Resident Evil 4 (2023) Review

Taylor Rioux
14 minutes ago
7 min read

Big fan of bingo.

While Resident Evil 2 was my introduction to the Resident Evil series, Resident Evil 4 was certainly the one I spent the most time with and the one I loved the most growing up. Originally released in 2005 to widespread acclaim, RE4 has been among the top listings on multiple ‘Best Game of All Time’ lists. Having played Resident Evil 4 many times on the Gamecube, PS2, and Xbox 360, I was excited for the remake heading in — and perhaps a little nervous.

Despite Capcom’s excellent track record as of late, there was a bit of uncertainty in my mind on how well this remake would be handled. I was a fan of the major updates and changes made to Resident Evil 2 in the 2019 remake, but I didn’t want to see such sweeping changes to 4, as it felt like it really only needed some tweaks to nail down. Luckily, I think Capcom succeeded in achieving this.

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Platform: Played on PC

Availability: Released January 25, 2019 for PS4, Xbox One, and Windows. June 13, 2022 for PS5, and Xbox Series S/X.

Resident Evil 4 (2023) is a survival horror game with a heavy emphasis on action and gunplay. In a departure from games one through three, the original RE4 saw the camera shift from a static camera to an over the shoulder view of the player character, and controls were updated for more fluid movement and precise shooting. While it was a somewhat controversial change among series fans at the time, it has been fully embraced by Capcom and mostly so by the fanbase at large. That style of play remains here in the remake..

As Leon S. Kennedy, you are tasked with finding the President’s daughter Ashley in a remote Spanish village. This kidnapping has been orchestrated by the cult Los Iluminados, a parasite-infested, murderous group led by Osmund Saddler, who seeks to infect Ashley with their parasite and control her (and, eventually, the world). Leon travels through multiple locales and solves many puzzles in an effort to save Ashley and put a stop to the Los Illuminados, but surprising twists along the way keep things interesting - despite the basic premise.

The design and flow of the game remains extremely similar to the original Resident Evil 4 — go to a new area, fight a bunch of enemies, maybe find a new weapon, solve a puzzle, and move on to repeat again. There are some slight variations here and there, such as solving a puzzle while on a timer or being chased, surviving waves of enemies, and even some escort elements as you lead Ashley around to safety. These basic ideas are mostly kept fresh by the ever shifting circumstances and environments you engage with, but Capcom also does well by adding new surprises as you go, introducing a turret section or a boat ride to keep things fresh.

Broadly speaking, not much of the gameplay has changed in a major way when comparing the original 2005 title to Resident Evil 4 (2023), but there are some minor tweaks that improve the experience. For starters, Ashley has a lot more survivability, meaning you can spend less time babysitting her health bar, and more time delivering her to safe positions. Another major change is the way knives work. If you’ve played the phenomenal Resident Evil 2 (2019), the breakable knife mechanic from that game has carried over here. Scarcity of knives in the beginning sections means you have to be more particular about their use, judging whether to save them for emergencies or being proactive and using them for your offensive arsenal.

There are other minor adjustments, as well — Leon can move and shoot at the same time, there’s a limited crafting system, and quick-time events have been removed from the cutscenes. Despite this, the remake remains surprisingly faithful to the original game, making only minor adjustments for the most part; so, when big changes do show up (or don’t, in the case of some bosses), it becomes much more apparent.

It baffles me that Capcom consistently makes such gorgeous titles.

That aforementioned faithfulness is perhaps most notably shown in the enemy types and environments. For enemies, all of the classic basic foes (Villagers, Zealots) remain, and the special ‘elite’ types like Garadors and Regenerators are here, as well, revealing themselves exactly as they did in Resident Evil 4. There are some notable boss exclusions from the base game, like U-3 and one of Salazar’s “hands,” but most of the major bosses are present also.

The environments are stunning and lovingly recreated with modern technology. While there are some more prominent changes later in the game (notably during the island portion of the story), I was almost shocked at just how little was changed in terms of area and building layouts in the early village moments. Anyone who has played the original game is bound to recognize many of the buildings and puzzles. That familiarity makes the changes stand out all the more. Any time there was a new puzzle or fresh cavern to explore, I was ecstatic about the prospect of encountering something new.

Resident Evil 4 (2023) still retains its arsenal of handguns, shotguns, rifles, grenades, and rocket launchers. Most of these weapons are upgradeable at the Mysterious Merchant’s shop, so you can keep playing with older weapons if you like the feel of it, or swap to the new ones you come across. Fortunately, there is also a target range you can use to try out the weapons and earn prizes in the form of keychains that increase various stats, such as reload speed, movement speed, or the amount of health recovered by specific items. The weapons all have a unique feel to them and sound great, but it is a bit disappointing that there are so few new tools to play with.

Speaking of the sound design, its greatness doesn’t stop at just the guns. Much like the RE2 remake before it, Capcom makes excellent use of ambient sounds and background voices to help create unease and tension. On top of that, every explosion is appropriately bombastic, and each splash of water or hit from an attack is justifiably weighty. Capcom has managed to create the perfect soundscape to this game, concocting a beautiful mix of both terror and excitement.

Anyone who has played the original game is bound to recognize many of the buildings and puzzles. That familiarity makes the changes stand out all the more. Any time there was a new puzzle or fresh cavern to explore, I was ecstatic about the prospect of encountering something new.

Thankfully, the levity and absurdity of some moments from the original version remains, with Leon feeling fittingly quippy and aloof, while maintaining some of that personality he had shown in Resident Evil 2 (2019). Many of the original one-liners remain, though some have been slightly altered, and new lines are quite common. More ludicrous moments like the high-speed mine cart ride full of enemies wielding guns and dynamite stand pat, keeping that feeling of familiarity close at all times. Even the Merchant, a seemingly random guy willing to provide Leon with an preposterously diverse array of weaponry, remains. The laser trap room is gone, however, so that’s a bit of a bummer.

Probably my favorite aspect of the original Resident Evil 4 was the Mercenaries mode, which makes its return here. Mercenaries is a mode where you fend off waves of enemies while trying to boost your score. Score gets increased based on chains of consecutive enemies eliminated, total enemies killed, and time remaining on the clock (if any) when all foes are gone. You can choose up to 8 different characters, each with their own abilities and weaponry. It’s a fun little arcade mode to test out your skills, and there’s a good prize if you get an S rank on every stage. I spent much less time on this version when compared to the original game, however. It just didn’t really click for me in the same way.

In truth, there was a hint of disconnectedness through my entire playthrough. I enjoyed my time with the remake thoroughly, and I would much rather play through it again than go back to the GameCube or PS2 versions. But somehow, despite being better in just about every conceivable way, I’ve come away not liking it nearly as much as I loved Resident Evil 4. That’s a ‘me’ problem, surely. I’ve struggled with decoupling my personal feelings and expectations from a remake before, and I’m sure I will again. I was constantly reminded of what the original was, and what this game was missing or did different. I find it regrettable that most of my time playing, and most of this review, ended up being comparative, rather than thoughts formed in a vacuum. For newer players, I would certainly suggest Resident Evil 4 (2023) over the original. I just find it unfortunate that a blend of nostalgia and my own expectations have diminished what would have otherwise probably been an incredible affair.

Verdict

Resident Evil 4 (2023) is an excellent game that captures the tone and absurdity of the original RE4, while breathing fresh air into its systems. Beyond graphical or audio enhancements, this game improves on every bit of the core gameplay when compared to the original. The fast-paced, fun, and fluid gunplay goes well with the exponentially more aggressive enemies, creating an experience that is both tense and action-packed. The phenomenally designed environments and character models are sometimes grotesque and at other times strikingly beautiful, and give an iconic scenario more than their due. Resident Evil 4 (2023) has a great respect for its source material, but is not afraid to make some changes, and it's all the better for it.

Image Credits: Capcom