The upcoming Resident Evil 4 remake is a really big deal. The original game revitalized the franchise for a new console generation and popularized the over-the-shoulder camera many third-person shooters nowadays use. It also changed the tone of Resident Evil as a whole, shifting the franchise from a pure horror genre to a more action-oriented one - a direction that wouldn't see a turnaround until 2017's Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. A lot is riding on the shoulders of the Resident Evil 4 remake, but thankfully, Capcom has already been able to lay the groundwork with its remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.
Unfortunately, only one of the aforementioned games was met with resounding success. While the Resident Evil 2 remake successfully brought the PlayStation original to modern hardware, Resident Evil 3 fumbled. The development of the latter game resulted in a lot of the original's content being cut out. It also suffered from a lack of polish, something the Resident Evil 2 remake has in spades. If Capcom wants the Resident Evil 4 remake to be successful, it has to take into account not just what made the Resident Evil 2 remake good, but also what made the Resident Evil 3 remake bad.
Add All The Resident Evil 4 Content
The biggest gripe players have with Resident Evil 3 was that it is too short when compared to the original. Raccoon City feels much smaller due to the explorable sections being delegated to the beginning segment followed by extremely linear sequences afterward. Entire locations such as the clock tower are cut out entirely and are either briefly explored or shown as Easter eggs. Resident Evil 3's more action-oriented approach isn't unwelcome, but it feels like players are being funneled from one set piece to another - resulting in the game feeling more like an on-rails shooter than an adventure game. There are more open-ended areas, such as sections of the reused police station from Resident Evil 2 and the new hospital, but these sections are extremely short and simple when compared to the more complex areas like the entire police station found in the Resident Evil 2 remake.
The original Resident Evil 4 has heaps of content. For starters, the main game has players visiting a village, a castle, and an island - each with its own distinct denizens, events, and map layouts. Side story content is also available via the Ada assignments, which increase the playtime of the game and lets players explore new and old areas and as a unique character with her own abilities. Last but not least is the Mercenaries mode, which allows players to enter different arenas and fend off waves of enemies (this mode made its triumphant return in last year's Resident Evil: Village). Before adding something new like a tacked-on multiplayer mode (something both the Resident Evil 3 remake and Resident Evil: Village have), Capcom should add all the original content first. Doing so won't just keep fans of the original happy, but it will make players feel like they are getting their money's worth with the slew of content that will be available in the Resident Evil 4 remake.
Give The Resident Evil 4 Bosses Their Due
One of the biggest disappointments of the Resident Evil 3 remake was the poor implementation of Nemesis. Fans were already excited because of how the Tyrant in the Resident Evil 2 remake actively roamed around locations looking for the player, so they assumed that the new Nemesis would be a faster, more brutal version of him. Unfortunately, this was not the case. While Nemesis does roam the streets of Raccoon City, this section of the game is far too short for it to have a lasting impression. What's more, there are far too many scripted instances of Nemesis showing up for him to feel like an imposing presence. Once the Raccoon City section is done, Nemesis gets quickly relegated to a boss that serves as an obstacle for players to take down rather than run away from.
Resident Evil 4 has no shortage of memorable bosses, from village chief Bitores Mendez to the castle castellan Ramon Salazar to big boss Osmund Sadler, just to name a few. Each boss has its own unique fight, location, and place in the game's story, meaning Capcom can't just write them off as an Easter egg or quick-time event for the remake. Not only does the game need to add all the bosses, but it has to make sure the build-up and execution of each encounter are in service to the original. Resident Evil 4 is where the series took a more action-oriented tone after all, so it only makes sense to add the bosses that helped sell the mood.
Polish Resident Evil 4 To A Mirror Sheen
It may seem minor, but for the Resident Evil 4 remake to succeed where the Resident Evil 3 remake failed, Capcom has to take its time to polish the game properly. Resident Evil 3 suffered from numerous immersion-breaking bugs, such as despawning zombie corpses and the removal of damage indicators (knife and bullet wounds, which were present in the Resident Evil 2 remake, are nowhere to be found in 3). The game also had some control issues, such as the timing for the new dodge mechanic not being reliable and the useless grab mechanic damaging the player regardless if they successfully completed the quick time event or not.
Considering it's been two years since the Resident Evil 3 remake came out, there doesn't seem to be any reason for Capcom to hurry Resident Evil 4 remake's development. The developer can take its time to make sure the game is as complete and polished as possible before releasing it to the public. Capcom is no doubt going to release more details and footage of the Resident Evil 4 remake as it nears its release date (the game has already been confirmed to make an appearance in the Capcom Showcase), so time will tell if it took what it learned from its past endeavors to heart.
Resident Evil 4 launches on March 24, 2023, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.