Released: 8 March 2024
Originally Released: 24 March 2023; 11 January 2005
Developer: Capcom
Also Available For: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S

The Background:
Headed by Shinji Mikami, Resident Evil’s (Capcom, 1996) focus on atmospheric horror and limited resources popularised the “survival-horror” subgenre. Despite its blocky graphics, clunky controls, and cringe-worthy voice acting, Resident Evil was a critical and commercial success, kickstarting an entire franchise that continued to tweak the gameplay mechanics, expand the lore, and prove equally successful. During the sixth-generation of the gaming industry, Mikami (after a lengthy development process) spearheaded Resident Evil 4 (Capcom Production Studio 4, 2005). The game reinvented the series by shifting away from tank controls and restrictive angles to an over-the-shoulder perspective and a greater emphasis on player control and action. Resident Evil 4 became the second best-selling Resident Evil title and is universally regarded as one of the best (if not the best) entries in the franchise. Despite receiving a high-definition port in later years, the success and popularity of the game saw Capcom prioritise a modern remake over other Resident Evil titles, especially as they’d seen considerable success with remakes of previous entries. The project was not one that directors Kazunori Kadoi and Yasuhiro Anpo took lightly. Although they wished to capture the spirit of the original, the developers minimized the use of quick-time events (QTEs), expanded the narrative and capabilities of the notoriously annoying Ashley Graham, and placed greater emphasis on knife attacks and parrying. Like its predecessor, Resident Evil 4 was met with widespread critical acclaim. Reviews praised the updates to the graphics and mechanics, the expanded characterisations, and the brutal gore, though some criticised the retention of some of the original’s weaker moments. Regardless, Resident Evil 4 sold over five million units by July 2023 and was subsequently bolstered by some downloadable content (DLC). “The Mercenaries” mini game was made available for free from April 2023, microtransactions were added to speed up weapon upgrades, and a remake of the “Separate Ways” side story was released to high praise in September 2023. All this DLC was then re-released alongside the base game as this physical Gold Edition in early 2024.

The Plot:
After escaping Raccoon City, Leon S. Kennedy, now a government agent, is sent to rescue Ashley Graham, the daughter of the United States President, from a mysterious cult in a rural Spanish village. There, he encounters hostile villagers pledged to Los Iluminados and infected by a mind-controlling parasite known as Las Plagas.

Gameplay:
Resident Evil 4 is one of the all-time classics not just of the Resident Evil franchise, but in all of gaming. It changed the survival/horror formula into a more action-oriented genre and directly influenced later remakes of similarly classic Resident Evil titles. However, I was disappointed when I heard it was getting the remake treatment, especially as the previous HD version still holds up really well (despite you not being able to move and shoot). I would’ve much preferred to see Resident Evil – Code: Veronica (Capcom Production Studio 4, 2000) brought up to modern standards but I guess I understand the logic behind prioritising one of the most profitable and popular games. Resident Evil 4 offers six different control types and a wealth of modern options to choose from. You can toggle aim assist, the run and crouch functions, the size of the aiming reticle (which largely replaces the laser sight from the original game), various camera settings, and the intensity of the heads-up display and damage indicators. The default controls see you aiming with the Left Trigger, readying your knife with the Left Bumper, shooting or stabbing with the Right Trigger, and running with the Right Bumper or by pressing in the left stick. Y brings up your inventory (still nicely arranged in attaché briefcases), X reloads, A interacts with the environment to pick up weapons, ammo, treasure, and files, and you can crouch through small gaps with B. You can use the left stick in conjunction with RB to perform a quick turn, hold A to pull certain objects (bookcases, filing cabinets, etc) when prompted, and switch weapons using the directional pad. Two weapons can be assigned to each direction this time, which is great for mixing up your attack strategies and conserving ammo, though there’s no quick-heal option here.

Resident Evil 4’s newest gimmick is placing increased emphasis on the knife. Before, you could cheese the knife to a ridiculous extent, stunning enemies and opening them up for Leon’s over the top melee attacks. While that’s still true here, Leon’s knife also parries certain attacks from the likes of the Chainsaw Ganado and other weapon-wielding enemies with LB. This will wound or stun enemies so you can run in to press A to hit a suplex, but you can also sneak up behind them or finish them off with your knife with a press of RB. Leon’s knife now has a durability meter; eventually, it’ll break and he’ll need to spend his hard-earned pesetas upgrading it at the mysterious Merchant. Weaker, disposable knives are often found dotted around the environment, in addition to stronger ones, and it really makes you think twice about going all gung-ho with your knife like before and opens up interesting ways to battle the likes of Major Jack Krauser since all the previous QTEs have been replaced by these new parry mechanics. In what’s now a franchise tradition, there is also a part where you lose your gear and must stealthily take out enemies to retrieve your stuff. As before, Leon will partner with some allies; suave ladies’ man Luis Sera has an expanded role here, helping you at key points and providing both ammo and extra gunfire when besieged by enemies or battling the troll-like El Gigantes, but your main partner is still Ashley Graham. Now wearing more sensible attire and with her bratty persona toned way down, Ashley is far more capable and useful than before. You command her to wait, hide, and follow you by pressing in the right stick, hiding her in the odd cabinet or cupboard and having her climb over walls to unlock doors or lower ladders. While she can die (and you can accidentally shoot her), you no longer have to worry about wasting your healing items on her and she typically just gets “incapacitated”. You can revive her and get her back on her feet, though you’ll still have to cover her as she helps solve puzzles and shoot enemies that try to spirit her away or else you’ll get a game over.

I actually felt like Ashley wasn’t even partnered with Leon as much as in the original game and, when she is, it’s so much easier to look after her. Her solo section has also been expanded somewhat, moving from a primarily stealth-based interlude to a more puzzle-based section where you stun Armaduras with her special lantern. Leon also has a few more combat options available to him: he can occasionally dodge bigger attacks with B, has more control over the boat he uses to cross the vast lake, and can again use giant cannons to splatter enemies and shatter doors. As is now the standard in Resident Evil titles, Leon can also craft ammo and health from the inventory screen. By picking up resources, gunpowder, herbs, and purchasing instructions from the Merchant, you can craft ammo and various coloured herbs that will partially, fully, or even extend your health. This has also been expanded to the treasures; you can increase the value of goblets and crowns and other large treasures by inserting coloured gemstones, which is great for earning extra cash. You once again save at typewriters with no fear of running out of ink (though the game has a generous autosave function), can use a limited Item Box when doing so, and can once again take a break from all the killing and horror at the many shooting ranges. Here, you test your marksmanship skills to earn letter grades and tokens to purchase charms for your briefcase that’ll give you certain buffs. The Blue Medallion system has also been expanded to include side missions set by the Merchant. These include shooting hidden Blue Medallions, disposing of rats, and confronting tougher enemies, all for greater treasures.

While much of Resident Evil 4 is familiar to anyone who’s played the original game, some of the puzzles and sections have been reworked. You’ll no longer run away from a giant stone version of Ramon Salazar or deal with that flame-filled room, for example, but these elements have been reworked into the tower section, meaning you not only have to avoid barrels coming down the spiral staircase but also take out Salazar’s giant stone visage to avoid being roasted alive. The light puzzle in the church is different, I’m pretty sure I don’t remember exploring a bunch of different caves to find shrines in the original, and I believe the dissection lab has a new power reroute puzzle that wasn’t there before. I do recognise some of the puzzles, though; you’ll still be traversing that damn hedge maze, still have to wait for the lift to come while fending off the Verdugo (now pulling levers to temporarily freeze it with liquid nitrogen and parrying it when it destroys these controls), and you’ll still have to watch your step when crossing rickety wooden bridges. You can still save a dog for an assist later on, still shoot lanterns to set enemies on fire, and still use explosive barrels to take out hordes of enemies. You and Ashley will sometimes have to turn wheels or levers or simultaneously pull switches or create new paths or open doors, or you’ll command her to do this while you explore further and protect her. You’ll be finding keys to unlock doors and drawers, taking the long way around to unbolt doors and create shortcuts, upgrading key cards, finding spheres that need to be rotated to form the Los Illuminados’ symbol, shooting gongs, sitting at the right tables as dictated by paintings, completing sword puzzles, and racing along on minecarts at breakneck speed, struggling to stay on the track, take out enemies, and avoid dead ends. If things get too tough for you (and it can get a bit hairy when you’re surrounded by enemies that only become stronger when you defeat them), you can lower the game’s difficulty. “Assisted” mode enables a health regeneration system and lowers the cost of items, but generally you can get by on “Standard” if you conserve ammo and make good use of the melee attacks, knife, and environmental aids dotted around the place.

Graphics and Sound:
While I was sceptical about remaking Resident Evil 4 since the previous version still holds up really well, it can’t be denied that the game has never looked better than here. The remake engine makes fantastic use of lighting and shadows to give everything a far creepier and more horrifying atmosphere. The level of detail at work throughout the game’s environments is astounding, with rain and water effects being a constant standout. Areas feel real and lived in, with blood trails and splatters, damage and debris, and little things like photographs, ticking clocks, and even enemies hiding in toilets and giant ovens all adding to the immersion. Leon, especially, benefits from the graphical upgrade; he can now move and shoot, dynamically reloads, and reacts to his environment, shielding himself from rain, resting against walls when low on health, and crashing through destructible objects with the same gusto as before. Character models, in general, are much improved here; Ashley has a more sensible wardrobe, Luis has never smoked a cigarette better, and even the diminutive Salazar looks far less comical here. Faces are still a bit unnerving at times, appearing a bit plasticky (especially when wet) but the level of detail is greater than ever before, so I can forgive it. This extends to the blood and gore, too; enemies can be blown to pieces, exploding in a splatter of guts and viscera, their bodies writhing on the floor, reanimating with renewed aggression, or their heads bursting open as horrific tentacles parasites writhe about. More of them appear than ever before, too, with their variants and mutations causing serious trouble when you’re low on health and ammo and must survive until the game decides to let you continue.

All the key areas from the original game return here, including the main village, a sprawling castle, a network of dank caves and mines, and the fortified island the serves as the finale. You’ll visit graveyards, churches, houses (both abandoned and occupied), forgotten laboratories where bizarre genetic experiments lurk, medieval dungeons and hallways, and a veritable war zone in the end game as you navigate past barricades, narrow corridors, and ransacked areas where enemies lurk around every corner. Everything has a much higher level of detail; you can push obstacles out of the way as well as hop over or through them, files are scattered about to flesh out the local lore, and gameplay is frequently interrupted by exposition dumps from Ingrid Hunnigan or taunts from Saddler and his cohorts. Every cutscene and comms chat can be interrupted, which is great for subsequent playthroughs, and the sheer sense of foreboding atmosphere is unparalleled here as you’re never sure what’s lurking around even the most familiar corridors. Enemies can toss weapons at you, clamber up ladders, and will shout for help when they spot you. Later on, spider-like parasites will scuttle about and attach themselves to regular enemies, making them more formidable, and you’ll be constantly deactivating explosives, avoiding those ever-annoying bear traps, and redirecting gun turrets to clear your path. As ever, music plays a key role in alerting you to when there’s danger present; when it dies down or is more tranquil, you’re safe to explore and regroup. The dialogue and script has also been slightly tweaked; while Leon still has a lot of sass, some of the cheesier lines have been removed. There’s also an additional haunted quality to Leon as he struggles to reconcile the horrors he saw in Raccoon City and make amends for his mistakes with his newfound training.

Enemies and Bosses:
Like in the original game, there are no zombies here. Instead, you primarily fight the cult-like, parasite-infested minions of Los Illuminados. Ganados are far more intelligent than zombies, but no less durable; they can take multiple shots, even to the head, and keep going, utilising weapons like hatchets, pitchforks, and dynamite to cause you headaches. Thankfully, any nearby traps and hazards (and larger enemies) can hurt and kill them, but they are a real pain in the ass when they start wielding crossbows, hiding behind shields, and their heads burst to reveal disgusting tentacles and voracious parasites. The robed summoners will force this transformation and obscure your vision, so be sure to take them out quickly, while flash grenades are your best bet against the naked parasites or the armour-clad Armaduras. You’ll also battle Plagas-infested Novistadors, giant bugs that hover around, spawn from hives and can camouflage into the environment. Later, the Ganados better arm themselves and protect themselves with flak jackets helmets, and other military gear, making it even harder to score a good headshot.

Larger, more monstrous enemies are also commonplace and act as mini bosses. The first you’ll encounter is the Chainsaw Ganada, a burlap-sack wearing madman who will lop your head clean off if you don’t make good use of the parry system. As if their sporadic appearances aren’t bad enough, you’re also forced to fight the Bella Sisters again, this time in an enclosed room (which actually makes it easier to track them), and the aggravating, claw-handed Garradors. Though brutish, heavily armoured, and extremely dangerous, Garradors are also slightly easier here as you’re not locked in a small cage and have more room to manoeuvre behind them to shoot the parasite on their back, stunning them for a more effective attack. Similarly, sledgehammer-carrying Brutes often show up, though their wild swings can just as easily wipe out nearby lesser enemies, as well as lumbering El Gigantes. This time, when you battle the two of them in the furnace, Luis is there to help; though he’s more of a distraction and hinderance as he needs to get clear before you can drop their asses into the molten steel. As ever, two of the more disturbing enemies-cum-mini bosses are the cackling, slug-like Regenerators and spiky Iron Maidens, two intimidating creatures that shrug off bullets and grenades, rapidly heal even when blasted in two, and pounce on you to try and eat your face and skewer you. The only way to effectively destroy them is by finding and equipping the Bioscope Sensor to your rifle so you can see and shoot the parasites lurking in their bodies, which can be easier said than done thanks to their erratic movements and extendable limbs. Another memorable boss encounter is, of course, the massive, mutated salamander Del Lago. You’ll need to use LB and RT to throw your unlimited supply of harpoons and the beast, avoiding the obstacles floating in the lake and chucking your spiked implements into its mouth when it leaps from the water. Thankfully, your encounters with the Verdugo are much more manageable this time; instead of running around a maze of shipping containers and fighting it in a cave, you must simply freeze it with liquid nitrogen and avoid or parry its lashing tail attacks when prompted.

Bitores Mendez once again hounds Leon throughout the story, though you are spared him lumbering after you like a Mr. X or Nemesis figure. He’s still fought in a burning barn, assuming a scorpion-like mutated form where he swipes with his tentacles, requiring you to either dodge or parry his limbs to blast at his big, ugly eye. In the second phase, the fires rage out of control and can really eat away at your health, as can the barrels he tosses at you, but the key is staying in the safest place you can find, parrying when prompted, and hitting RT when he’s stunned to deal big damage. Ramon Salazar’s mutated plant form is more agile than I remember it. He scuttles about on the walls and ceilings, belching corrosive bile and explosive pods, and can eat you in one bite if he gets too close. You need to constantly stay on the move and not miss the opportunity to fire when the pod opens and reveals him, which will eventually stun him to the ground so you can use your knife, but I found this a particularly gruelling boss battle. Krauser is fought twice this time; the first is a straight-up knife fight where you must parry or dodge his attacks, landing slashes and melee attacks until he flees. This repeats in the ruins, but Krauser also fires at you, tosses flash grenades, and mutates a giant arm blade for the finale. The fight isn’t timed this time, but Krauser is extremely agile, so you’ll need to keep him in view, taking shots and using any nearby knives to parry his slashes while also getting around his bio-organic shield. Finally, Osmund Saddler transforms into a rampaging, tumour-filled arachnid monster that stomps about an unstable mining platform. For such a big creature, it’s difficult getting a good shot at the eye-like growths on his limbs but doing so leaves his main weak spot open. Repeat this a few times, watching out for the limited ground, and Ada Wong will eventually toss you a rocket launcher to finish him off after he envelops the entire arena in a mess of putrid limbs.

Power-Ups and Bonuses:
As you explore the game’s environments, you’ll find key items to progress and useful pick-ups to aid you. Small keys, cuboid blocks, medallions, and such access treasures, ammo, or healing items, or resources for crafting. Defeated enemies will invariably drop an assortment of supplies and you can smash open crates to acquire them, too (just watch out for snakes!) First-Aid sprays and herbs will restore your health, as ever, but you can also eat eggs and fish to do the same. You can combine green, red, and yellow herbs to recover more health and extend your health bar, which is always handy. Treasures come in many forms, from various jewels to ornate masks, clocks, and the like. The bigger ones house your smaller jewels to increase their value and you can also sell unwanted ammo, guns, and items to the Merchant for more cash. The Merchant’s stock is constantly changing, allowing access to new ingredients and weapons, so my advice is to wait for the more powerful weapons before you upgrade them to save your money and have stronger weapons later in the game. The Merchant also sells attaché case upgrades, allowing you to carry more and providing specific buffs, and degradable body armour to upgrade your durability. He also trades you special weapons, items, and add-ons for your arsenal if you complete his side missions. Leon uses many different weapons, from grenades and flash bombs to his trusty knife, pistols, and shotguns. You’ll eventually utilise heavier weaponry, like the assortment of submachine guns and assault rifles to single-use rocket launchers, as well as revolvers and magnums, sniper rifles, and a surprisingly handy bolt rifle. This is useful for destroying Blue Medallions, shooting rats, or finishing off enemies as you can recollect the bolts; you can also press the left stick to attach explosives, which is super handy in a tight pinch. These weapons can be upgraded to increase their power, ammo capacity, and reload time. Upgrade them fully (or acquire a special ticket) and you can unlock their special bonus ability, and you’ll also equip add-ons, such as stocks and scopes. Completing the shooting ranges earns you tokens to play for charms to attach to your briefcase; these increase how much ammo you craft, item drop rates, and provide other buffs, though you can only attach three at a time.

Additional Features:
There are thirty-nine Achievements on offer in Resident Evil 4 by default, with many unlocking simply by completing the story chapters, besting the monstrous bosses, and beating the various difficulty modes. While you won’t get an Achievement for aggravating Del Lago or looking up Ashley’s skirt, you will for rescuing her as she’s being carried away, for parrying incoming attacks, destroying all of a Regnerator’s parasites in a single shot, and selling an item for many times its usual value. Achievements also come from fully upgrading weapons, finding and destroying all of the Clockwork Castellan toys scattered throughout the game, escaping certain areas without taking damage, defeating certain bosses in specific ways, and finding every treasure (something greatly aided by purchasing the Merchant’s treasure maps). Not only are you graded on your time and performance at the end of the game, each chapter ends with a rundown of your accomplishments. These are tied to the Achievements and the in-game challenges that earn you Completion Points (CP) to spend in the “Extra Content” section. This is where you’ll unlock character models, concept art, and additional costumes and weapons. Beating the game on different difficulty modes unlocks various rewards, such as a dapper noir outfit for Leon, sunglasses and masks, the even harder “Professional” mode, and all your weapons, charms, and remaining treasures carry over to your next save file. Sadly, however, unlocking Ashley’s super useful suit of armour is much harder this time, requiring at least an A-rank completion of “Hardcore” mode. You’ll also need to destroy sixteen Clockwork Castellans to get an unbreakable knife, clear “Professional” mode for a bad-ass hand cannon, and shell out a whopping 2,000,000 pesetas for the infinite rocket launcher.

You can also play the “Mercenaries” mini game to dispatch as many enemies as possible against a time limit, building up your “Mayhem Meter” to unleash character-specific special moves and playing as either Leon, Luis, Krauser, or the returning HUNK, each with their own weapon loadouts and attributes. DLC packs also contain funky extra costumes, weapons, and even the original game’s soundtrack. Finally, there’s the Separate Ways side story that focuses on what Ada was up to during the main game and comes with seven additional Achievements. Separate Ways has been expanded upon in many ways. Not only does Ada have access to the same weapons, knives, items, crafting, treasure, and abilities as Leon (including the Merchant and her own melee attacks) but her grapnel gun now plays a significant part in her gameplay. You’ll often be prompted to grapple to (or find yourself traversing) the rooftops and upper levels in recycled locations, tapping RB to swing across gaps, launch to ledges, and even remove shields from enemies and fly in for a quick melee attack once upgraded. Separate Ways also expands upon Luis’s story, teaming him with Ada at various points, and she utilises her ocular I.R.I.S. implants to track footprints and reveal fingerprints for keycodes. Separate Ways also adds content back into the game, including the laser hallway sequence (a simple QTE where you tap B a few times and the RB at the end, finishing off a gigantic, toad-like boss at the same time) and U-3 boss fight. This returns as the final form of Ada’s clingy stalker, the gruesome Black Robe, which distorts the environment, teleports and creates duplicates, and is fought numerous times before it transforms into this scorpion-like form for a two-phase showdown in the caverns. Ada also battles Garradors, Regenerators and Iron Maidens (without the benefit of the infrared scope, that I could find), and boar-headed brutes with machine guns strapped to their arms. She also tackles an El Gigante (battling from atop destructible huts) and has a unique showdown with Saddler. This was the most frustrating part of Separate Ways for me. Saddler has a rush attack, bursts tentacles from the ground, fires bullets from his fingers, and can spam-lock you with tentacle combos. You must blast his face until the eyeball appears in his mouth and keep firing until you can melee attack him, but this took me quite a few tries. After that, you must grapple around the final stage as Saddler’s Lovecraftian mass attacks Leon, blasting the eye tumours in its tentacles to reach the rocket launcher and bring the side-game to a close. Separate Ways has the same difficulty settings as the main game and you can unlock additional costumes and accessories to wear in it, and the main game, as well as complete similar challenges when playing.

The Summary:
I love Resident Evil 4. It’s probably my second favourite in the franchise after the second (both/either version) and it was a blast playing through this top-notch modern reimagining of the title. Sure, I don’t think I’ll ever get over Capcom prioritising remaking this title, which has stood the test of time extremely well, over Code: Veronica, which is still stuck in the tank control days of the franchise, but they absolutely delivered with this game, to the point that it almost makes up for them dropping the ball on the remake of the third game. The new graphical overhaul makes the game darker, moodier, and gorier than ever. There’s just so much detail, so much happening in the environment and with lighting and shadows, and Leon and the others have never looked more detailed and human (or inhuman) than here. I think it’s a testament to how well-crafted the original game was that very little has been changed or discarded. A few boss battles and hazardous areas are omitted or heavily altered, sure, but everything from the original game is retained but with a more serious tone, a greater degree of movement, and far more options for you to upgrade your arsenal. I thought I’d hate the degradable knife and parry mechanics, but they were implemented really well, making me think twice whenever I used the knife since I wouldn’t want it to break at a pivotal moment. While I actually enjoyed the quick-time events of the original, I’m glad they were replaced by playable sections; it really added to the immersion of Leon’s bouts against Krauser. Expanding on Leon, Luis, and Ashley to make them more well-rounded characters while still retaining the edge, arrogance, and characteristics that previous defined them was a great idea, as was altering Ashley’s solo section into something more enjoyable and never-wracking. In the end, I’m forced to admit that remaking Resident Evil 4 was a fantastic idea as it resulted in this gorgeous, gore-soaked, super tense and exciting game. I really hope Capcom give the same treatment to Code: Veronica next but it does make me wonder if they can improve upon Resident Evil 4’s sequels just as well later down the line…

My Rating:

Fantasic

Were you pleased with the remake of Resident Evil 4? Do you think it deserved the remake treatment so soon? What did you think to the new knife-based mechanics and the alterations to certain bosses? Did you like that Luis and Ashley’s roles were expanded and more flesh out? Did you ever find all of those Clockwork Castellans? Which Resident Evil videogame, character, monster, or spin-off is your favourite, and which game would you like to see remade next? Whatever you think, feel free to leave your thoughts down below.

Released: 30 August 2016
Originally Released: 11 January 2005
Developer: Capcom Production Studio 4
Also Available For: Android, GameCube, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii, Oculus Quest 2, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox Series S, Zeebo

The Background:
Spearheaded by Shinji Mikami, Resident Evil (Capcom, 1996) was one of the seminal titles for Sony’s burgeoning PlayStation. By focusing on atmospheric horror and resource management, the title practically invented (if not massively popularised) the “survival-horror” subgenre. Despite its blocky graphics, clunky tank controls, and B-movie dialogue, Resident Evil was a critical and commercial success that was soon followed by a number of sequels that continued to refine the gameplay, add to the lore, and be equally successful. With the videogame industry firmly in its sixth-generation, one largely defined by the PlayStation 2, Mikami set about producing a fourth mainline entry in his survival-horror franchise, but Resident Evil 4’s development was fraught with issues. There were at least four different versions of the game, one that was so far removed from the franchise’s roots that Capcom spun it out into an all-new action-packed series, one that saw Leon trapped in a haunted castle, one where he was pursued by a hook-handed monster, and one where the player was beset by horrifying visions. Ultimately, these were all scrapped and Mikami took over the directing duties, intent on reinventing the series from the ground up; one major aspect of this was the shift away from static and cinematic camera angles and prerendered graphics to an over-the-shoulder perspective and fully modelled 3D environments and a greater emphasis on player control and action. New enemies were created to fit the new tone, ones that were more intelligent, versatile, and monstrous than Umbrella’s Bio-Organic Weapons (BOWs) and Leon evolved from a rookie cop into a bad-ass agent who spouted one-liners like an action movie star. Initially a GameCube exclusive release thanks to a pre-existing deal between Capcom and Nintendo, Resident Evil 4 was soon ported to multiple platforms; it became the second best-selling Resident Evil title, made it into the Guinness World Records for 2012, and is widely praised as one of the best (if not the best) entries in the franchise despite it paving the way for less acclaimed action-orientated entries. The game is so revered that it later received a high-definition port on modern consoles that included all of the additional game modes and unlockables alongside new graphical and gameplay tweaks before being completely remade in 2023 following the success of Capcom’s previous modern remakes.

The Plot:
After escaping from Raccoon City, Leon S. Kennedy, now a government agent, is sent to rescue Ashley Graham, the daughter of the United States President, from a mysterious cult in rural village in Spain. There, he encounters a group of hostile villagers who pledge their lives to Los Iluminados and have been infected by a mind-controlling parasite known as Las Plagas.

Gameplay:
Unlike every Resident Evil game that came before it, Resident Evil 4 is a third-person action shooter with some light puzzle solving and additional mechanics sprinkled in. The entire complexion of the franchise has been altered; gone are the fixed camera angles and “tank controls”, replaced by fully rendered 3D environments, a much more action-orientated perspective, and a far greater range of movement. The player steps into the familiar shoes of Leon (but he’s changed so much between Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4 that he may as well be a completely different character) and can choose from three different control types, with my preference being the first. In this configuration, X performs an action (such as opening a chest or a door or picking up items or vaulting over ledges), B does absolutely nothing except exit out of menus, Y brings up the map screen, and holding A allows Leon to run indefinitely. You aim with the Left Trigger (a function greatly aided by the inclusion of a laser sight to your weapons) and fire with the Right Trigger. Pressing LT and A will allow you to manually reload and you can perform a quick turn by holding down on the left stick and pressing A. Holding the Left Bumper and pressing RT sees you switch to your knife for close-quarters combat and to save ammunition, but it’s better to use this weapon when enemies are already down to avoid being grabbed. In the years since Resident Evil 2, Leon has become an absolute bad-ass and is now capable of some incredible physical feats. These range from simple things like double tapping X to kick open doors, diving out of windows, or jumping down from greater heights without worrying about damage, to more superhuman feats, such as smashing enemies with a variety of melee attacks when prompted.

This is a great way to conserve ammo; you can fire a shot to stun an enemy, or slash at them with your knife, and then hit X to kick them away so you can follow up with another knife attack. Leon will often be tasked with barricading a room against swarms of enemies, which means pushing bookcases in front of windows, kicking down or raising up ladders with X, or shooting at explosive barrels to even the odds. If grabbed by an enemy, players can avoid or lessen damage by waggling the left stick, but you’ll also be required to pull off some quick-time events (QTEs) to get out of scrapes. When boulders come rolling at you or you make a desperate dive for a cliff edge, you’ll need to rapidly tap X to avoid being crushed; when the Verdugo or other bosses take a swipe at you, you’ll need to duck or dodge out of the way by pressing X and A or LT and RT together, and these skills are put to the ultimate test near the later stages of the game where you need to perform a series of acrobatic dodges to escape a laser trap. While QTEs aren’t as overused as they would be in later games, the developers clearly wanted to make the most of them; you’ll be rapidly tapping X to swim away from a gigantic sea creature or to slash at tentacles grabbing you, you can be sure that they’ll crop up in most boss battles, and QTEs even appear during cutscenes, meaning you can never put your controller down for a second or you’ll risk being stabbed through the heart! Another massive gameplay mechanic of Resident Evil 4 is the partner system; Leon is aided on a couple of occasions by the mysterious Luis Sera, who will help fend off attacking enemies at key moments, but obviously the most prominent partner you’ll have to look out for is Ashley. After rescuing her, Ashley will diligently follow you around and you’ll need to keep her safe to avoid a game over.

Using the Right Bumper, you can command Ashley to stay in place or follow you, which is used to solve certain puzzles such as standing on two pressure pads or pulling two levers simultaneously, but she’s useless at defending herself so you’ll need to have her hide in dumpsters and such to avoid being carried away by enemies. Ashley can be very grating as she is constantly screaming for help and in need of rescue, and there are many times where you’ll have to provide cover fire for her as she turns cranks or searches for keys. Thankfully, you’re not handicapped by her the entire time; in fact, you play more of the game without her than with her, and she does help break up the action a bit in a later part of the game where you get to control her. Ashley carries no weapons but can toss nearby lanterns at enemies with RT and crawl under desks or through small spaces to avoid them entirely, turning cranks to progress and return to her saviour. If she really gets on your tits, though, you can unlock a suit of armour for her that protects her from all attacks and makes her too heavy for enemies to carry away, making her far less of a nuisance and being doubly useful as she acts as a human shield. The map screen is also far more user friendly here; you can clearly see locked and unlocked doors, treasure, save points, and other areas of interest, and your next destination, which makes navigation much simpler, something aided by the game largely being much more linear than its predecessors. Still, while much of the gameplay has been altered to make use of the new presentation and format, many of the classic Resident Evil tropes remain. You’ll be exploring areas for items, documents to expand the story, and keys to unlock doors; often, you’ll need two or more items, insignias or plates or the like, to complete a puzzle and progress onwards and you’ll be unlocking or clearing pathways to create shortcuts as you explore. You’ll sometimes need to examine, combine, or encrypt key items to progress, or activate (or deactivate) security protocols to acquire the items you need, awakening any dormant enemies in the area. Other times, you’ll be exploring maze-like areas, such as a particularly ominous hedge maze, raising a cannon to blast open a door, or receiving some much-needed air support from a helicopter.

There are several familiar puzzles here, too, such as pushing statues onto pressure pads, angling mirrors to reflect lasers, picture puzzles, turning dials, and merging coloured lights to acquire new items or open new paths. These usually aren’t too difficult, and the solutions are normally provided by inspecting the immediate environment, or with a bit of trial and error. In addition to pushing crates into water to create platforms or off lifts to progress upwards and turning levers to open doors or activate traps, Leon is now able to jump across gaps, smash off padlocks, ride zipwires, and ride around in minecarts, blasting at barricades and enemies alike as he goes. Vehicles actually crop up a few times in the game, with you needing to shoot the drivers of trucks to avoid being crushed, defending Ashley as she ploughs through a facility in a bulldozer, riding a speedboat across a lake as a sea creature stalks you, and a particularly aggravating final section where you must race away from the island on a ski boat, flying over ramps and desperately avoiding falling rocks at high speeds. Not only can more enemies than ever easily swarm you, but the environments are littered with hazards, from annoying beartraps and explosive trip wires, to bursts of flame, swinging axes, and spiked ceilings. Some of these can be used against your enemies, but most you’ll either need to avoid with a QTE or shoot at panels to stop them from splattering you across the wall. While Leon is afforded more resources than ever, you still need to watch your ammo and be mindful of your stock of healing items; Leon can only carry so much, even with a fully upgraded attaché case, and you won’t have the benefit of Item Boxes to help you out here so it’s best to use the environment wherever possible, flee to higher ground, and force enemies into a narrow space to easily pick them off with as few shots as possible.

Graphics and Sound:
Without question, Resident Evil 4 was the best-looking Resident Evil we’d seen at that point. While I think the remake of the first game actually holds up better now, thanks to the restrictive angles and clever use of lighting, there’s no doubt that this was a dramatic shift away from the limitations of the previous generation and into a new era for the franchise. No longer restricted to tight corridors or prerendered environments, Leon explores some surprisingly large areas, with much of the game taking place outside and in a location decidedly removed from the urban trappings of its predecessors. Leon is now a large, versatile 3D model who can interact with his environment and enemies in fun new ways; from backflipping out of danger and kicking the heads off his attackers to simple things like being able to move and aim in all directions, the player had never had some much freedom in a Resident Evil title before…it’s just a shame you can’t move and shoot at the same time, which can make combat a little clunky, and the camera is a little too close at times, meaning it can be difficult to see what’s ahead of you.

Still, the game looks gorgeous; so much so that I really don’t understand the logic of prioritising a remake of it over the far more polygonal Resident Evil – Code: Veronica (Capcom Production Studio 4, 2000). Taking place in a desolate Eastern European nation, the game is awash with a gothic aesthetic that is both familiar and new. Leon explores barren, backwater villages and farmlands, an ominous graveyard, descends down into a number of sewers and catacombs, and even ventures into a dank mine and a dig site to uncover the origins of the Las Plagas parasite. Outside environments are plentiful, with Leon venturing around the outskirts of towers and castles so the game can impress with its graphical scope; crows, wild dogs, and signs of decay and the Los Illuminados’ influence are everywhere, giving even the smallest rural areas a sense of menace. Once inside the churches, castles, and stately manors of the malevolent cult, the game becomes a little more familiar; once again, we’re treated to vast and elaborate rooms filled with paintings, suits of armour, dining tables and joined by corridors bathed in moonlight. You’ll venture into disgusting kitchen and waste disposal areas filled with dead or dismembered bodies, wade through wretched water and creep through rusted, wrecked prisons and crumbling catacombs, past vast lakes, waterfalls, and waterwheels in the surroundings mountains, and even into industrial areas filled with molten metal, shimmering heat effects, and corroded elements.

After battling through the boobytraps of the Los Illuminados’ grandiose castles, you’ll descend into dark tunnels filled with giant, skittering bugs, heavily fortified bases surrounding the Los Illuminados’ island, and eventually reach a disused, high-tech facility not unlike those Umbrella established under mansions and cities in the previous games. Here, you’ll be treated to bloodstained walls, trashed laboratories, and bizarre Las Plagas experiments, which all burst or shamble to life in the most horrific ways. Largely, there’s very little distinction between the CG cutscenes and the in-game graphics, especially in this remastered version of the game; while the same can’t be said of Ada Wong’s unlockable chapter, whose cutscenes are as low quality and blurry as they were on the PlayStation 2 version, the main game looks crisp and clear…perhaps a little too clear at times, though there are some suitably dark and spooky areas to help balance the lighting. The action is constantly interrupted by radio conversations between Leon and his allies and enemies, which really gives a sense of how much Leon has changed; he’s no longer a rookie cop and is instead a flirtatious, cocksure action hero who trades barbs and drops one-liners as often as he does chat up lines. The game plays its dialogue very tongue in cheek; while not as clunky and awkward as the voice acting in the original game, it’s as though the direction here was to treat it like a B-movie from the off, resulting in a strange mix of terror and ridiculousness at times. The music is suitably ominous and still used to great effect; you’ll always know when you’re in a save room or area or near the merchant, for example, and the music generally only kicks in when enemies or hazards are nearby and will fade out once the danger has passed. Enemies also shamble about, dragging their weapons across the floor, and shout when they spot you; they’ll chant strange phrases and mutter their loyalty to their masters even as they dissolve into a puddle of goo, making for far more visually interesting enemies than moaning zombies.

Enemies and Bosses:
Speaking of which, another way Resident Evil 4 separates itself from its predecessors is in the complete absence of zombies and Umbrella’s bio-organic weapons and viruses. Instead, every enemy in the game is infected with an ancient, mind-controlling parasite that makes them slaves to the Los Illuminados’ power and grants certain superhuman abilities. Your most common enemy are the Ganados; faster, more vocal, and more coordinated than zombies, these infected villagers will rush at you, try to eat you, and attack you with melee weapons from afar or up close. Many hold flaming torches, which you can use to set them on fire; others toss sticks of dynamite, which you can also use to thin out the hoards. You’ll also encounter robed variants who wield crossbows, man catapults, and carry maces, large wooden shields, and even scythes that they hurl at you! Soldier variants are further protected by armour and helmets and carry rocket launchers; additionally, Ganados’ heads will explode and tentacled parasite will swipe at you, or a Facehugger-like variant will pounce at you from the floor. Enemies also man fire-breathing statues and the local wildlife has also been infected, meaning you’ll come across some John Carpenter-esque wolves rippling with tentacles. The Plagas also control heavy suits of armour in the castle, but you can make surprisingly good use of the flash grenade against most enemies, in addition to shooting them into pits of molten metal or over the side of cliffs, blowing them up with flaming or explosive barrels, and you can even shoot their meat cleavers out of the air if you’re quick enough.

It doesn’t take long for the enemy variety to ramp up and become more formidable, though. You’ll come up against a massive Ganado wielding a Gatling Gun on more than one occasion, or a Ganado in a red robe and sporting a ram’s head will mount a large rotary cannon and cut you down if you can’t make good use of cover to get a shot at him from behind. Raging, masked Ganados rush at you with chainsaws and can one-shot you if you don’t keep your distance and blast them with your heavy artillery, and you’ll even have to battle a few claw-and-armour clad psychopaths who charge at you, swiping madly with their clawed appendages, and can only be damaged by targeting the writhing parasite on their back. These Garradors are usually fought in an enclosed space as other enemies swarm around you, a common theme in Resident Evil 4 as the game loves to send a gaggle of various enemies at you, forcing you to stay on the move and switch up your weapons accordingly. Giant mutated locusts and bugs also crop up: some will hover about, darting at you from above; others skitter across the floor to slash at you; and some are invisible and will leap onto you to vomit acid over your face! By far the most disturbing enemy in the game is the Regenerator, a slender, ashen, zombie-like creature instantly recognisable by its distinctive and chilling breathing. As their name suggests, these wretches constantly regenerate, necessitating the use of high-powered explosives or an infrared scope to target the pulsating boils on their body. Their spiked variant, the Iron Maiden, is even more fearsome, exploding in an array of spikes as it ungainly shuffles after you, so it’s best to either avoid these creatures or make use of any nearby explosives to put them down, but keep your distance as they tend to explode in a shower of guts upon death. Many of these enemies are introduced in such a way that they could count as mini bosses; Doctor Salvador and the Bella Sisters, especially, mark key moments in the game that indicate how dangerous these enemies can as they can take your head off in one move!

You’ll also have to contend with some far bigger enemies, each one taking the disgusting body horror of the franchise in new, startling directions. One of the first is the gargantuan, troll-like El Gigante, a lumbering beast you first fight in an enclosed arena near the opening village and later battle alongside a second, similar beast inside a factory. Generally, these creatures charge at you and grab and squeeze you, things you’ll need to rely on QTEs to avoid; they also swipe, pound, and swing trees at you but are pretty slow so you can usually get around them easily enough. In the first battle, you’ll also be aided by a local dog if you chose to save it; in the second, you can drop one into a pit of molten metal, but you still need to avoid getting too close or you’ll be dragged under. Otherwise, unload on El Gigante’s face until the parasite explodes from its back; attack this until it bursts, and you’ll finally put it down, but keep your wits about you as you’ll need to hit LT and RT to avoid being crushed afterwards. When you reach the lake, don’t fire your gun into it (unless you want an Achievement…) because Del Lago will eat you up! This monstrous alligator…thing…attacks your little speed boat, requiring you to toss your infinite supply of harpoons at it and mash X whenever you’re knocked overboard. This can be very finnicky as it’s hard to line up your shot and the cooldown time between throws is substantial; also, don’t get complacent as you’ll need to mash X to avoid being drowned when it snares you with its tentacle. Before you can leave the Godforsaken village, you’ll battle Bitores Mendez inside a burning barn. This spider-like monstrosity slashes at you with his insectoid limbs and tentacles absorbing damage much like Mr. X before his torso completely disconnects from his body and scurries about the place, making him a difficult target to hit; thankfully, you can clamber up to a higher level and make use of the various explosives scattered about the place. When in the processing plant, you’ll constantly have to dodge the Verdugo’s spiked tail as it whips at you from above and below; after you restore power and wait for the lift to arrive, it will attack with lightning fast speed, putting your QTE skills to the test. The Verdugo seems to be completely impervious to all weapons; all you can to is topple over the nearby cannisters of liquid nitrogen to freeze it, buying you time and allowing you to briefly scare it away.

A similarly impervious Las Plagas monster awaits in an elaborate cage maze down in the tunnels; “U-3” is this scorpion-like mess of limbs and tentacles that you must dodge and scare away while activating consoles to drop each section of the cage. Once done, it will attack you directly on a cliff edge; here, it will burrow underground to slash at you, but you can make use of explosive barrels to damage it and trap it in an enclosed space to avoid being cleaved in two by its pincer! Resident Evil 4 also introduces a rival for Leon: Jack Krauser, a mercenary for hire who initially attacks with his knife, forcing you to win QTEs to avoid being unceremoniously stabbed to death. Later, he shoots explosive arrows, a machine gun, sends his explosive drones after you, and leaps out to attack you as you search for three tablets in some ruins. This culminates in a one-on-one boss battle where Krauser mutates a knife-like appendage on his arm which he uses to slice at you and shield against your attacks. You’re given about three minutes to defeat him and escape before the area explodes; your best bet is to target his legs and switch to the knife, which does far more damage in this battle than in any other. Leon is also mocked all throughout by the diminutive Ramon Salazar, who largely sends his minions and even a giant statue of himself after you rather than face you head-on. After scaling his tower, however, he’ll mutate into this massive, plant-like monstrosity and try to swat you with his huge spiked tentacles. Like in the battle against “G”, you need to target Salazar’s pulsating eye to deal damage and briefly expose him from his protective cocoon so you can fire at him with your heavier weaponry, ideally the rocket launcher for an instant kill. Finally, after dogging your progress and killing Luis, you’ll confront the leader of the Los Illuminados cult, Osmund Saddler, at a construction site; here, he transforms into a four-legged abomination that also sports eyeball protrusions that you must shoot to stun him and allow you to strike his exposed central eye. Eventually, Ada will drop a rocket launcher into the arena for you to finish him off, but this can be a tough fight if you’re low on ammo, especially as you need to rely on the knife to damage the main eye and you’re given less than three minutes to escape the island afterwards.

Power-Ups and Bonuses:
As ever, Leon can restore his health using first-aid spray and herbs and you can combine these to restore more health or his and Ashley’s health meters. You also won’t need to worry about being poisoned here, though do be wary when smashing open crates for goodies as you’ll sometimes be attacked by a snake! Almost every enemy you defeat will drop some goodies, such as herbs, ammo, or pesetas, the local currency. Smash open jars, crates, and barrels to reap the same rewards and you’ll often also find high value collectibles in the same way or twinkling at you around the environment. These can be sold to the merchant, who you’ll encounter many times throughout the game, usually right next to a save point; saving is once again done manually at typewriters, though you no longer need to worry about ink ribbons and the game does contain checkpoints, so you don’t have to start all over from your last save point. The merchant will buy almost anything off you and will sell you new weapons, ammo, health items, and upgrades to your outfit and weapons.

Occasionally, you’ll find new weapons and upgrades in cases or lockers around the environment but, for the most part, they’re also purchased from the merchant. Every weapon can be “tuned up” at the cost of more pesetas, allowing you to increase their damage, reload time, capacity, and firing speed, though the cost of this tune up increases each time. It’s also worth waiting for better weapons to become available; there’s little point in wasting money upgrading the standard shotgun, for example, when a more powerful one becomes available later on that is more worth your investment. Leon has access to a variety of familiar weapons, from a standard pistol (which can be upgraded to fire bursts), shotguns for close range combat, machine guns (which can also be fitted with stocks to improve handling), sniper rifles (which can be fitted with a better scope or an infrared attachment), and a variety of grenades (standard explosive, incendiary to set enemies alight, and flashbangs to stun enemies and instantly burst parasites). You’ll also get access to more heavy-duty weapons, such as the armour-piercing magnum, the mine launcher, and the rocket launcher; while the mines take a few seconds to explode and the rocket launcher is a bit unwieldy as it forces you into a scoped perspective, these are the most powerful weapons and make short work of any enemy, even the game’s large and grotesque bosses.

Additional Features:
There are twelve Achievements up for grabs in Resident Evil 4, seven of which are awarded simply by playing through the game and clearing each chapter. If you shoot the water and draw out Del Lago, you’ll snag another at the cost of Leon’s life; another has you holding out against the villagers at the start of the game until Dr. Salvador shows up; and another is given for beating the game on the far harder “Professional” mode. Beating the game on any difficulty will also unlock two alternative costumes for Leon, one a dapper film noir outfit and another his classic cop uniform, which also nets you an Achievement. The final Achievement is earned by winning all twenty-five bottle caps in the various shooting galleries found throughout the game; here, the merchant supplies you with a sniper rifle and another weapon and you’re tasked with shooting all the targets on the range to earn your prize, which is easier said than done if your aim is as bad as mine! There are also several blue medallions found all over the game; shooting them will unlock new weapons that the merchant will gift to you for free, which can be helpful on your first playthrough.

Beating the game also unlocks the “Assignment Ada” mini game; in this game, which is similar to the “4^th Survivor” bonus game for Resident Evil 2, you control Ada on Saddler’s island and must track down five Las Plagas samples in one playthrough, managing your ammo and health without the benefit of save points. Ada is also playable in the “Separate Ways” campaign, a five-chapter side story to the main game which fills in the gaps around Ada’s involvement in the plot. Ada plays exactly like Leon except she’s faster, far more graceful in her moves, has access to a powerful bow gun and a grapple to reach higher areas faster, and takes more damage when attacked. In this mode, you’ll play through rejigged sections of the main game and even battle similar bosses, such as El Gigante and Krauser, and endure a unique fight against Saddler in his human form. Additionally, you can play the “Mercenaries” mini game, even playing as different Resident Evil characters like HUNK and Albert Wesker, in which you must defeat enemies to score points against a time limit in a fun arena shooter. Finally, you can view files and movies from the main menu and unlock additional costumes and weapons by clearing these game modes, though there are sadly no Achievements tied to them.

The Summary:
I can totally understand why so many people rave about Resident Evil 4. This was only my third playthrough of the game, and the second of this version; I played on a cleared game, so I had access to Ashley’s super useful suit of armour, upgraded weapons, and the infinite rocket launcher for the last half of the game and I still had an absolute blast. I’m a big fan of the original games, their focus on exploration, puzzle solving, and resource management and it’s true that a lot of the survival/horror aspects have been lost in this more action-oriented game. However, they’ve been replaced by a creepy, disgusting body horror; some genuinely thrilling moments thanks to the QTEs happening during cutscenes; and the spirit of the franchise is kept well alive even though we have better controls, a better camera, and far better graphics. Leon has always been my favourite Resident Evil character; while he’s a very different person here, this game went a long way to solidifying how cool he is, and I enjoyed his new abilities and gung-ho attitude. Even the annoying parts, like Ashley constantly being in danger, the swarms of enemies, and the occasional instant deaths are fun to replay; even now, some aspects catch me off-guard, like the trucks speeding towards you or Krauser’s sneak attacks. I may not fully understand why the game needs to be rebuilt from the ground up but I can understand the logic behind it; Resident Evil 4 is a popular and successful entry in the franchise, on that redefined the series for better or worse and which could benefit from a few modern tweaks, but at the same time this version still stands up as one of the most enjoyable in the entire franchise.

My Rating:

Great Stuff

What did you think about Resident Evil 4? When did you first play the game and how do you think it holds up today? Were you put off by the new perspective and controls scheme or did it reinvigorate your love for the franchise? What did you think to Leon, the changes to his repertoire and character, and the dynamic between him and the other characters? Were you a fan of the QTEs and Ashley? Did you ever collect all the bottle caps? Which Resident Evil videogame, character, monster, or spin-off is your favourite, and would you like to see a return to the original tank-control era of the franchise? Whatever you think, feel free to leave your thoughts down below.