Resident Evil 1 and Resident Evil 2 really cemented Capcom's legacy in developing in-depth and ground-up remakes, and this factor alone makes many fans excited about the upcoming remake of Resident Evil 4. As Capcom reveals more, that anticipation only intensifies, as proven by the Resident Evil 4 remake's State of Play 2023 trailer.
Recently, Game Rant was able to preview 17-minutes of hands-off footage for Resident Evil 4, and while certain aspects of the remake—such as new Ashley gameplay, the parrying mechanic, and so on—were previously confirmed, there's nothing quite like seeing it in action. Indeed, Resident Evil 4 is one of the most popular entries in the entire franchise, and this remake seems bound to take it to the next level.
Resident Evil 4 Chapter 4: The Lake, Parrying, Blue Request Notes, and More
We saw Resident Evil 4's Leon explore the lake near sundown, facing a variety of enemies and their variations. An important aspect of any action game is the impact of weapons and attacks, and that shined through even without a controller in our hands. Each of Leon's weapons seems to hit hard, and his melee abilities are as strong as ever. If anything, the Resident Evil 4 remake combat seemed even more intense because of the new parrying mechanic. Leon was able to block, deflect, or parry ranged strikes like crossbows or Parasite strikes, while also pulling it out for a closer-quarters defense as well. It means that, if players have to resort to using their knife for their defense, they don't seem totally helpless.
While certain quests, puzzles, and the like were hinted at, one of the most interesting elements was the introduction of Blue Request Notes. Completing their requests, such as turning over a Golden Egg, will reward players with Spinels. It stands to reason that these rewards will be plentiful, as well as the variety of these notes, but as we only saw one, this is pure speculation. It's a nice addition to the exploration elements of the Resident Evil 4 remake at least, as it gives someone else for players to keep an eye out for. Overall, those looking in every nook and cranny can be reward in a plethora of ways, such as these notes, Blue Medallions, and the like.
Resident Evil 4's Weapons, Merchant, and Customizable Attache Case
While it may not happen every time, the Merchant we saw in Resident Evil 4 did not pull back his coat and ask, "What're ya buyin'?" Instead, he was more set up with shops and wares. He very much looks like the Resident Evil 4 merchant fans know and love, and there will likely be some of the same grungey dialogue. It's just a noticeable change from the Merchant hiding in the corner. That said, it's still all pretty exciting to see how fresh and crisp the store UI looks. Beyond the standard buy and sell, there is also an option to "trade," though we were unable to see what exactly this entailed. Everything is divvied up nicely, but perhaps the biggest tie-in in this section was the confirmation of a customizable attache case. Players can change the color and design of it, as well as attach little keychain-looking items. These may have a minor impact on the game experience, but it's worth a laugh to see Leon's weapon case having a chicken attached to it.
Between the Merchant's shop, Leon's equipped weapons, and other weapons used throughout the gameplay (and likely plenty more), here are all the Resident Evil 4 weapons we saw:
- Combat Knife
- SG-09 Handgun
- An Unidentified Hand Cannon
- W-870 Pump Shotgun
- An Unidentified Sniper Rifle
- A Second Unidentified Rifle
- TMP SMG
- Bolt Thrower
- Rocket Launcher
- Attachable Mines
Resident Evil 4: Attack the Castle, New Ashley Gameplay
Another section of gameplay we saw dealt with getting into Salazar's castle. Here, the combat of Resident Evil 4 truly shined as Leon and Ashley were surrounded by various enemies. It required the player to swap between close-range weapons to stop from being overwhelmed, while also popping up a sniper rifle to kill enemies on top of nearby towers. It's clearly a tough fight for the player to advance through, just to realize the door is not open. This turns into an even more intense fight as players make their way to a nearby cannon to blast the door open.
One of the highlights of this section is the specific changes to Ashley's gameplay in the Resident Evil 4 remake. In the original, players could either command her to follow or to hide/stay put. What this means is players could leave her safely in one area while they clear out another, but that's not exactly realistic either. Now, Ashley always follows Leon, but she can stay close or maintain some distance. This allows players to choose the best commands in certain situations; if players are suddenly overwhelmed, they can tell her to hold back in hopes of not making it worse. If players are being struck at from afar, they can call her closer to better protect/revive her. As a whole, she seems to be a lot more proactive and doesn't hold the player back as often as she did in the original.
Resident Evil 4: An Audience with Ramon Salazar, A Garrador Battle
As players explore the inside of the castle, it's clear just how daunting and disturbing it all is in comparison to the original Resident Evil 4. Exploring it with Ashley is more cooperative than before, with the pair eventually coming face-to-face with the lord of the castle. Salazar has been shown off a few times, but when players first meet him in the castle, the showcase provides a nice, fresh look at his improved character model. It's a good look at Leon and Ashley too before the preview shifts to a Garrador mini-boss battle.
These opponents are quick and deal high amounts of damage, with players wanting to be as quiet as possible. However, the parrying mechanic works here too—should players alert the creature, they can use their knife to parry its giant claws to reduce or avoid damage, depending on the timing. It's still as tense as ever, but it cannot be understated how much this new parrying mechanic adds to the Resident Evil 4 experience.
Resident Evil 4: Jack Krauser Fight
The final section of the preview gave us a small glimpse at the Jack Krauser fighting, showing a little bit more than the recent State of Play trailer. As fans may know, the original Jack Krauser fight was a QTE in the original game, but now it actually relies on the player using that parrying mechanic. Just like with the Garrador fight, this makes the whole thing much more intense as players strike at Krauser with a knife, try to block his own, and clash. There is at least one button-mashing sequence tied into this fight, but it feels more natural and like a face-off than a mini-game.
It's impossible to judge a full-blown game off of seven minutes, but Resident Evil 4 definitely seems on track to match Resident Evil 2's remake quality, if not outright exceed it.
Resident Evil 4 Remake is set to release on March 24, 2023, for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.