Continuing the trend

Capcom has been on an absolute tear lately with Resident Evil. The new chapters have been increasingly better with each entry, and the remakes are outstanding. So it was only a matter of time before they revisited what some consider to be the greatest RE game of all-time. Resident Evil 4 Remake takes everything people loved about the original and tosses in Capcom’s trademark modernization to craft an incredible experience. They trimmed some fat and refined some moments to make one of the best games released this year.

To give a little history of the original game, Resident Evil 4 was released back in 2005. It was the first game to ditch the fixed camera angles and instead work from an over-the-shoulder camera style. It also moved away from the survival horror angle and more into the action arena. Starring Leon Kennedy from the second outing the original felt more like a shooter and inspired a ton of games that came after it.

MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $59.99

Revisiting that original game now though is rough. The movement and aiming feel stiff and the excessive quicktime events do it no favors. Tie that in with the frustrating escort portions and anyone who wasn’t there when the game first launched may be wondering why so many hold a special place in their nostalgia for it. Make no mistake, RE4 was a revolutionary game when it came out, and it has been ported to just about every console released since its inception. Now Capcom has truly crafted the best reason to buy it yet again.

Resident Evil 4 follows the same template set forth by RE2 and RE3 respectively. The RE Engine is simply one of the most impressive in gaming right now. Revisiting these areas in this new engine is simply incredible. The amount of detail Capcom has managed to squeeze in is impressive. The limb damage system has returned and with the new modernized control scheme it is easier than ever to maneuver and take down foes. The systems from the original game now feel complete as opposed to clunky and the experience from start to finish is incredibly satisfying.

Lots of changes have been made to this remake. Not only to match the modernization, but to trim some of the fat of the original game. For those unfamiliar the original was basically three parts and the remake retains that. Yet the third act of the game has streamlined a lot of the content to make it feel less padded out. The once quicktime-only fight with Krauser has now been refined as a melee-heavy combat sequence. The lake area is now completely explorable with tons of new sections to visit. The game just feels better paced and more interesting to explore. All while still clocking in at a hefty 15-20 hours to complete. There really wasn’t anything missing from the original game that I wish they had kept.

What is RE4 without the Merchant though? He has returned and been expanded in all the right ways. He now has optional side missions that can be completed and turned in for a new form of currency. This can then be used to purchase maps of areas as well as other items. These side missions range from shooting blue medallions to collecting chicken eggs. It is side content, but actually found myself enjoying the diversions. Except the snakes, screw those snakes.

Of course he also has a plethora of weapons, ammo, and recipes to purchase with the normal currency. Gun upgrades are imperative in RE4 and what I loved about the remake is that I never felt like I had to focus on one specific path. The Merchant now offers great buyback prices making experimenting with different weapons more viable.

Inventory management returns and this time it has an auto sort option. I know this is blasphemy to some RE4 veterans, but it was a godsend for me. Being able to simply click on a button to arrange my items saved me so much time. The case can also be upgraded for more storage space and there are even trinkets that can be attached for added perks such as ammo drops. There is a storage system where players can store their weapons, sadly it is only weapons and first aid sprays, so if you need more space you might just have to drop that large fish along the roadside.

Launch for this game didn’t come without issues. The Mercenaries mode was absent at launch, but has since launched. This mode is interesting and provides some decent replay value. The Xbox version also launched with some control issues as far as the dead zone and movement were concerned. I played through the entire game and it took a while to adapt to the problems. The shooting gallery was nigh impossible with these issues. Since then it has been patched and running a few hours back through the game it now controls excellently. Just a shame it launched in that state.

Resident Evil 4 Remake is an absolute delight. Veterans of the original will love the changes and newcomers can now appreciate just how good this game actually is. Capcom continues the trend of keeping the series fresh in our minds. I cannot wait for the next new entry as well as what remake they do next. Almost guaranteed we will see RE5 next, but Capcom please listen to your fans and give us that Code Veronica remake we so rightly desire. Regardless, fans of the series are eating so good right now.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.