14 DAY TRIAL // 
It’s good to be back! Actually it can be terrifying, everything tries to kill you, you do not have enough inventory to carry an entire arsenal and your knife brakes every 5 minutes, but yet it is so good to be back once again in my favorite Resident Evil game, once more stumbling around in the boots of Leon Kennedy trying to save the president’s one and only daughter! But what does this remake offer beyond nostalgia?
The shorts answer is plenty! Capcom is on a roll lately after the second and third parts delivering an even better remake for the fourth episode of the franchise. Resident Evil 4 was not only a major reason for my purchase of PS2 back in the day, but it also had a major impact not just on the entire series, but on the industry as well.
The precise controls and the third person camera that didn’t join the list of in game opponents became a milestone that made from RE4 arguably one of the best games in the series – that aged much better than the previous two - and a model for future games. It is understandable why the expectations related to this remaster have been higher than usual.
From the get-go we have to say that although it is very close to the source material, the new Resident Evil 4 is a completely different animal. The developers did not hold back when it came to new features and surprises, many of them inspired by the latest addition to the series, like Village.
The story itself is very close to the original and the differences in narrative are more nuanced than in the previous remakes. Obviously, you take on the role of Leon S. Kennedy, tasked to rescue the daughter of the president from the clutches of a bunch of European country folk. After the initial calm that seems a routine mission compared to the horrors of the events related to Umbrella, things take a quick turn into the realm of nightmares.
The tone and the atmosphere of the game are just as dark and engaging as they have been in the original game released 18 years ago. Still, from the whole series, Resident Evil 4 is the most action packed, being rather a thriller than a true horror game. It has plenty of tight encounters that will make your heart pound, the slow zombies being replaced with pretty angry and quite nimble country folk that just want to rip your head off.
The implementation of modern gameplay mechanics makes everything even more fast paces. The enemies can no longer be stamped as mindless, they’re number seems higher, and they also appear better coordinated. Even with Leon that can now move around while aiming, the game feels less balanced. There are moments when the difficulty spikes will make you sweat, especially in smaller areas that tend to be tightly packed.
It is no secret for those who played the original how annoying the daughter of the president could be. Without spoiling too much about the surprises prepared by the developers, I'll just say that things got a bit better. Even so, it's quite noticeable that the AI does not seem to be taking the best decisions especially when it comes to avoiding the hordes of enemies surrounding the player.
There are plenty of new features in Resident Evil 4 Remake, this being a modern game from every aspect. Some are bringing a lot of value the remake, some not so much. The list of things that could have been improved includes features like the mostly useless stealth mechanics and the knives that break easier than chopsticks. These mechanics should not have been enforced by the developers of the remake, as the game can do without them just fine.
The crafting system works a bit better and gives the player some freedom, not just to upgrade various items but also to craft the ammunition for the weapons they prefer. This change is just as welcome as the updated level design because it manages to fix the last enjoyable parts of the original game. Those who played Resident Evil 4 back in the day will be pleased to know that all the original locations are still easily recognizable, although the new approach from Resident Evil Village with unlockable shortcuts makes the remake a lot more enjoyable.
The new graphics are once again a hit in the right direction. Although some elements feel far too familiar once again to Resident Evil VII, the updated art style and the modern visual effects create an almost perfect immersion. This is broken from time to time by a minor bug or a less detailed texture, but overall, there is no major problem to complain about.
In performance mode the game is almost completely stable at 60 fps, but ray tracing makes things a bit shaky. However, since the ray tracing effects are in the game are underwhelming, it’s probably better to simply stick to the mode that offers a higher frame rate.
The Good
- Amazing atmosphere and great design
- Faster and more challenging pace
- Engaging new mechanics
The Bad
- The annoying breaking knives
- Underutilized stealth system
- The AI could use some more polish
Conclusion
Some minor nuisances aside, I definitely enjoyed saving the president’s daughter once again, and the new elements made the experience feel much more than just a trip down memory lane with improved graphics. Ultimately, I believe this version of Resident Evil 4 is one of the best examples of how remakes should be done, so here is hoping we get more of this in the future.
Review key was provided by the publisher.
