Resident Evil 4 was a survival horror action game initially released in 2005 on the Nintendo GameCube as part of an exclusive series on Nintendo but was later ported to almost all gaming platforms, some very strange ones too. Considering the game’s popularity it makes sense that CAPCOM released Resident Evil 4 on so many different platforms. The game went on to be a massive success and CAPCOM sold over 11 million copies.
The game reinvented the series by introducing new enemies, a third-person over-the-shoulder POV, a variety of weapons and items, and a new inventory system. It was criticized at the time of release for straying from the original concept of survival horror and identified as more of a third-person Action shooter game.
Fast forward to 2022, CAPCOM has revealed a gameplay demo after its second trailer, and my Initial reaction is that the Remake is far more atmospheric than the original. The game will receive an overhaul up to 2023 standards, according to CAPCOM. After Resident Evil Village it’s safe to say that Resident Evil 4 Remake is going to look absolutely stunning.
CAPCOM Tweaks the Story for its Fans
In case you’ve never played the original Resident Evil 4 game, the game sees Leon S. Kennedy, the main character from Resident Evil 2 sent on a mission to a European village to rescue the American President’s daughter. As Leon soon finds out that the inhabitants of the village aren’t “normal” but very hostile towards him and so starts his survival journey.
The premise is slightly changed but seems to be an improvement as the environment and how Leon walks through and goes into the house where the first encounter with the Ganados happens is scarier than the original. The original had annoying interactions with Hunnigan, the Remake heard the fans and made full cutscenes of the conversations between Leon and Hunnigan.
Does Ashley Look Older?
The characters look different, Ashley seems to be more mature than the original, and Luis looks to be more serious unlike the original. Each character model and its textures look more natural and life-like than the original game. Overall, the character models and faces have been seriously overhauled and truly give a realistic next-gen spectacle. Checkout the how they compare below:
This Remake follows the queues from the previous two Remakes released by CAPCOM, with elements of surprises and similarly interactable environments and transitions. The jump scare from the first Ganado attack tells me the game will really be showing us new horrifying moments. The DNA of the original game is still prevalent we can see that with how Leon jumps from the window after the Ganados corner him in a room.
Stealth
The gameplay also revealed some new mechanics such as showing Leon crouching and ducking behind a wall to avoid an enemy encounter. This is a welcome feature, as it would allow players to smartly and effectively avoid unnecessary encounters, and save ammo and resources for when it’s really needed instead of mowing down all enemies in their paths. This also means the game will have a scarcity of items and item management will be all the more vital to the player’s survival.
Combat
The Resident Evil 4 Remake has also improved upon the combat mechanics of the original, Leon can now move while aiming and shooting just like in the other modern Resident Evil games. Melee combat has also received an overhaul, Leon is seen pushing away from enemies that grab him and can perform weapon counterattacks and kicks. This should really make for intense encounters between the player and enemies. We can expect tons of new attack animations and ways to sever limbs and kill enemies.
Quick time Events
CAPCOM has also decided to tone down QTEs or Quick Time Events, you know the ones you have to mash buttons and you die and lose all your progress and have to start all over again from the last checkpoint. Yeah, those annoying things, while these will still exist in the game they will be reduced and according to CAPCOM, they will be less annoying.
Crafting and Supplies
While in the original game players would need the merchant to buy supplies and upgrade weapons, the new crafting mechanism is meant to reduce Leon’s reliance on the merchant and enhance his survivability as players explore the village looking for items to craft healing items and ammo with.
Enhanced Enemy AI
The main village sequence shown shows where the Resident Evil 4 Remake will truly shine:
- The monsters shown called the Ganados are gruesome foes who’re very intelligent unlike the zombies from previous games.
- They’re more human-like, they dodge attacks and work together to try and take down Leon. The gameplay reveals some of them are shown grabbing Leon for the other Ganado to attack and kill him.
Let me know in the comments if you were able to spot them?
One of the infamous enemies the chainsaw man as I called him or Doctor Salvador as he is known in the Resident Evil 4 lore is seen blocking a staircase and intelligently, he cuts down this staircase, this also shows the dynamically changing environment.
Play on PS5’s VR
We know now that Resident Evil 4 will be compatible with Sony PS5’s new VR features. This is exciting because these new and improved environments and character models as well as high-resolution textures will really make for an immersive VR experience.
My Thoughts!
While CAPCOM has surely re-released the original Resident Evil 4 game almost every year since its release making people question if this new Remake version is worth replaying this game. From what we’ve seen so far, my answer up till now would be a resounding Yes! I can’t wait to jump right in and fight through hordes of Ganados, collecting items and ammo along the way. The game looks to be a true modern-day take on the original and definitely looks like the best way to experience Resident Evil 4.
Resident Evil 4 Remake releases March 24th, 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X.
PC fans will be excited to know that Resident Evil 4 Remake preorder is available for PC gamers at a 15% discount on Steam.
Let me know what you think, is the Resident Evil 4 Remake worth playing?
