got the Dead Rising series, starring photographer Frank West. Dead Rising has previously referenced Resident Evil, such as the “Jill’s Sandwiches” restaurant in the first game, and now the RE2 remake is returning the favor. At the beginning of the game you may spot the poster above. It advertises “Frank East: Freelance Photographer For Hire.” Thanks to Reddit user RageEataPnut for spotting this.
Resident Evil 2 remake Easter eggs – Resident Evil 7 mannequins
If you’ve played Resident Evil 7, the previous game in the series, you’ll undoubtedly remember the armless mannequins from the beginning of the game. They were found in the attic of the opening area, and made a memorable appearance (especially in the demo) where they appeared to supernaturally move as you turned away from them. Being able to extend your time in the demo was actually linked to whether they saw you and moved or not.
You may not be delighted to learn that the mannequins return in Resident Evil 2 remake. Players of the one-shot demo first noticed a miniature one on the third floor of the RPD building, just next to the Club key, casting a creepy shadow on the wall. However, the full-sized versions can be found later in the game, also on Floor 3 but on the other side, in the small room next to the East Storage Room. You’ll need the Heart key to get in to this room, so you can only access it during Claire’s campaign. Enter and turn right to find three of the RE7 mannequins, including one with a Combat Knife sticking out of it. At least they don’t move… well, at least we think they don’t.
Resident Evil 2 remake Easter eggs – We Do It!
Back in 2015, long before the official announcement trailer, Resident Evil producer Yoshiaki Hirabyashi took to YouTube to reveal that a remake of Resident Evil 2 had been approved by Capcom. When making the announcement, Hirabyashi excitedly revealed his shirt, which had the adorably not-quite-perfect English phrase “We do it!” written on it. The final game references this phrase in the plaque underneath the bust above, in the Reception Room just off the Main Hall. Look closely at the bottom of the inscription and you’ll see “We do it!” Lovely.
Resident Evil 2 remake Easter eggs – Mikhail Viktor from Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Mikhail Viktor was part of the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service that was sent in to Raccoon City to deal with the T-virus outbreak in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. He’s a rather heroic Russian soldier, who died in a fiery explosion while fighting off Nemesis in order to give Jill Valentine and his colleague Carlos a chance to escape. He’s referenced in the Resident Evil 2 remake. After leaving the police station through the Parking Garage, after opening the shutters, you can spot a restaurant called “Mikhail’s Pierogis.” This is clearly a nod to Resident Evil 3‘s Mikhail, although we’re not sure if we’d eat those pierogis. They’re probably a bit overcooked…
Resident Evil 2 remake Easter eggs – Original release date
The very first playable moment in the game contains the remake’s first Easter egg: a nod towards the original version’s release date. You begin the game at a zombie-infested gas station just outside of Raccoon City, where you’ll learn all the basics about the game, including that it’s often best to run away as quickly as possible. Before you enter the gas station, however, take a close look at the “Staff Wanted” sign in the top corner of the entrance. It gives a phone number of “1998-01-29,” which is the original Resident Evil 2‘s Japanese release date: January 29, 1998. Thanks to Reddit user Ryupunk for spotting this one.
