After years of rumors, Resident Evil 4 Remake has finally been confirmed by Capcom. Making matters better, the release date was also revealed, and it's only nine months away. Fans of Resident Evil 4 have been waiting for this remake ever since Capcom's intent to redo the classic RE entries became clear. The original game was revolutionary in the third-person shooter space, and was such a wild success that it diverted Resident Evil into horror-themed action gameplay for several years.
Now, the series' return to horror will be injected back into Resident Evil 4. One of the original game's most charming aspects was its intensely campy action, with everything from a mechanized statue chase to working with a helicopter to attack a military base. Fans can't wait to see how this remake interprets the game's many setpieces, even though there is some worry that the new atmosphere will take away some charm. Resident Evil 4 was an action game first and a horror game second, and the remake needs to be careful about how it mixes these elements into its gameplay.
Resident Evil 4 Remake Should Continue to Reincorporate Horror
When Capcom took a look at Resident Evil's presence on seventh generation consoles, it saw that the series had moved away from its horror roots. This revelation first led to the Resident Evil Revelation games, and later Resident Evil 7. Modern Resident Evil still employs heavy shooter elements, but has also dialed up its survival horror aspects. The games occasionally feel like pure horror experiences for short stretches, often near their beginnings. Resident Evil 8 took a more experimental approach with this, setting up different scenarios with different levels of action and horror throughout the game. This may be the approach that Resident Evil 4 Remake goes with, as it is most similar to the original game's segmented format.
Resident Evil 4 is stuffed to bursting with different set pieces and locales. Most remember the general progression of the village, the castle, and the military base, but there are a lot of other environments peppered throughout. The moments where Leon needs to fend off an endless horde of villagers and Ashley must navigate the castle alone are definitely two of the more horror-inspired parts, and the Resident Evil 4 Remake will likely emphasize these. On top of a generally darker atmosphere, there will probably be more ammo scarcity and moments where Leon and Ashley need to flee their enemies. Bitores Mendez, who already looks like Mr. X, could be used as a roaming Tyrant early in RE4R, and several elite enemies could replace him later on. There are still plenty of opportunities for horror in the Las Plagas-infested Spanish countryside.
There Should Also Be Plenty of Action in Resident Evil 4 Remake
However, that is no replacement for what made Resident Evil 4 good and memorable. The action elements of the original game must be maintained. Resident Evil 4 is notable in the wider RE series for having distinctly marked levels straight out of an arcade shooter, and is the first Resident Evil title to heavily incorporate quick time events. Possibly the biggest part of Resident Evil 4 was its pioneering of enemies reacting to different parts of their bodies being shot. The core gameplay loop of stunning an enemy with a head or leg shot and performing a context-sensitive melee takedown is iconic and would upset fans if removed.
Thus, the Resident Evil 4 Remake needs to walk a tightrope between emphasizing a darker, more horrific tone while incorporating action mechanics and sequences. There will likely be moments that swing one way or another, and it wouldn't be Resident Evil 4 without both. Still, as the actual combat gameplay has not been revealed yet, fans are nervous that Leon's combat may have been altered. Dynamic enemy damage and action mechanics have both been present in past Resident Evil remakes, so Resident Evil 4 Remake should keep them both. It just needs to be careful about doing extreme overhauls like replacing the original game's offensive kicks and suplexes with a defensive mechanic like RE3 Remake's dodging. That may increase tension and fear, but as Resident Evil 4's segment-ending score screens would imply, that's not all the game is about.
Resident Evil 4 Remake launches March 24, 2023, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.