The "Resident Evil" games--and perhaps all games in the "survival horror" genre--are about atmosphere. And in that regard, "Resident Evil 2" delivers. The graphics won't wow a hardcore PC gamer, nor will the sound, although the music is effectively eerie. This game offers a some good shocks and good-if-stilted cutscenes, intermixed with some so-so action.
The minuses are serious but not show-stoppers. The graphics and sound effects show the limitations of the consoles they were designed for--no Quake III here, nor even Blood 2, for that matter. (Resident Evil 3 actually goes a good bit farther compensating for this by offering much higher resolutions.)
Saving a game can only be done at a typewriter, and only using a ribbon, of which there are a limited number. I guess that means that if you haven't played through the game by the time you used that last ribbon, you're going to have a =really= long last session. Save game limitations drive PC players nuts, and is compounded here.
The camera angles, while usually quite effective in the atmosphere, also make it, em, challenging, to see what you're doing about a third of the time when you're zombie slaying.
The only other major minus is the dubious pseudo-adventure game puzzles. Find this key, find that key, hook that wheel to that valve, etc. It's not as big a minus as it might seem, because sometimes these slow periods lull you into a false sense of security and set you up for the next good shock. Other times, they're just teidous.
Overall, this game has won me over with its spooky atmosphere and ocassional shocks, but I couldn't call it a classic, unfortunately, at least not this version.