Review Of ‘Resident Evil 4 Remake’: An Honor To The Original

(CTN News) – In 2005, “Resident Evil 4” was released for the Nintendo GameCube. It’s been hailed as one of the best video games ever. Leon S. Kennedy rescues the president’s kidnapped daughter, Ashley, from a mysterious cult through goofy dialogue and action-based gameplay.

Almost 20 years later, Capcom has remade “Resident Evil 4”. I thought the game held up and didn’t need a remake when it was first announced. It’s amazing how it honors the original while setting itself apart from it at the same time.

This game follows Leon as he visits a rural village in Spain. He’s attacked on sight by villagers who have a parasite called Las Plagas. As he makes his way through the village, he must uncover the truth about the parasite and also track Ashley.

There’s a very silly premise in the original game that works like a B-movie. However, the remake is much darker and more serious. Playing it feels like being on an escort mission with a buddy like “The Last of Us” or “A Plague Tale: Innocence.”

The remake takes some cues from the survival horror remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3. This game features sections that are dark and enclosed with dim lighting, making you feel frightened and dreadful.

This game manages to strike the perfect balance between horror and action, whereas 2021’s “Resident Evil Village” was a much more uneven experience – Castle Dimitrescu was followed up by horrifying House Beneviento, which resulted in a whiplash pacing experience.

This remake of “Resident Evil 4” has exhilarating combat sequences, but there are also brevity breaks in between. 16 chapters total, which felt like twice as long as the original. There’s so much to do in each chapter that I didn’t realize how long each chapter took.

The controls were another thing I noticed right away. It feels much smoother than in the original “Resident Evil 4.” In the original, Leon had to stand still while he aimed his gun at enemies. Leon has a lot more flexibility in this remake, so he can back up while also shooting down. It’s a tiny detail that has huge ramifications for fast-paced shooting combat in the game.

There’s a nice implementation of the DualSense controller for the PS5. Through the controller’s speakers, Leon can hear any radio signal he patches in to talk to someone. You can also feel your weapon’s recoil and drawback with haptic feedback from the trigger buttons.

It was only meant to sell spinel jewels for cash in the original game. The remake lets you trade them in for extra perks, like a treasure map of Leon’s location, or extra parts for guns, like a fancy new scope. Besides side quests, the remake also adds small tasks like killing three rats in a building. Although these seem mundane, they reward you with spinel jewels that you can trade.

These new features are smart touches that respect the original while also modernizing it. The “Resident Evil 4” remake is a good example of Capcom putting a lot of thought into it. You don’t have to replace the original game; it’s just different and supplemental.

No matter if you’re an old fan or new to “Resident Evil 4,” this remake is amazing. It’s a blast, despite some small issues, and I think it honors the original’s legacy as one of the greatest video games ever.

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