Resident Evil 4’s Remake Finally Helped Me Finish A Classic
Any gaming fanatic will likely mention Resident Evil 4, Capcom’s grand reinvention of their iconic horror franchise that became one of the biggest hits of the 2000s. Even I enjoyed my time with Resident Evil 4, yet for some strange reason never finished it.
Every time I’ve tried to finish Resident Evil 4, which must have been at least three or four times now, my interest would fade and Leon would be stuck in Spain for the remainder of his virtual life. Typically those playthroughs would come to a screeching halt during the castle section with more sophisticated enemies who use shields and ranged weapons; plus you have to escort Ashley a lot more. Furthermore, this section feels massive compared to Village which feels almost effortless by comparison.
Given that the Castle isn’t even considered by gamers as being the worst part of the game, with that honor reserved for the Island and all its military folly, I can’t imagine myself finishing it at all. If hooded cultists with shields and maces are enough to make me give up on it altogether, an army of heavily-armed goons sitting behind gun turrets might make me throw my controller through a window in frustration.
Resident Evil 4’s remake has been one of my favourite experiences of 2023, which is quite amazing considering how faithfully faithful it faithfully recreates the original version. Even with my limited knowledge of the first game, I could still recognize plenty of moments and sections from it – beyond just obvious ones like Del Lago fight or Village siege at the start.
Resident Evil 4’s remake, while faithful to the original, feels like a vast improvement. I personally prefer being able to move and shoot more freely while knife combat has been greatly improved with ground finishers and parries making fights much more exciting. Capcom wisely kept most of the best parts of combat (the kicks and suplexes!), but it’s how they have further developed other elements that makes this remake even more enjoyable to play.
The new focus on exploration is commendable, rewarding players for taking time to discover their environment by offering more treasures than ever. Furthermore, the requests feature builds upon an aspect of the original game which wasn’t fully explored: shooting Blue Medallions in the Village for a gun upgrade. Now there are more requests than ever (plus even more Blue Medallions!), earning Spinels which can be spent on multiple guns instead of just one.
Don’t get me wrong, there are still bits in the Resident Evil 4 remake which remain frustrating, particularly the Regeneradors. These dad-bod looking ghouls require precise shooting to eliminate their parasites but it’s especially challenging when they keep flopping around like fish on the floor. By the end, I had no choice but to just run past them but of course their arms would pull me back with ease; half my knife durability went into breaking their hold on me.
It’s understandable why the Regeneradors are more powerful in this version, since Leon has been granted the ability to move and shoot. Capcom had no choice but to make all other enemies even deadlier as well; even basic Ganados tend to rush Leon and apply more pressure than before. While Resident Evil 4 remake may be harder than before, success will be much sweeter when you do succeed!
Resident Evil 4’s remake is a vast improvement over its original release, so even if you can’t get into RE4, the remake offers you your best shot at experiencing some of gaming’s finest offerings. Even if RE4 wasn’t your cup of tea, there’s still the possibility that RE4 may still not be for you; nonetheless, don’t miss out on this chance to experience some of gaming’s finest moments.
