Resident Evil 4 Remake: A few thoughts

All this has happened before...

Resident Evil 4 is something of an odd little duck in this day and age, if it was not viewed as a remake but something of a continuation of what the remakes of resident evils 2 and 3 had done. We’d be thinking of this as the apex and new gold standard in action games. However much like the show Battlestar Galactica said: “All this has happened before, and will happen again.” It’s with this in mind while it is a good remake and does make several quality of life changes and introduces and perhaps refines some gameplay elements, it is by and large a pretty version of what you played all those years ago on the Gamecube, or the PlayStation 2, or the Wii, or the PlayStation 3, or the recent release on whatever VR set Capcom sent it over to.

The game while adding some subtitle changes to the plot largely remains the same, I won’t spoil anything cause well...there really is not anything to spoil (Except maybe an epilogue but as of this writing it is looking to lead to some DLC? So I will refrain from talking about anything beyond it). The intro adds some slight context and PTSD to Leon and also sets up a character to face later on, but its so blink and you miss it that unless you played it. You may not even realize it is a thing. It also doesn’t really add to the tension in the game, just expansion in the bare minimum. When I started this got me excited but when I realized it had happened before well I quickly lost interest.

The gameplay from the original also does not change, it does however come off as well refined. If you think of this as a sword, the blade from years ago has been repaired and sharped to its best version yet. When the action happens, this is a HARD game to put down, it is addictive and still holds up all these years later. The one addition that I think it has benefited from is the use of the knife. In the original, you used it in a sweeping motion and that was that. To me, it was handy to use for opening boxes so no surprise viper attacks. Or if you just were not sure that annoying target you just put down or happen to walk by was still alive, a quick swipe would give you a yay or nay and some time to plan accordingly. The knife is now overhauled and actually an integral part of the gameplay right from the word go. Parries are once you get the timing down easy to execute and also finishing a target with a stab to the neck or head is a simple button press. You are now also at least in some parts able to execute some stealth kills as is taught to you as early as the second chapter. I dunno if an all stealth kill run is even doable to the set pieces but it’s an interesting prospect for future games?

Sadly all things must be in balance, and you are not swinging this thing around like an unstoppable killing device. The blade wears down over time and breaks, but you can repair it and upgrade it at the shop as needed. Of course the more damage done is deemed more expensive to repair, but the game gives you so much cash you can pretty much just repair as needed and survive with no real problems. Also on the degrading over time system is body armor that you should get as soon as possible as it will save you a lot of grief. The gameplay with the blade is satisfying and for the game system it is shoved into, it does not hinder in facts makes the gears run that much smoother.

Boss fights can range from “This is too damn easy” too “WHY ARE YOU NOT DEAD YET I’VE EMPTIED ALL MY AMMO INTO YOU!” Along with times of “That is bullshit you can do that!” There is a rhythm that once you figure it out the bosses become the first part. However figuring it out and dying cheap can be exhausting. I think my favorite boss fight has use of the knife (if you know you know) but also leans into the sneaking and slow methodical tactics of working your way through a puzzle/trap and not getting burned to hard along the way.

The one thing I think everyone complained about in the original version of Resident Evil 4 was Ashley, and yes she is still here and yes she can still be all kinds of useless. However, I am happy to report if her original version on a scale of one to ten of uselessness is at an 11. This one actually sits at a surprising 6, you will still have those stupid moments. But, I felt less annoyed by saving her ass and does add the occasional wrinkle needed for the game to work as well as it does.

I think the only things I found really noticeable was just how much more Leon leans into action hero cliche comments. Is this a bad thing? Not at all, it adds a little wink to the game of knowing it is leaning into the trope. Luis is less of a douche and in someways comes off a little more like able for what he is. Ada is the one character I found to of on the casting side been changed the most, while the comments of her lines being phoned in do stick out, I wonder also if maybe it was the direction she was given to change up from the “Sexy Asian spy” stereotype she seems stuck in. If you view what is happening through the lens of just another day and another job, her responses and demeanor make a little more sense. It is not a knock or an innovation but its sort of the par for the course of this game: Do everything as it was but add just a slight distortion to change it up.

So, here is the real question: Is this a game you should play if you played the original? I would honestly say yes. As far as remakes (Final Fantasy 7 Remake) and remasters (Shadows of the colossus) it stands near the latter, but the distortions of gameplay do freshen it up. I’d say when there is a sale or you got some extra cash pick this up. This is not a mandatory play, but it is a very good game for what it is. And sometimes that is enough, I have no regrets about buying it and will eventually come back for a second play with my new game plus load out. I would even say if you are going to introduce someone to this game, yes this is the one you should show them not the original. Should this game of been made at all? That is a question we’ll never be able to answer cause at first I was very much a no but as it was being shown and what it was doing I wound up buying it. So, it’s with that I would very much from my opinion recommend picking this up, but only at your convenience it is not a must play.

-The Chaos Director

Got some thoughts on what I said? Feel free to leave a comment below.

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