Resident Evil 4

For many, Resident Evil 4 is seen as the turning point for the series, especially when it came to the original release. The return of Leon was a highlight for many and the new over the shoulder camera brought you closure than ever to the horror (and was the innovator of this which was then used by many games to a great reception, like the Gears of War franchise). I, however, was one of the few who really disliked the game when it came out, because it changed my beloved franchise too much (and also introduced… *sigh* Ashley). Going back to the original now though, I can appreciate the innovation and the control scheme which it ultimately led to with future games and the series as a whole. Which is why when it was announced that Resident Evil 4 was getting a remake, I was THRILLED.

Capcom had been on a role when it’s come to its Resident Evil remakes as of late, with Resident Evil 2 giving me that sweet, sweet, perfection that to me, that entry was known for. Was I hesitant about the remake? Absolutely, but that was simply because of my previous issues when it came to Resident Evil 4. It wasn’t long before the announcement of the remake did I get over this, so it was a tough pill to swallow. Not only this but there are other entries in the franchise that desperately deserve the remake treatment way before this one did.

Soon enough, we got the demo of the game, which covered up to the village I got and everyone going to bingo. With what was quite a short demo for the overall experience, I felt genuine fear for the first time in a Resident Evil game for some time (aside from the 1st person experiences, we don’t mention THAT house in Village). The return of the Ganado and Dr Salvador was truly something to behold. This demo really got me ready for the full game. So came the wait.

It didn’t take long until it was in my hands and my GOD what a game it was. Retold in such an amazing way through and through. The graphics were incredible and the reimagining of the story and certain aspects of the map were realised better than I ever could have imagined. The RE engine was utilised perfectly in this remake, really upping the horror to another level, however this certainly petered out towards the end as it did with the original story (we all know about THE island). Without the question of story though, the gameplay being updated to include real-time action in the place of the quick-time events brought the battles ever closer and really made sure you got used to some of the new mechanics specific to the game which kept it really fresh.

Are there differences from the original? Absolutely. Does it detract from the story at all? Not in any way. The only part that is missing which should have been included in my opinion was the additional “Separate Ways” campaign for Ada. This feels like something they could have included in the game and whilst it still has the potential to be DLC (the RE:Village DLC released a year later so here’s hoping) I think it will need to come with something else, maybe an expansion to the mercenaries, to sweeten the deal.

For fans of the original game who unlocked all of the extras that came with it also, sadly this version doesn’t have some of those unlocks…but it does have its own which come in handy. Personally I would have loved to have seen the return of the “Professional” mode gun from the original, I can’t quite remember its name at the time of writing, but the fact it obliterated everything on screen made the game such a walk in the park that it was just fun to use for that sense.

Conclusion:

It’s been sometime now since RE4 Remake came out and honestly you should be able to pick it up quite cheap (on Steam, PSN or Xbox, don’t do Cloud gaming kids!), and honestly I’d highly recommend it even if you weren’t a fan of the original. It takes what was already an innovate game and revitalises it for the modern era. The gameplay and graphics are amazing, and the game does have some great replayability to get all those unlocks (some of which WILL drive you mad!). A title well worth your time!