Game Review: Resident Evil 4 – Remake (Xbox Series X)

Released by Capcom for the GameCube in 2005, Resident Evil 4 was a game-changing entry in the Resident Evil series. Moving away from its fixed camera angles and taking its first steps into a more action-orientated direction. It was an exceptional experience that is now considered to be one of the best entries in the series overall. You can read our review of the game here.

With Capcom having remade both Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 in recent years to great success, fans wondered what might get the remake treatment next. Would they go back to the original? Maybe Code Veronica might get a look in? Hell, maybe even Survivor might be the next! Few expected Resident Evil 4 and even less were asking for it. The original still held up and it seemed genuinely hard to see where Capcom could improve it.

Released on all major consoles and PC on March 24th, 2023. The remake of Resident Evil 4 has done the impossible, improve upon almost every aspect of the original. All while holding dear what made the original so beloved. To call Resident Evil 4 a triumph of a remake is to understate what has been accomplished here. Where only the most minute of issues exist and can easily be overlooked in favour of the overall quality of the game.

The main story is unchanged and it sees players take on the role on Leon S. Kennedy following the destruction of Racoon City. After spending years training to become an agent for the US government, Leon is dispatched to a European island to rescue the president’s daughter, Ashley Graham.

A island that is controlled by the Los Illuminados cult and its leader Osmund Saddler. The villagers made to do his bidding via a parasite called Las Plagas which has resulted in them losing their minds and, in some cases, transforming them into hideous monstrosities.

Finding Ashley Graham is one thing but getting off the island is another altogether.

It’s a familiar story for those who played the original but far more fleshed out than it was in the original. Not only do some story elements make much more sense, but character actions and how they link into the overall Resident Evil world do too. Nowhere is that better done than with Luis, who gets much more to do here and Jack Krauser, whose links to Leon are better explained and showcased. These are just two of the more obvious improvements but there plenty more. Far too many small extra details to list here.

Yet, it’s outside cutscenes that Resident Evil 4 really shows its improvements. Capcom keeping beloved elements like Loen’s occasional cheesy one-liners, the mysterious merchant, item case (which can be customised with colours and perks now) and treasure system. All while dropping campier elements to try and keep the game grounded in some kind of reality. Helped by the simplest of things, such as having Leon capable of moving while aiming and shooting. Who would have thought such a simple thing could revolutionise the gameplay?

Another major aspect of that is the changes to Ashley, who is a little older in this and far less annoying. You’ll still have to protect her when together and stop her being taken away by the enemies, but it’s far less of a chore and you don’t have to hear ‘that’ voice screaming “Leon” over and over again. In fact, Resident Evil includes a segment where you control Ashley and it might be the most terrifying segment of the entire game.

Though the system of telling Ashley to stick close or give Leon space could use a little tweaking. The former runs the risk of her getting in your way as you fight and the latter runs the risk of her being picked off by an approach enemy. Also telling Ashley to give you some distance might result in her backing into an approaching group of enemies. It’s not perfect but it’s a damn sight better than the original.

The removal of almost all quick time events (QTE) from cutscenes is another welcome change, often replaced with actual battles. Battles that can be quite intense as combat in Resident Evil 4 is fast, frantic, and strong. It constantly leaves you feeling tense and, in a surprising turn for the game, a little fearful of what is around the corner. Few would argue that the original experience was a horror game but this remake certainly ups the frights, all while delivering constant fast-paced action.

All in a lush environment with thrilling music and ambience that pushes the modern graphical system to make the island feel more real, give life to the characters, and horrify with the enemy designs. It’s an area that you will find it hard to fault Resident Evil 4. Although in the interest of balance, there were occasions that the game was a split-second too slow to load textures. Mostly happening when Leon was looking at something. As stated at the start of this review, an easy to overlook niggle and certainly nothing that affects the overall experience.

Which is simply phenomenal, in fact it’s almost shocking how right the developers got this remake. The love and care put into ensuring the original and all its beloved elements would be intact while tweaking and altering areas for the better. Everything new and everything changed makes the game better in some way.

If all of this wasn’t enough to make this a must buy, the game is huge (first playthrough on Standard difficulty came in at just under 13 hours). Beating the game unlocks a wealth of new extras and all your items carry over to your next playthrough. Beating it on harder difficulties unlocks even more powerful weapons and more.

With plans for Capcom to also release the Ada Wong-focused side campaign, Separate Ways in the future and The Mercenaries mode coming on April 7th as a free update, it seems as though there’s going to be no putting Resident Evil 4 down anytime soon. Which is remarkably like the original was too.

This might very well be the pinnacles of remakes and if Capcom are done revisiting the Resident Evil series for now, they sure went out with a bang.