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Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4

Capcom's latest remake takes us back to Spain to face off with the Los Iluminados clan as Leon S. Kennedy.

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Over at Gamereactor UK, myself and my colleague Alex have frequently discussed the nature of remaking video games. The increased number on the market and the varying quality of them have caused us to share differing opinions, but the one thing we can agree on is that it makes complete sense for a publisher to simply remake something they know works well, rather than taking a risk on something that could flop. And for Capcom, this has been something they have not been any stranger to, as Resident Evil 4 is the third remake in the iconic horror series, and as has been the case with Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, this remake is a super high quality reinterpretation of the game.

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I won't be diving into story beats too much here, as it is the same as what we got back in 2005. Essentially, Leon S. Kennedy is sent on a mission into rural Spain, where he is tasked with finding and rescuing the President's daughter, Ashley, after she has been kidnapped and taken by a horrifying and infected cult known as Los Iluminados. It's a plot that starts to face issues the more you think about it, like an 80s action film in ways, but if you just accept what is happening, it's a thrilling romp from start to finish. On this journey, you still travel through the Village, the Castle, and through the Island, and face all manner of cruel beings and bosses, including Bitores Mendez, Jack Krauser, and Ramon Salazar, each of which have been given an impressive visual upgrade.

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If you've played Resident Evil 4 before, this will all be very familiar, even if modern hardware and the RE Engine allows Capcom to show off this game in a manner that is best described as striking. I will say that the start of the game did not leave me with this impression on its visuals, and a few bugs and issues don't help it here (i.e. the rain effect looks like it has come from the original game), but as the story progressed, the graphical quality came into its own and showed that Capcom's engine is a force to be reckoned with in the survival horror genre. The performance is nothing to sneer at either. On PS5 the game runs at a crisp and fluid 60 frames-per-second (unless you enable Ray-Tracing), and while the loading times are not what I would call 'instant', they are still quick.

As most people will have played the original game, the graphics are a clear, major selling point, and they usually don't disappoint. Between the character models that feel lifelike and real (and even allows you to customise how much of a movement effect Leon's hair has), the reflections in the Castle's marble floors, the ruined environments of the Village, and so forth, it's a massive leap forward for the game, and is definitely enough of a reason to replay Resident Evil 4 even without considering the extra doodads and additions. Sure, there are a few graphical hiccups here and there, but hopefully these will be ironed out in the Day One patch.

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At the start of this review, I mentioned that this remake is a reinterpretation of the original game, and the reason I say this is because Capcom has made a few changes to better suit the series' more eerie nature. The world is more atmospheric and dark, and the Ganados villagers that live in this secluded part of Spain are more aggressive and threatening, making it more of a challenge for Leon to survive their onslaught. It feels more terrifying and dark, and if anything, it now actually feels like a Resident Evil game - even if the gameplay does its best to say otherwise.

And I bring this up as Resident Evil 4 has always featured a style of design that is more fast-paced and action-oriented than previous Resident Evil games. You will walk into an area and be tasked with mowing down tens of Ganados using Leon's armada of weapons, which has always felt jarring to me as Resident Evil games have abhorrent shooting mechanics. There's no change in this vein here, as the gunplay is - while better than its predecessors - still subpar at best, which wouldn't usually be a major problem for a survival horror game, but Resident Evil 4 wants it to be a strength for some reason.

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In the spirit of looking at how this remake differs from the original, it's worth mentioning the side quests, which feel half-baked. A lot will be to simply shoot blue medallions in a specific part of a level to earn a currency to be spent at the Merchant for extra goodies and helpful items, and quite frankly, after searching for a medallion for five minutes, my mental capacity to continue bothering with it grinds to a halt. There are a few more complex challenges to take on that revolve around facing a more threatening enemy, and these are much more of a thrill.

To add to this, the inventory and crafting system has been brought in line with the great system used in modern Resident Evil games, and Leon can even use his advanced training to parry and counter-attack with his knife, giving you even more options and choices in combat, which is a massive and welcome change.

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Then there's the story itself. The game isn't categorised by the same chapter format as before, as now the adventure spans 16 chapters, with each ending after impactful moments. At the end of each, you get a small rewards screen, which even gives you a rundown of how efficient you were in a chapter, including by sharing accuracy stats, kills, deaths, and time to complete. It's a very arcade-genre-like feature, and one that most people will likely just glance at before getting back to the meat of the gameplay.

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But, all in all, this is a very, very complete remake in a lot of senses, and shows that Capcom has really nailed this process of bringing back its beloved titles in a faithful yet meaningfully improved way. Although, considering how excellent Resident Evil 4 has always been, and the fact that we've had two awesome remakes before this one, it's not really a surprise that this is also a top quality title.

Still, could it have been taken a step further? Perhaps. For example, could it have been seamless? Maybe. Would this have made the game just that little bit better? Without a doubt. But, none of this detracts from the fact that Resident Evil 4 is another winner. Who would have thought that 2023 would start with two of its top games being survival horror remakes? It's a strange time we live in.

08 Gamereactor UK
8 / 10
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Striking graphics. Meaningful improvements across the board. Still the same great story.
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Gunplay is still subpar. Side quests feel half-baked. There are a few graphical bugs.
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Resident Evil 4Score

Resident Evil 4

REVIEW. Written by Ben Lyons

Capcom's latest remake takes us back to Spain to face off with the Los Iluminados clan as Leon S. Kennedy.



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