The industry is currently experiencing a flood of titles being brought back from a bygone era of gaming. With plenty of video game remakes already out, both from official studios that own the IP and fan projects, now seems like as good a time as any for developers looking to do a full remake or remaster. One upcoming game that's gotten a lot of people talking is the remake of Resident Evil 4. However, it's been suggested that this may not be the proper way to address it.According to a recent tweet from the YouTube channel Residence of Evil, which, as the name suggests, tracks all things related to the influential horror franchise, it seems as though Capcom itself is not referring to the upcoming reimagining of Resident Evil 4 as a remake. A screenshot of a press release from the studio shows that it's actually referring to the game as being "reawakened." What the difference is between a remake and a reawakening cannot be said, but it's possible the company might be trying to distance itself from the ubiquitous R word.Capcom revealed Resident Evil 4 Remake recently, confirming the release date and suggesting that it will have a much darker tone than the original 2005 release. The official trailer has gotten a lot of fans talking, especially seeing as a remake has been rumored for quite some time now, and the footage does indeed show a somewhat grittier vibe. Both the RE2 and RE3 remakes opted for a darker tone, so it would perhaps make sense for RE4 to do the same. This could also be what Capcom is referring to when it calls it a "reawakening" rather than a remake, but that's just speculation.
The long-running series is continuing unabated, both in terms of new entries and reimaginings of classic installments, which is exciting for many horror fans. On the whole, Resident Evil is considered one of the most influential horror franchises in gaming. While many consider 1992's Alone in the Dark to be the true grandfather of the survival horror genre, the first Resident Evil popularized the idea and took it to new heights.
As a series, the 2005 entry is regarded by some as the best Resident Evil game ever made. It changed the format up by offering a new camera system, different setting, and a more action-orientated style of gameplay. Whatever the fans or Capcom decide to refer to it as, many are no doubt excited about this beloved game making a return next year.
Resident Evil 4 will launch for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on March 24, 2023.