If you thought Ganados, Del Lago, El Gigante and the rest were ugly in 2005, wait until you see them today!
thanks to Capcom who offered us a copy of the game in order to do the media coverage and the test of it. The publisher/developer therefore authorizes us to distribute and/or use excerpts from the game for our production needs and does not intervene in any way in the awarding of the final grade.
“Welcome Stranger! Eh, eh, eh!” – Merchant
Much like villagers mesmerized by the sound of the village church bell, fans of the Resident Evil franchise flocked to the recent Resident Evil 4 Remake (RE4R). Whether you are among the nostalgic or neophytes wanting to discover this one, RE4R leaves no one indifferent. But do Capcom succeeded once again in refreshing one of its classics or is it once too many? Being a huge fan myself, I was able to get suckered into the horror of the latter and here is my review…
Capcom once again wins its bet
In 2019, Capcom was able to successfully meet one of the most colossal challenges: that of bringing the classic Resident Evil 2 in the modern age. With an unequivocal success, the Japanese studio tried its luck again the following year with the remake of Resident Evil 3, which was a less resounding success, but still well received. And since then, fans have been a bit torn as to what the next title in the series will be to receive a total overhaul: Resident Evil : Code Veronica or Resident Evil 4?
Although a redesign of Code Veronica would have been welcome, the commercial success of the RE4 of 2005 and its multiple ports was indeed a more logical choice for the Japanese publisher. And like recent iterations of RE2 et RE3, RE4R managed to retain nearly 90% of the source material and essence of the original, but with some slight differences. From the outset, it must be said that the new visual artistic direction offers sublime sets, these providing a more destabilizing feeling than the original ones. As these are now darker, more murky and more morbid, we quickly feel some discomfort while playing. This is particularly the case around the houses, such as in the village and the stables at the beginning of the game, where the decay of the places is very successful!
Of course, the new character modeling has also been kicked up a few notches. Leon is now in tune with that of the RE2 revamp and the Ganados (villager) are also more detailed and varied. Besides, new creatures have also been added to the game, such as Brutes – colossi walking around with huge massesTHE Fangs – dogs/wolves with huge fangsas well as other atrocities giving us a hard time.
Resident Evil 4 Remake offers more than just a visual upgrade. Because although the general structure of the environments is like the 2005 title, you will find some modifications here and there. These small alterations in the course are mainly used to create new moments of confrontation and tension, which differ a little from the original title. And overall, it works pretty well and forces you to approach things differently, especially if you’re the type who’s played the original multiple times and knows it like the back of your hand. Here’s a great opportunity to relive this classic in a slightly different way!
On the other hand, some sections of the original RE4 are unfortunately no longer there or have been modified, which may please some, but also displease others. So you won’t find this famous cable car descent again, which is rather disappointing. Personally, I really liked this moment. The famous “race against the rock” and the “corridor des lasers” have also disappeared from RE4R, which can be attributed to the fact that the mechanic of “QTE” (Quick Time Event) has also been removed from the game, or almost.
Also don’t expect to find the mini-boss encounter again”U-3“, this one having been completely cut off. At least the majority of the bosses are still present, such as the The giant, From the lake, Bitores Mendez And the others. To my disappointment, the clash with Garrador has been extensively changed, which is no longer as interesting as before.
Of course, you’ll find essentially all the same game mechanics as in the 2005 title, with a few small differences. You’ll still have that behind-the-shoulder shot and the classic tricks like shooting crows for rewards or smashing barrels and crates to get the resources they’re hiding. On the other hand, Leon will have a new way to destroy them, using kicks and elbows, which saves us from having to use our ammunition or our knife. Moreover, the use of the knife is now more in demand and it now has its own improvement tree, just like the other weapons in the game. The only small difference with the knife is that this one will wear out with use and become less and less effective. When you meet the merchant, you can repair it.
Going back to the new game mechanics, Leon will be able to weaken enemies and then approach them in order to strike them critical and fatal blows using the knife. Stealth elements have also been added, making it possible to practically kill an enemy with one shot that we have taken from behind. What’s also cool about the knife is that you can now use it to counter enemy attacks. For example, if a projectile is launched in your direction, you can block it or deflect it. This is also the case with any type of attack, the knife becoming your most important means of protection in the game!
Inventory management is the same as before, with a few new little niceties. Our suitcase, as in the past, can be swapped out for a larger one, with an automatic sorting option that will generally help find space for superfluous items that you think you can’t lug around. In addition, with the help of spinels, you will be able to acquire special types of coatings for your suitcase, providing certain attributes, such as the possibility of scrap being automatically generated in your inventory. This is very interesting, since this resource allows you to craft ammunition and other useful items.
In the original game, we could find rare items, which we could exchange at the merchant for nice sums of money. This is always the case, but this time we can set these objects with precious stones, the value of these being then increased according to the combination of stones chosen. In addition, you will be able to get some basic rare items directly from the merchant, which offers more possibilities to collect beautiful sums once you have added some beautiful stones to them! This is good, because to evolve the characteristics of your arsenal, you will need a lot of money.
RE4R is not a 100% perfect game, but is very close to being in my opinion. When you manage to raise the bar by improving a classic, it’s very strong, especially because it often takes very little to completely ruin the sauce. Obviously, the story of the game revolving around the daughter of the President of the USA, Ashley Graham, you will find those good old times when you must have constantly glued to the buttocks, having to protect her. I’ve always more or less hated it, but adding a little option so that you can order Ashley to stay close to Leon or away from him, it makes things more interesting when the two find themselves in the middle of a horde of Ganados.
Of course, not having the extra modes such as Assignment ADA, Separate Ways or The Mercenaries is a bit annoying. On the other hand, relying on the course of the story, we can understand that these are likely to arrive via one or more DLCs very soon. Fingers crossed that is the case!
Basically, Resident Evil 4 Remake is a pure success. It was already a very impressive title in 2005 and this one is finally getting the treatment it deserves in order to bring it to a new generation of gamers, or fans of the original. If you’re like me, searching every corner of a room and lifting every rock you encounter, the game will give you more than fifteen hours. If you’re the faster type and don’t dwell too much on everything, it will take between 12 and 15 hours to see the credits. One thing is certain, Capcom is in good hands at the moment and we can only wish that Resident Evil: Code Veronica would be next in line, after Resident Evil 9, of course!
Verdict
To know the criteria of our rating system, visit this page.
Take note that the version tested is the one on PS5. The game is also available on Xbox Series, PS4, Switch, PC.
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