A generation of young horror fans grew up on the irresistibly good Resident Evil movie series, digesting its zombie-laden content to their fill. Resident Evil was one of the pioneers of the zombie category, propelling it to stardom before its eventual oversaturation, as the genre lacked new ideas to keep it interesting. However, that problem hasn't stopped the Resident Evil franchise from becoming one of the premier first-person shooter games on the market. As the years roll by, like most franchises, Resident Evil has discovered the need to bring older games back to modern relevancy through remakes, which is extra important in this case so that fans of the third person style still have things to enjoy. Resident Evil 4 Remake, an updated version of the highly-rated Resident Evil 4, is on its way, and with the reboot comes changes in graphics, gameplay, and even lore.
Resident Evil 4 was one of the biggest games of its era, considered by many to be the absolute peak of the franchise. It swept through the gaming industry like a fever, revolutionizing games for action and survival-horror genres. Capcom received a lot of plaudits for this release, claiming the VGA Game of the Year and VGA Best Graphics awards in 2005 for its work. Keen to revive the immensely successful game, Capcom, in collaboration with Armature, has already released a VR version of Resident Evil 4, taking advantage of the latest technological wave to introduce a firsthand survival horror experience. Once again, the developers struck gold, winning the Game Award for Best VR Game in 2021. Gamers are curious to see what Resident Evil 4 Remake holds, and the pressure is on Capcom to deliver another mammoth release.
Enhanced Visuals and Movement Mechanics Hold Promise for Resident Evil 4 Remake
One of the major concerns with the Resident Evil 4 Remake for most fans was how the graphics would translate to the new era of gaming, as high visual quality is a box that needs to be ticked in many games' checklists. These concerns were alleviated with the recent Resident Evil showcase, which was almost entirely focused on the Resident Evil 4 Remake, as the graphics look modern and refreshed. Apart from the improvements in the aesthetic, Capcom will retain the original storyline while adding a few retouches. The tone of Resident Evil 4 Remake will be even scarier, as Capcom follows a jumpscare trend from the previous two remakes in the Resident Evil franchise.
The most easily noticeable change in the gameplay of Resident Evil 4 Remake is the ability of the playable character Leon to crouch and seek cover. The gameplay showcase illustrated this new ability, as Leon avoided an encounter with a Ganados by ducking behind a wall and crouching. The stealth element is welcome, as it means players no longer have to bulldoze through every enemy in the game. They can pick and choose their encounters, saving precious ammunition and lending more credibility to the survivalist theme. In a make-believe zombie apocalypse, humans will have to employ stealth tactics and preserve weaponry for necessary use, so this new focus on resource management is brilliant.
Changes are also coming to the third-person shooter combat system from the original Resident Evil 4, with Resident Evil 4 Remake letting players move Leon while aiming his weapons, just like all modern combat games. Melee combat is also receiving an upgrade, as the gameplay showcase revealed Leon pushing away from grappling enemies. Additionally, kicks and weapon parries are now added as part of Resident Evil 4 Remake's combat changes, setting the stage for more intense close-up combat for gamers to enjoy.
Intelligent Enemies and Supply Crafting Make Resident Evil 4 Remake More Realistic
Capcom is also reducing one of Resident Evil 4's fan-splitting features, Quick Time Events. QTEs were a popular staple of action games in the 2000s, and some fans loved the intense pressure of rapidly mushing a button to get out of life-threatening scenes. Still, it proved to be a problem for other gamers, who would accidentally press the wrong button while reacting to the cutscene, ultimately resulting in their deaths. Quick Time Events still have a place in Resident Evil 4 Remake, but in a reduced capacity, and the finality of pressing the wrong button doesn't feature in the new game.
More creative-minded gamers will be impressed with Resident Evil 4 Remake, as Capcom is introducing a feature to allow players more freedom to customize their survival experience. In the original Resident Evil 4, gamers would patronize the popular Merchant to collect supplies and weapon upgrades. Resident Evil 4 Remake's crafting feature intends to make Leon less reliant on the Merchant for supplies, as they scavenge around the village to build their healing items and ammunition.
Another exciting gameplay change coming to the Resident Evil 4 Remake involves the dreaded monster, Ganados. These creepy things are intelligent, and Resident Evil 4 Remake is determined to let this trait shine through in the game. The Ganados showed off their skills in the gameplay showcase, working together and forming tactics to bring down Leon. The unarmed ones among these creatures devised a plan to grab hold of Leon, trying to render him incapable of movement to give the armed ones among them a chance to strike a deadly blow. A Ganado wielding a chainsaw was also spotted cutting through a staircase to block Leon's path of escape from an alley, displaying the intelligence of his kind.
More modern games with zombies are going down this path, with Redfall also handing some vampire types the ability to craft new solutions that can blindside players. Resident Evil 4 Remake may have a high bar to live up to, but the improved graphics and detailed gameplay give it a fighting chance at maintaining Capcom's record of excellence.
Resident Evil 4 releases on March 24, 2023, for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.