Let’s get it out of the way right off the bat; Resident Evil 4 Remake is phenomenal. Every bit as amazing as you remember and just as good in 2023 as it was in 2005. I’m not sure what else to say about it really. This whole review could be “Yes. Resident Evil 4 is still good” and that’s all you’d need to read. But, I guess you want more…
Playing the remake, I’ve realised just how much influence Resident Evil 4 has had on gaming since its launch all those years ago.
There’s gaming before Resident Evil 4 and gaming after and the entire landscape of video gaming has been fundamentally and irrevocably changed because of Capcom’s (C.) magnum opus. We take for granted certain features and mechanics in third-person games these days, but as far as I can tell, they just about all stem from Resident Evil 4.
Wilder still is that — new coat of paint and modern trappings notwithstanding — Resident Evil 4 Remake is the same basic game as the original and it still plays like an absolute dream. It just is that fucking good.
Resident Evil 4 Remake Review
Following the disappointments that were The Callisto Protocol and the Dead Space remake, I was praying that Capcom would nail Resident Evil 4. As a man of a certain vintage, Resident Evil 4 is near and dear to my heart and I am one of those annoying people who cite it, frequently, as one of the best games ever made. But I do so only because… it is. The fact that the remake is just as mind-blowingly entertaining and undeniably brilliant to play only reinforces just how perfect the original was and is.
Set a few years after the events of Resident Evil 2, Leon S. Kennedy has gone from being a rookie cop to American superhero and has been sent to a remote village in Spain to locate the President’s missing daughter Ashley. If there is a flaw with Resident Evil 4 it’s that its premise is mega dumb but, it’s also a franchise about an evil pharmaceutical corporation making zombies so… Not to forget that Resident Evil 4 is essentially a late 80s, early 90s action movie remade in video game form.
On arrival at the (very) creepy village, things immediately go from bad to worse for Leon and soon he finds himself not only trying to rescue Ashley but stay alive and rid himself of a horrific new infection, far removed from the T and G-Viruses. There’s a cast of colourful characters new and returning and the overall vibe in Resident Evil 4 has shifted ever so slightly from the more horror focuses of the early games. Resident Evil 4 is still “horror” but it’s more Army of Darkness than Evil Dead.
Similarly, in the original, the perspective shift to over-the-shoulder was seismic. Today, with every third-person shooter under the sun adopting the same perspective, it’s not such a revelation to play Resident Evil 4 Remake, especially after both the Resident Evil 2 and Nemesis remakes. However, in 2005, the change from forced perspective to over-the-shoulder was unbelievable. One thing I’m disappointed hasn’t been included in Resident Evil 4 Remake is the ability to switch shoulders. It’s something that has become fairly standard in third-person shooters and would be incredibly handy in RE4 but sadly it’s not been included.
I’m loathed to mention what’s new and what’s not in Resident Evil 4 Remake because I can’t actually remember what was in the original and what wasn’t. It’s been a long time since I played it and my memory is foggy. I don’t remember there being stealth and takedowns in the original and they fit in rather nicely. Leon is able to crouch and sneak up behind enemies unnoticed and take them out with one swift stab of his blade. This even works on the larger miniboss enemies if you can get up behind them unseen. It adds a new strategic layer to the gameplay and is especially helpful when you’re very low on ammo; which you will be on Hardcore from start to finish.
Something that’s missing from Resident Evil 4 Remake is QTEs. It’s not something I missed at all. They’re from a bygone era and Resident Evil 4 is better off without them. There are moments during the game where I brace for the QTE and then they pass without me noticing so the team has done a great job of removing them without changing the essence of the game. That being said there are changes that do make a vast difference. You can now press L3 to automatically sort your items which is really nice but I remember spending hours and hours meticulously organising my case. Youngsters these days will never know the joy.
Resident Evil 4 was a much more action-heavy game than its predecessors and the same rings true of Resident Evil 4 Remake. The enemies are smarter, faster and far more numerous than in previous games which can make for many tense combat encounters. The gradual increase in challenge and introduction of new enemy types is a masterclass in game design and remains unparalleled to this day. The first time I blew an enemy’s head off and that horrible flailing mess of parasite tentacles appeared I damn near shat myself. The later chapters do still teeter on becoming overly action-packed and even tedious but the quality of the gunplay and the addictive nature of the gameplay loop will keep you invested until the bitter end.
Still, Resident Evil 4 retains some of the franchise’s flair for ridiculous and obtuse puzzles. They’re fewer and less often than in Resident Evil 2, but they’re still there. Resident Evil 4 also aims to broaden the scope of gameplay and includes mini-challenges to be completed for the Merchant. I won’t go into detail, but there’s quite a bit of extracurricular activity available to Leon, most of which provides bonuses to gameplay in one way or another.
There’s actually a decent layer of metagaming to be found in Resident Evil 4 with different items and objects augmenting the gameplay in one way or another. It doesn’t fundamentally change how the game is played but it can give you a slight edge in certain situations.
Like Resident Evil 2, the Resident Evil 4 Remake is incredible. It feels exactly like the original with modern additions that only improve the experience rather than detract from it. While it’s unlikely to have as dramatic an impact on the landscape of gaming in 2023, Resident Evil 4 is every bit as important and game-changing as it was in 2005.
It is the only reason games exist in the way they do these days. Without Resident Evil 4, who knows what gaming would look like? It certainly wouldn’t be as good. Thankfully, Shinji Mikami decided to roll up his sleeves and get to work all those years ago and now, 18 years later, we’re still reaping the benefits.
Resident Evil 4 was one of the greatest games ever made and the remake stands alongside it shoulder to shoulder.
