Resident Evil 4 Remake is another entry of one of Capcom’s most successful franchises, and it’s a reimagining of the classic story of Leon trying to find the president’s daughter in a rural Spanish village.
You play as Leon S. Kennedy, and this game takes place six years after the events of the Resident Evil 2 remake. Leon was recruited by the US Government as a special agent and had to undergo special training to enhance his skills and ability. After the president’s daughter is kidnapped, Leon is assigned to find and rescue her.
When Resident Evil 4 Remake was announced at Sony’s State of Play last year in June, a lot of fans were excited and skeptical at the same time. Many gamers would say that the original Resident Evil 4 was a masterpiece and doesn’t need a remake. And gamers are still mad at what they did with the Resident Evil 3 remake. The game was so short that many areas were cut off from the game, and Nemesis was underutilized. Resident Evil 3 remake felt like a DLC with a full game price tag of $60, which adds insult to injury.
I finished the game twice on both Standard and Hardcore difficulty. This game didn’t disappoint. The remake took everything from the original game and made it ten times better. They reworked the game to keep veterans and newcomers on edge; for example, you must walk a long dark path before entering a creepy-looking house instead of walking and entering the first house at the beginning. It set up the game’s tone nicely, and changes like this made the game feel fresh and exciting.
The story has also been written to be darker and more serious, and the characters are more fleshed out, especially Luis and Ashley.
While I was writing this review, the Mercenary downloadable content came out and was free on all platforms. I highly recommend reading every file you find when you play the game. It helps build up this world and gives more lore about what you see or encounter in the game.
There are four playable characters, and three of them are locked. Leon, Luis, Krauser, and Hunk from Resident Evil 2 are playable. The characters can be unlocked by acing A-rank or higher in missions. Leon is the first playable character; then you get to unlock Luis after getting A-rank, then by playing Luis, you get to unlock Krauser, then by getting an A-rank or higher in a mission as Krauser, you get to unlock Hunk. Fan-favorite characters like Ada Wong and Albert Wesker are disappointingly absent from the Mercenary downloadable content, but I’m hoping Capcom makes them playable in a future content update!
The best thing about Resident Evil 4 has always been its gameplay. You can shoot and stun enemies and open them up with a melee attack. The knife can be used to stab, deflect, or parry. Hitting the parry button will cause Leon to deflect an enemy attack. And if you time it just right, it will stun enemies and give you a chance to melee attack them for free.
The knife was overpowered in the original release, and to rectify that, Capcom had to make the knife fragile. The knife will eventually break if you keep using it. However, you can upgrade your knife at the merchant to increase its durability and damage. Ensure you constantly repair the knife, as it can make the game difficult if it gets destroyed.
Like the other remakes, Resident Evil 4’s visuals got a significant overhaul to set itself on par with the new games. Looking at the classic areas, you can see the heart and respect given in this game. I could spend much time looking at the environment and every detail the developer put into this game. Resident Evil 4 Remake simply looks gorgeous!
I’m playing this game on a PS4, and I didn’t encounter any game-breaking bugs, and it runs perfectly. Although I noticed some textures won’t load immediately, I simply ignored them because the game was supposed to be played on PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC. But on a PS4, this game runs smoothly, and I have a lot of fun playing this game.
I highly recommend Resident Evil 4 Remake, even though this is your first game of the franchise. This game has the perfect mix of horror and action, and you will enjoy every aspect of what Resident Evil 4 Remake offers.
