Almost twenty years ago we were graced with one of the greatest survival horror titles to ever be released. Along with Viewtiful Joe and Killer 7 (just to name a couple), Resident Evil 4 was part of Nintendo’s deal with Capcom to bring a slew of games to the GameCube, and it became one that helped define not only the generation, but the third-person shooter genre moving forward. It’s hard not to consider Resident Evil 4 a classic as it kept plenty of the horror aspects the series is well known for, but added a good deal of thriller and action with it. It was much faster paced, engaging the player in some rather horrific freights. Some may point to it being the reason why the series went into a less-than-ideal path with its two direct sequels being more action oriented, but there’s no denying the enormous positivity it had on the gaming world as a whole. A whole lot has changed since 2005, and with the success ofResident Evil 2 Remake, Capcom had a lot riding on remaking yet another classic in their catalogue. We’re happy to say, Capcom has not only stayed true to what made the original great, but immensely improved upon it.
Resident Evil 4 Remake feels similar to the original, but with adjustments to make it more modern. The big modernization is without doubt the ability to move and shoot, although as you might expect, doing so makes it harder to aim, especially for longer range weapons like rifles or heavy powered magnums. The combat still feels as good as we remember it, having to stun enemies or bring them to their knees in order to deliver a melee blow, helping reduce ammo consumption and establishing some crown control to enemies. This is still a survival title more than it is a horror title, as despite the game being good at distributing items from bodies and drawers, players will need to preserve ammo and pick their shots properly, otherwise they’ll be hot water when a boss or waves of enemies come along. Leon’s arsenal and capabilities haven’t grown significantly over the past two decades, although there are a couple of extra weapons that have been added, mainly just an extra assault rifle and altered mine/bolt launcher.
With that said, one of the biggest additions is a parrying system. This is something I don’t think anyone expected from a Resident Evil game, but somehow it makes combat become more reactionary at times, being able to counter and avoid otherwise killing blows. With this, though, is Leon’s trusty knife (along with armor later in the game) having durability; if it’s used too often, the blade will need to be repaired. At first we disliked this change as the knife was a good ammunition saving method when paired with a stun, and while we’re not completely onboard with it, especially when you can collect various disposable knives cluttering up the attaché case, it ends up saving Leon in tight situations, such as getting grabbed. It’s similar to how they worked in the original Resident Evil Remake, using an item in exchange for avoiding damage, but instead this just uses up a gauge on whatever knife that’s in the inventory, each action having varying levels of damage.
The knife system has been implemented into almost every area of the game, from parrying standard attacks to stabbing an enemy in the back. Krauser’s boss fights highlights this system perfectly, almost to a degree we wish there were more mechanics in other bosses as a lot of them tend to avoid using it outside of getting out of a grab attack. Speaking of bosses, almost all of them have been completely reworked, generally favorably. Most of their redesigns are either flashier or more engaging than ever before, with a couple staying true to their original counterparts. There really is only one boss that’s a little disappointing: Salazar. His fight in general wasn’t particularly difficult or interesting in the original, but it feels like Capcom overcompensated by creating a rather annoying engagement that doesn’t give you a good indication of how much damage is being done outside of one change in attitude early on. This fifteen-hour adventure doesn’t have too many bosses to begin with, and it might be for the best as it’s the well thought-out scenarios that truly shine.
This is far from a simple reworking of visuals as Resident Evil 4 has been remade from the ground up. There are areas and paths that are structured similar to the original, and the overall progression is roughly the same, but almost every aspect has been changed to be both new and reminiscent. For example, the second half of the castle and the mining sections have been redone to be more “grounded.” There’s still throwbacks and parts that seem out there, but what has been changed make Resident Evil 4 become less like a video game and more of an experience. Unfortunately, one aspect that we’re sad to see gone is the campy dialogue. There are still iconic lines, but with how Capcom has reworked the interactions between characters, namely the radio rarely being barely utilized, a lot of the charm has been misplaced. On top of that, the Separate Ways’ campaign isn’t included in the remake. On one hand, it would have been nice to see Ada’s adventures once more, but on the other hand, it felt tacked on to begin with so it’s not necessarily something we’re overly disappointed to see go.
It has been nearly twenty years since the original release, but it still looks good for its time. The remake enhances the atmosphere more than anything thanks to the RE Engine, creating an engrossing experience. The lighting effects shine more than anything as the world has never been creepier. Character models also have a staggering amount of love put into them, with a lot of attention to detail, and the animations are fluid and bring back nostalgia for the original. With that said, it’s not all positive. There are inconsistencies with the visuals as there can be flat or low-quality textures here and there, and we did run into walls that you can see through the seams. Fortunately, these are but small gripes to an overall beautiful-looking game. It also has the standard Performance and Resolution modes on consoles, which gives players more options. Overall, it feels more varied and refined, offering a more striking experience to the 2005 classic.
Closing Comments:
It may have been sold on seemingly every platform on the planet, but finally we have a proper remake to the 2005 classic. Every square inch of Resident Evil 4 has been remade with incredible detail. There’s new side quests to take care of, such as mini-boss fights, and optional backtracking to open up the three major areas, allowing each to feel lived in. There are locations that have been removed or completely reworked, but they’ve been done so to make more sense. It’s both new and nostalgic, with the overall progression being the same, but the contents within being adjusted to be even more exciting. This isn’t a perfect remake as we’re not entirely sold on the knife and armor durability and a lot of the campy dialogue has been scrubbed from existence. Leon is still a charming, sometimes comical individual, but the lack of interaction between him, Hunnigan, Saddler and even Salazar will be sorely missed. Regardless, Leon’s adventures back into the Spanish mountainside is a surprising breath of fresh air. Hitting all the right notes in being something for both newcomers and long-running fans alike, Resident Evil 4 Remake is a triumph that lives up to the exceedingly high expectations.
Resident Evil 4
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
