Rumors and leaks of a Resident Evil 4 Remake currently point to a potential release date in the year 2022. According to the rumors, the original director of Resident Evil 4, Shinji Mikami, rejected an offer to lead this new project, but offered advice on the direction it should go.
If VGC's information proves true, M-Two will be leading the development of Resident Evil 4 Remake. It is worth noting that M-Two assisted Capcom with development in Resident Evil 3 Remake.
If Resident Evil 4 Remake follows the tradition of its original counterpart, Resident Evil 4 would certainly be more action-oriented than the Resident Evil 2 and even Resident Evil 3 remake's, the latter of which took on a more action-oriented approach than the former.
The Original Resident Evil 4 Set the Bar
When Resident Evil 4 first released on Gamecube in 2005, it not only transformed the Resident Evil series into a third-person action game with horror elements, but Resident Evil 4 set the bar for quality game design and technological achievement for action-gaming at the time.
Suffice to say, Resident Evil 4 has definitely shown its age. Given that Resident Evil 4 was both a unique detour for the Resident Evil series, as well as one of the best overall action games of that era, a Resident Evil 4 Remake certainly has some big shoes to fill if it is to ignite the necessary nostalgia, while also creating something refreshingly new.
Firstly, graphical overhauls are to be expected, and if M-Two is leading the development of Resident Evil 4 Remake, it is possible they may also be using the same game engine that was used in Resident Evil 2 Remake and Resident Evil 3 Remake, as well as other Capcom games. Though the original Resident Evil 4 is more action-packed than the smooth and precise controls offered by those two recent Resident Evil remakes, the new engine could certainly accommodate and scale it in order to ensure it can still keep up in a more action-driven environment.
More or Less Action?
Given that there were already some framerate issues with Resident Evil 3 Remake on consoles, the higher number of enemies and action on the screen in Resident Evil 4 may require next-generation console technology to fully bring it to fruition. Resident Evil 4's tank-like controls certainly have not aged well to most, and are more than in need of updating, which a new engine or the current Resident Evil engine can accommodate fully.
It is also possible that Capcom could tune-down the action in comparison to the original, and create an experience more akin to the Resident Evil 3 Remake, or a unique experience that truly attempts to mend the survival horror and action genres in innovative ways. This could certainly put to rest the historical controversy among some die-hard Resident Evil fans over whether or not Resident Evil 4 took the series in the right direction or not, or whether Resident Evil 4 could still be considered a survival-horror game.
Also, given recent revelations from Capcom's Resident Evil 3 design team, the Nemesis villain has been confirmed to have some degree of relation to the Las Plagas parasites in Resident Evil 4, which mutated nearby villagers and comprised the majority of the game's monstrosities.
This revelation not only ties a potential Resident Evil 4 Remake closer into the fabric of Resident Evil's universe and timeline, but Resident Evil 4 Remake could also provide a lot of possible background information and insights into the creation of the Nemesis in Resident Evil 3, specifically the mysterious parasite that helped create the Nemesis in Umbrella's European facilities. The origins of this Nemesis parasite will hopefully be addressed in Resident Evil 4 Remake.
There are also some other possibilities in the direction Resident Evil 4 may take, given the direction of the recent two Resident Evil remakes. For example, it has been speculated that spiders were cut from both games because Capcom wanted the series to take on a more realistic approach. If being more realistic is the trajectory Capcom wants to maintain in developing more Resident Evil remakes, including its fourth game, there are some obvious stand-out features in Resident Evil 4 which defied the franchise's more realistic traditions previously, and were more akin to third-person action games at the time.
More or less realistic?
For example, the mysterious Weapons Merchant in Resident Evil 4, who happens to pop up at various intervals in Resident Evil 4 to help the player buy, sell and upgrade equipment, just seems out of place in Resident Evil's more realistic oracle. Whether the merchant and currency system will be in a Resident Evil 4 Remake will be an interesting beacon point to keep an eye on over the direction of Resident Evil 4 Remake.
Furthermore, whether plenty of ammo will conveniently drop out of random enemies' pockets to be picked up by the player is also an unusual inclusion in a Resident Evil game in its context, though it is very common in third-person action-games in general, when they are not attempting to simulate any layer of realism compatible to a survival-horror game. Capcom could experiment with more contemporary trends in addressing enemy-drops, such as looting the bodies, specifically their pockets.
Final Direction?
It all depends on whether Capcom decides to double-down on making Resident Evil 4 Remake a more pure action-game in following on the elements that made the original unique to the series, or whether Capcom wants to create a more hybrid experience between action and realistic survival horror. The hybrid experience may be the more likely trajectory, given that in the past, technology made it difficult to capture the realism and fast-paced action-oriented experience in one.
Regardless of which direction Capcom chooses in its design trajectory for a possible Resident Evil 4 Remake, it will certainly have much to live up to, given Resident Evil 4 is considered among the best the Resident Evil series has to offer, which is no small feat. Simply re-envisioning Resident Evil 4 or upgrading its core hallmarks along the framework of Resident Evil 2 Remake and Resident Evil 3 Remake will not be enough. Given what Resident Evil 4 accomplished and was remembered for originally, Capcom will either need to set the bar for action gaming, set a new trajectory for survival horror, or both, depending on its chosen direction.
Resident Evil 4 Remake is rumored to be in development.