the big bad cometh | RE4 Remake (Hardcore) P.6

Channel:

andynomical

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Published on March 30, 2023 10:31:14 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmM01lHgB8M

Game:

Resident Evil 4 (2023)

Duration: 2:27:03

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1

gotta get that sunrise ending

REVIEW
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Hoo boy, was this a treat to enjoy. I've always maintained a fondness for the approach that classic RE4 took and despite it's age, helped cement an evolution of video games of years to come. To bear witness of the same title being touched upon almost 2 decades later fueled by improved video game expertise and hardware advancement all presented in one nice, tidy little package is a tremendous representation of how far electronic gaming has come. Everything about the remake and the concepts that follow goes to show how love and passion to a craft can create monumental pieces of art.

As is with the trend of remakes, the stories are similar in essence. The basis remains as before with now-special-agent Leon Kennedy being sent to a unknown village in Spain to find the US president's kidnapped daughter. This opens up a massive can of worms as Leon has to fight off religious zealotism powered by biological weaponry, primarily for "mind-control" purposes in an effort to take over the world via "world peace" done about in nefarious ways. Throw in friends and foes old and new, and you have quite the recipe for a action-adventure/horror story.

What I really liked a lot about the story this time around was that a sense of weight was emphasized in how everything was framed. I mentioned it a fair bit in the video but the 2005 story (overall in general including gameplay, etc.) felt "arcade-y", that it had almost a cartoonish filter to the horror. Perhaps this is due to graphical limitations but Leon mowing down countless villagers, zealots and abominations while maintaining a smart-ass attitude and showing no sign of exhaustion makes it hard to be taken seriously. That doesn't pose as much of a risk this time as characters, the environments, much had vibrancy and "life", realistic reactions to their surroundings and not dumb 80's Hollywood movie writing and logic being applied. A sense of urgency to threat levels as the Los Illuminados weren't some cliché terrorist group but a group steadfast in their beliefs, spanning across decades of aristocracy and presenting gentility in being genuine, that what they're doing is truly just. Things leave a mark a lot more effectively this time around.

Much like the effectiveness of the story framed against through a modern lens, gameplay is phenomenal. Capcom seems to have taken many liberties from both their previous titles and completely new introductions to make player interaction as engaging as possible. Combat is no joke as Leon is primarily a 1-man army, getting into many fights where it's easy to get swarmed and enemies do not take turns attacking but Leon certainly packs a punch with his arsenal of choice. Resource management is very lenient this time around as auto-sorting is an option as opposed to having to do it manually, ammo crafting to help keep yourself topped off, knife engagements to spice up range/melee approaches, parrying and dodging mechanics to help against massive damage, etc. Much has been implemented to ensure a more fulfilling time with the story. Classic tropes like item hunts and the occasional backtrack are still a thing but are done well and are not obnoxious.

I really like the optional objective freedom the game provides with "side-quests", treasure hunting and shooting range challenges. A combination of old and new elements done to entice the player to explore and take time enjoying what more the game has to offer beyond the main story. I appreciate the change to the shooting range with it rewarding different tier coins to help get better chances at a gacha-system in the form of bottle-caps where each one gives a different bonus. Makes working your butt off in the range worth it.

Considering how often spinels were found in the OG game, I imagine they were envisioned differently to have a purpose more than it being an easy peseta farm. Trading them for unique goodies is a rewarding currency system that provides more depth to the overall experience.

The main story has practically been 1:1 but I made an oopsie in memory. I was equating the "U-3" (pincer BOW) boss in the underground storage containers with one of Salazar's "Verdugos" (left/right "hands"), wondering why I never came across that sequence but they were completely separate monsters. It still raises an interesting point though since the U-3 and the containers area was completely cut from the remake as it would've made for an interesting battle. Considering what was cut here compared to RE3 Remake, it's practically nothing.

There's a fair amount more I could talk about but I'm nearing the 5000 character limit for the description. Remake or not, this game's existence is extremely fruitful for future developers as it showcases what a triple A, single-player title is still capable of. Nothing about how Capcom managed this game is remiss and they deserve all the success this game brings. Job well done Capcom.

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