Just finished the first chapter and... it's pretty fucking good, actually. Playing the PS5 version here.
NO SPOILERS BELOW
Still undecided how I feel about the new characters. They're definitely going for something different here but I'm not sure if it's an attempt to update it for modern audiences or if it's just a different take on them. For example, Kendra and Hammond do not bicker from the very first scene anymore, so it's not readily apparent that they don't trust each other. Right now they try to pass Kendra off as super competent and kinda compassionate, while Hammond is just a straight up cool muthafucka who keeps his shit together and knows exactly what to do. In the original they were very quick to bicker with each other, Kendra kept flipping out while Hammond had a rather short temper too but was clearly portrayed as the more competent and assertive of the two. All of that served to establish that neither of them are 100% trustworthy later in the game. In here it seems like maybe they want to bide their time before introducing this plot element? Idk, it's kinda strange and distracting in a way, lol.
Gameplay-wise it's basically the same game, with some minor changes. The only noticeable difference that I picked up on so far are some minor differences to level layout, and that Necros seem more aggressive this time and quicker to close the distance between you and them. Which is great. It sort of takes you by surprise and makes the combat feel just as panicky as it was when you first played the original. The corridors themselves also feel a lot more claustrophobic now, which is also a positive change. It enhances the oppressive mood of the game.
The only thing that feels a bit disappointing is that they didn't really rock the boat enough with remaking the gameplay. There's a lot of untapped potential here in my opinion. They could've introduced some wildcards to the combat loop by having Necros get up after a while, this time a bit stronger. You know, same general idea as Crimson Heads from Resident Evil Remake. There's even a line of dialogue in which Hammond poses a question whether Necros actually die or just decide to stop moving once you fuck them up enough to be useless. That's a really interesting idea and I wish they actually went deeper with it.
Also, the audio. My god the audio is FANTASTIC. I'm so glad they nailed that aspect down since it was one of the highlights of the original game as well.
Honestly, I think I'm just gonna stay up al night to play this. This makes my nipples stiff.
