Resident Evil 4 Remake evaluation: Refreshed, renewed, replayable

Following Capcom’s profitable remakes of its ’90s-era Resident Evil titles, a brand new tackle its magnum opus, Resident Evil 4, was inevitable. Whether or not it was obligatory was apparently a moot level. Now that we’ve the remake, how does it stack as much as the influential authentic? Fairly darned nicely, with many of the modifications enhancing the story and gameplay. It has one or two disappointing alterations (and a few outright deletions), but it surely’s a implausible method to expertise Resident Evil 4, both as a repeat or for the primary time.

You all know the story by now: Raccoon Metropolis survivor Leon S. Kennedy is now a authorities agent and is shipped to a rural Spanish village to retrieve the kidnapped First Daughter, Ashley Graham. The task rapidly spirals uncontrolled as he should cope with an entire city of parasitized Ganados, a shady parasite-based cult and conserving tabs on just a few allies who aren’t fairly what they appear to be.

There are lots of remake-specific issues I received’t speak about due to spoilers — I need the entire followers of the unique to expertise the particular variations for themselves. I’ll attempt to speak in regards to the modifications in broad strokes. Nevertheless, I really feel secure in stating which issues have stayed the identical. There’s sufficient of each to maintain the veterans guessing and the newcomers entertained. In brief, I used to be satisfied there was no motive to remake RE4 — and now I’m glad they did.

Undercover agent coaching pays off

The very first thing to notice — and I do think about this to be a constructive factor — is that RE4-make shouldn’t be the identical sort of remake as these of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3. These video games have been huge seismic shifts in fashion and design (which, sarcastically, made each look extra like RE4), and the RE4-make is extra refined. These small modifications put collectively a refreshed expertise, freed from the unique’s extra poorly aged parts.

The gameplay modifications are the primary and most notable. Leon can now transfer whereas aiming — which is far more of a boon than you may notice — and he can even crouch to cover. That’s proper, the remake of the sport that action-ized Resident Evil has added stealth again in. It’s not massively helpful, however it’s good to have the choice so it can save you just a few bullets earlier than the hordes beginning coming after you in pressure.

And there will likely be hordes. Resident Evil 4 dials up the fight, multiplying the variety of Ganado and different enemies Leon will encounter within the common space of the sport. The sport virtually takes glee in pushing the boundaries of what the participant can deal with in all three of the primary areas of the journey. The Ganado are more durable than earlier than, and even touchdown an ideal headshot isn’t a assured kill. I performed on Regular issue and chewed a gap in my decrease lip attempting to make my ammo provides final.

The RE4-make offers Leon’s trusty knife new goal … principally within the sense that it’s not trusty. The knife will get a sturdiness meter, and it may break if Leon overuses it. That is possible, as one other new gameplay addition is the power to parry incoming weapon blows with the knife. I’m positive most individuals could have seen Leon use this in opposition to Dr. Salvador’s chainsaw within the demo. Whereas the sport does provide you with spare knives as backup, it’s potential to wind up in a situation the place you don’t have anything with which to combat off the enemies.

The RE4-make additionally advantages from Capcom’s proprietary RE engine, because the village not appears fairly as muddy and dingy because it did earlier than. It takes a bit after its successor, Resident Evil Village, in that each the fortress and village look a bit extra atmospheric. I take somewhat difficulty on the quantity of foliage that’s added, because it typically makes navigation a ache within the rear, however that is solely an issue within the first third of the sport.

One lacking senorita

Moreover the gameplay, the story and characters have additionally obtained an replace. The 2 characters to learn essentially the most from the remake therapy are Luis and Ashley, Leon’s two fundamental aspect characters within the story. Leon spends extra time exterior of cutscenes speaking with them, they usually have extra interactions with him than they did within the authentic. This additionally helps make Leon a bit extra attention-grabbing by affiliation, as this model is extra stoic and fewer prepared to banter along with his enemies.

Whereas the story beats haven’t modified, the order has. Veterans will discover that issues don’t all the time play out the best way they did earlier than, and the rewrites each preserve the story contemporary and make all the things make extra sense. I can’t be extra particular as a result of, once more, spoilers, however sure characters seem at completely different spots within the story, and a few of the sillier dialogue has disappeared in favor of creating the villains extra outright threatening.

Luis is far more personable within the remake, appearing barely extra forthcoming about who he’s and what he’s doing. Ashley is extra fleshed out, coming throughout much less as a prop and extra as a personality with ideas and feelings. She spends many of the sport understandably terrified however prepared do her half to assist, and the brand new model of her solo chapter is one in every of my favourite elements of the sport.

Even our previous pal The Service provider will get a makeover. Sure, he’s nonetheless a gravel-voiced Cockney gun-hawker, and he nonetheless offers you the choice to purchase, promote and tune-up your weapons. However he additionally has a brand new commerce system, the place you are able to do him small favors in alternate for spinels, which you’ll commerce for helpful and useful objects. These additional bits give the sport some replayability and further stuff to do.

Oh, and one small grievance in regards to the authentic that I’m glad the builders addressed: The Spanish peasants really sound Spanish, versus Mexican. Within the first sport, they sort of skirted round immediately saying that it came about in Spain (which I all the time assumed was an try to not offend actual Spaniards). Within the remake, all of them have correct Spanish accents and Luis references Don Quixote a number of occasions. It doesn’t make an enormous distinction, but it surely’s at the very least not as grating to take heed to.

The extra issues change …

Whereas I just like the Resident Evil 4 remake total, it’s not excellent both. There are occasions the place you possibly can virtually really feel the builders holding again on massive modifications. This wouldn’t be an issue, besides the need to stick to the unique in massive methods means they someday skimp on the small issues. Generally in-game chapters don’t all the time stream nicely narratively, because it appears like they lack an attention-grabbing setpiece second to wrap all the things up.

If Ashley and Luis change into extra charming and attention-grabbing within the remake, then poor Ada is the one who suffers. Gone is her air of horny thriller – right here she’s curt, apathetic and downright drained. Her scenes with Leon lack the chemistry of his with the opposite two allies, and it makes her appearances (that are admittedly uncommon) fizzle. I believe her voice actress possible obtained some poor route, as a result of I can inform she’s attempting to sound sultry and as an alternative seems like she has a sore throat.

Talking of Ashley, she sadly retains a few of her extra annoying traits. In lieu of hiding spots, that are virtually fully absent, the RE4-make swaps in a “formation” system. Utilizing this, Leon can both inform Ashley to remain near him or to maneuver additional again and preserve her distance. In concept, that is to maintain her from getting clocked by each the enemies’ and Leon’s melee assaults. However with the sport’s tight map design on the, she’s all the time on prime of you whether or not you’ve advised her to fall again or not, which implies it’s extra possible for an enemy to choose her up and stroll off together with her.

So far as gameplay goes, there may be one change that floor my gears however good: Leon’s run animation is so gradual. His in-game dash feels about the identical as the unique sport’s default strolling velocity. This turns into extra troublesome later within the sport when it’s a must to dash away from bigger, extra aggressive enemies (and people horrible Regeneradors), and it appears like Leon’s working by quicksand. These complaints aren’t sufficient to spoil the sport for me, however they did mood what was in any other case a really joyful expertise.

“The place’s all people going — bingo?”

The Resident Evil 4 remake appears like one thing made by a giant fan of the unique, however one who wasn’t afraid to modify issues up a bit. I sank about 20 hours right into a single playthrough, and I’ll virtually definitely play extra of it. Whereas I typically want the builders had modified much more than they did, I’m happy with the ratio of faithfulness-to-new within the remake.

There’s a probability that followers of the unique received’t take to this altered model nicely, and a few of the parts within the above part do preserve it from being an ideal expertise. Even leaving apart the truth that it’s a remake, it’s nonetheless a strong sport total, and it’ll give pleasure for brand spanking new gamers who expertise this refreshed and renewed Resident Evil 4.

Capcom supplied GamesBeat with a PS5 code of this sport for the aim of evaluation. Resident Evil 4 Remake launches on PS5, Xbox Collection X/S, PS4, and PC on March 24, 2023.