While it looks as though the remake of Resident Evil 4 will have some new enemies not seen in the original, Capcom has confirmed that the enigmatic Hook Man won't make an appearance in this reimagining. With the Dead Space remake being highly praised and fans excited about Bloober Team's take on Silent Hill 2, not only is the gaming world still in love with bringing back the classics, but the horror genre on the whole is experiencing something of a golden age.
Of all the games under the RE name, the fourth entry, which originally came out in 2005, is considered by many to be the best in the series. This upcoming rendition is a chance to play a more modern version of this celebrated entry, but it won't be just a straight retelling of the source material. The Resident Evil 4 remake will bring back New Game Plus Mode and other beloved features and will also be adding new content, including side quests, while getting rid of some things that aren't fan favorites in this gaming era, such as quick time events. However, not everything players are hoping for will make it into the remake.
In a recent interview with Game Informer, Yasuhiro Anpo and Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, director and producer of the Resident Evil 4 remake, respectively, were asked a series of rapid-fire questions about the upcoming release. One that cropped up partway through was whether the elusive Hook Man would finally make an appearance in the RE universe. It was confirmed that this fan-requested enemy will not be in the remake. While no explanation was given as to why, both Anpo and Hirabayashi briefly mentioned the fact that Hook Man was considered for the 2005 release and, at the time of development, was called "Hallucination Biohazard." This question is asked at the 2:21 mark in the video.
For those who aren't aware, Hook Man was a cut enemy who was going to be featured in Resident Evil 4. A demo was shown off in 2003, with the creepy antagonist emerging from paintings in order to attack Leon Kennedy. It's a bit of a shame this hallucinatory character won't be in the remake, especially as many fans would love to have seen him.
That aside, many are excited about this modern take on RE4. In fact, Resident Evil as a series is at a high point. With the success of the RE2 and RE3 remakes, not to mention brand-new entries bringing the franchise back from the dead, Capcom's influential survival horror series is back in top form, dominating the genre in the AAA sphere.
Resident Evil 4 releases on March 24 for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.