The upcoming Resident Evil 4 remake was once one of multiple big new video games releasing in March 2023, but the new survival-horror game from Capcom has suddenly found itself with a lot less competition. Barring any release date delays, Capcom is aiming to release the Resident Evil 4 remake in on March 24 for PC, PlayStation consoles, and the Xbox Series X, giving fans a new way to experience one of the franchise's most beloved entries.
Like other Resident Evil remakes, the Resident Evil 4 remake is expected to be faithful to the game while also making some big changes at the same time. It's been made clear by the Resident Evil 4 remake trailers released so far that the new game is going to have a much darker tone than the original, and that there are some major combat changes to help modernize the experience. Changes or no, the Resident Evil 4 remake should be a slam dunk for Capcom sales-wise, especially now that the game has a lot less competition in its release month.
Just a couple of weeks ago, the Resident Evil 4 remake was set to compete with the likes of MMO survival game The Day Before, fellow survival-horror game Amnesia: The Bunker, and the highly-anticipated Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. All three of those games have been pushed back, meaning the Resident Evil 4 remake has a lot less competition.
Recent Video Game Release Date Delays
Originally, The Day Before was set to open March 2023 as one of the month's first big new releases. However, The Day Before's release date has been delayed to November, fueling conspiracy theories accusing the game of being fraudulent or otherwise unable to deliver on its promises. The Day Before's developers have pushed back against these accusations, but are apparently unable to provide gameplay footage to back up their claims until an alleged trademark dispute with the game is resolved.
Amnesia: The Bunker, meanwhile, did not have a specific release date in March nailed down, but was still expected to release at some point that month. Unfortunately, members of the Frictional Games team have come down with illnesses, impacting the game's development. The developers need a little more time to polish Amnesia: The Bunker and ensure that the game lives up to the high bar set by previous games in the series, so it's been pushed back to May 16.
And finally, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor was once set to launch just one week before Resident Evil 4 remake, and would have served as the game's biggest competition. After all, hype is high for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and it is one of the most-anticipated games of 2023 for many. Gamers on a budget or those that don't like to get new games until they've finished whatever they're playing may have waited to pick up the Resident Evil 4 remake if they bought Star Wars Jedi: Survivor at launch. Now the Star Wars: Jedi Survivor release date has been delayed to April 28.
All these game delays have set the Resident Evil 4 remake up nicely, meaning Capcom's survival-horror won't have to fight as hard for gamer dollars. Even so, that doesn't mean that the Resident Evil 4 remake is completely without competition in the month of March 2023.
March 2023 New Game Releases
March 2023 has many new game releases planned, though there are some specific ones that may potentially cut in on Resident Evil 4 remake's slice of the pie. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty could be a big hit considering Team Ninja's pedigree, while Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon may also prove to be a distraction. March 2023 is also going to be a particularly big month for sports games, and again, it's entirely possible that some gamers who are otherwise interested in the Resident Evil 4 remake may hold off on picking it up to buy one of the newly-released sports titles instead.
March 2023 is a bizarrely busy month for new sports titles. WWE 2K23 is launching on March 17, and one week later, EA Sports PGA Tour is hitting store shelves. EA Sports PGA Tour is actually releasing the very same day as the Resident Evil 4 remake, putting the two games in even more direct competition. MLB The Show 23, meanwhile, is scheduled to launch on March 28.
Now, sports games are different enough that they may not really have that big of an impact on Resident Evil 4 remake, though it's worth pointing out that there are a couple of horror games expected to launch in March as well. Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is releasing for multiple platforms on March 9, whereas The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR is launching on March 16. The System Shock remake is also believed to be releasing in March 2023, and while it's not a full-blown "horror" game per se, it's safe to say that it has crossover appeal with fans of the horror genre.
Even with these games releasing the same month, Resident Evil 4 remake's biggest competition is still out of the way and the game is poised to have a huge debut in March.
Resident Evil 4 launches March 24 for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X.