Resident Evil 4 is considered to be one of the best games in the series, so the Remake has some pretty big shoes to fill. Be it the story or the gameplay, the original had a very unique charm to it. Praising the original will always be incomplete without mentioning how it impacted the 3rd person shooter games big time. It ditched the fixed camera angle view in favor of the third-person view. Many people might argue that there is no need for a remake of this game. To some extent, this could be true, but once you give this game a try. You will see that there are many things that it gets right. So here is my Review of the Resident Evil 4 Remake.
Resident Evil 4 Remake Review
The remake is separate from the original in many ways and not just the graphics. And to understand these changes and the things they got right and wrong, let us consider these aspects of the game.
- Gameplay & Features
- Story & Characters
Gameplay & Features
There are many quality-of-life changes to the gameplay mechanics and some changes that affect its difficulty.
For starters, you can now move while shooting. To those who have never played the original might be wondering what this is about. The original RE4 had you stand in a fixed place when you brought your gun out. So while you could use your right stick to aim around better. Your movement was severely restricted. This is one of the more prominent changes that is in this game and one that Capcom couldn’t have missed. Don’t get me wrong, it is not like the original is unplayable. It just takes some time to get used to its controls. Also, since you get better movement in the Remake, the enemies are more aggressive and have different attack patterns.
The next primary change is the game’s focus to more on the story and action than its previous survival nature. This point isn’t exactly something as simple as good vs bad. The original game was quite notorious for its quick time events (QTEs). That has been reduced a lot in the Remake. So you no longer have to start playing the mine section from the beginning if you fail to jump on time. But that also means you have all the time in the world to fight Krauser instead of the urgency of beating him before the Tower blows up.
Parrying is now an option but at the cost of breaking your blade. One of the best ways to conserve ammo in the original game was to kick the enemy and knife them when they were down. This way not only can you get more ammo from them but you also save what you already have. But in the Resident Evil 4 remake you get more options to defend yourself using the knife. Parrying is easily one of its best uses. You can also use your knife for stealth kills. Or to stab your enemy’s throat if they grab you. But each time you use your knife it wears out. And it gets worn out quite easily, depending on how you use it. Parrying won’t chip away its health much, but defending yourself from a chainsaw will. Don’t worry, though, you can continuously repair it at the merchant. Not to mention you can carry more and various types of them now.
You can now crouch, which gives you better stealth. And since we spoke of stealth kills, you should crouch to hush your footsteps and not alert the nearby enemies. This will allow you to kill them in one swift move. So this is another win for the remake.
Use the Weapon wheel to quickly swap. Another feature the original lacked was the ability to quickly swap your weapons. Sure, you could switch between your primary weapon and the knife. But that is nothing compared to the modern weapon wheel, which instantly lets you choose from the weapons you have. Just register them, and you can use them via number keys for keyboard/mouse players and D-pad for players who prefer using a controller.
You can craft ammo in the remake. At the same time, this does take up your inventory and forces you to decide which type of ammo to craft. It also adds to the survival experience of the game. Which arguably can feel that the game lacks at times.
Ashley no longer has a health bar. You now have all the herbs, eggs, and first aid sprays to yourself. But like most changes, this too comes at a price. She now gets incapacitated when hit by enemies, if she retakes damage, she will die, resulting in Game Over. And most importantly, making sure she is safe is not the same as how it was in the original game. The greatest change in her gameplay is now she follows you up close or from some distance. These commands are called Tight/Loose based on their formation. This makes protecting her a lot more complex than in the original game.
The only complaint the players can have with this game is its puzzles. They are on the more accessible side, at least on the Standard difficulty. There is a chance that they might be a bit tougher in Hardcore or Professional modes.
Story & Characters
The next big concern that the players have is how much the remake follows the original game’s story and how much of the content was cut. Don’t worry the Remake doesn’t make any central cut in content but mostly changes it. As for the story, it is also faithful to the original. The narration is better at times, and the direction they went with has more development for characters like Luis and Ashley.
Before going any further, there are some spoilers ahead for both games. So you might want to complete the remake or maybe both first if you don’t want any spoilers.
Leon has changed in many ways. In the remake, he is a lot more serious and isn’t as cocky as he used to be in the original. So you can expect fewer one-liners from him. You can see this in his dialogues with Salazar or Saddler. But when it comes to selecting who should rescue Ashley, it is safe to say that the president made the right choice.
Ashley is no longer just a damsel in distress. In the original Resident Evil 4, Ashley followed majorly only two commands “follow” and “wait”. (Which was for the better considering she dies very easily in the Remake). She had one section where you could play as her. Arguably there was also the section where she drove the tractor. But those moments are just about it. These things are completely different in the Remake, where she no longer needs Leon to always catch her, she can now climb down ladders on her own. She helps more in fights wherever she can and has moments where you can see her grow. For example, the time she opens an exit for Leon to use after the Chief Mendez fight. There are more such moments throughout the game.
Next let us talk about Luis, the character that has gone through the most changes in the Remake. He is no longer simply a clumsy character, who just happened to drop the sample somewhere that can cure the main characters. His acts are still the same as the original game for the most part. But the Remake does a better job of explaining it by giving meaning to why or what he does or why he sometimes disappears.
Krauser’s backstory and connection to Leon are also explained better in RE4 Remake. Although, to be fair, he wasn’t introduced until the original game. So we can’t complain much about that game not having more of Krauser. His boss fight is also interesting in many ways in the Remake. Aside from Krauser, I won’t touch more on the Antagonists; those interactions and fights are best when you experience them.
Lastly, Ada is still almost as mysterious as she was in the original game. We hope that Capcom releases the Separate Ways DLC so that we can learn more about her.
Verdict
So to answer the big question, Should you play the new Resident Evil 4 Remake? Yes, you should play this game regardless of whether you are a fan of the RE series. This game has many things to offer the players.
To fans of the series who haven’t played RE4, you get a great story and learn more about the characters. For players that have already completed the original game, you have plenty of easter eggs and references to find related to the original. And lastly, if you haven’t ever played any Resident Evil game before or are looking to try something in the horror survival genre. Then this game is worth picking up.
Be it the new weapons, enemies, or areas to explore. The story moments and how they affect and shape the characters. Side missions that let you get spinels to trade with the merchant. Something as simple as the beautiful graphics that complement the world. Or the satisfying death animations of your enemies or when the chainsaw enemies kill Leon. This game has something that most players can find enjoyable and might even bring them back for another replay!
