Recently I spotted that the remake of Resident Evil 2 has been released on several Apple products, including iPhone models with the A17 Pro chip. And that includes my iPhone 15 Pro Max.
I went ahead and downloaded the game, which remains one of my favorites, but hit an issue. The on-screen controls just aren't fluid enough to fully enjoy the game, and the auto-hit shooting wasn't ideal for a title that requires you to conserve ammo. There was only one solution. I needed to get a true gaming controller, so I got the Backbone One 2nd gen, which is at the top of our best phone controller list.
Having now tried the game out with the controller I have to say, it's one of the best experiences I've had playing on a phone. While I might have been a bit hesitant to get a phone gaming controller in the past, I don't think I'll be able to go back and it's opened up a whole new avenue for me.
Resident Evil 2 is a great game, and the phone version both looks and sounds perfect, if only a little behind the console release. It's everything I remember from playing the game on my PS5 — well everything other than how it felt actually controlling Leon. If you play the game without a controller then you need to fit everything onto the screen, and it ends up looking like this.
The above image is how the HUD looks without a controller, and if you're like me then it just looks confusing. Using the Backbone One makes the game much simpler to actually play, and lets you see more of the game. Capcom has done what it can to make the game easy to play. For instance, you can turn on auto-shoot, meaning Leon fires as soon as he targets a zombie. In concept, that's fine and would probably work in many games, but there's an issue here.
Resident Evil 2 is a game that is as much about conserving equipment as it is about killing things. You don't get a lot of ammo, and you need to make every shot count. However, thanks to aiming on the screen being tricky at best, you'll usually be shooting a zombie in random places rather than in the head. However, with the Backbone, you can do the focused shooting that the game requires. Plus, removing all the screen clutter allows the burning streets and abandoned police station of Racoon City to shine.
Another advantage that I've found is just the practicality of having the controller. See, one of the reasons I don't have a handheld is that it takes up a fair bit of space in my bag, and devices like the Playstation Portal need a Wi-Fi connection to play.
On the other hand, the Backbone One takes up less space, doesn't need charging and can just be added and removed from the phone with ease. It means I feel no pressure to use it, and it's ideal to just pull it out and stick my phone in it when the mood strikes.
I can't wait to keep playing through the game, especially dealing with MR X again, and I had my doubts it would be as fun on the phone. The BackBone One has actually helped push me to play more on my phone, and the Xbox app has some great titles that might just be worth checking out.
You can grab Resident Evil 2 on the app store for any iPhone running an A17 Pro chip, or any machine running an M1 chip or later with macOS Ventura or newer.
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