Analysis of the Resident Evil 4 remake for Xbox Series X

Resident Evil 4 Remake, a splendid tribute to the original work

It has rained a lot since we left 2005, a year full of moments for history. We have had many experiences there, but when it comes to video games, we had one in particular that marked all horror and survival lovers. We are talking, neither more nor less, of Resident Evil 4; a work of great Shinji Mikami which, of course, left no one indifferent.

Resident Evil 4 It was originally released on Nintendo GameCube as a temporary console exclusive, as around this time the square console began to catch the eyes of many industry enthusiasts. For this reason, the big N and Capcom have banked on budding with an ambitious new installment in the Resident Evil franchise; the fourth issue It chose to be set in Europe and a somewhat different story than what it offered. Thus, we saw the birth of the plague, as well as a series of changes in its playable aspects that marked a before and after within the saga.

Following this third change, the fourth installment had a strong impact on the gaming community, which earned it a good series of detractors for having transformed the saga into a “shooter”. In this way, a disjunction was created between followers and followers; those who preferred this new approach and those who preferred the classic essence of the franchise. However, one thing is clear: Resident Evil 4 was a very worthy installment and one that keeps the type going very well. And we see it thanks to Resident Evil 4 Remake.

SO, Leon S. Kennedy and Ashley Graham they are back in this series of reinterpretations that Capcom is doing with the saga; we have already seen it in Resident Evil 2 Remake and Resident Evil 3 Remake

. And the truth is that we could not be more grateful that they offer us these jewels that make us enjoy so much. In this fourth installment, as in previous occasions, we have seen how they have remained faithful to the original product, in addition to introducing numerous improvements and modifications that greatly enrich the final experience.

Capcom did a superb job adapting it with Resident Evil 4 Remake, and it is that they have built a very solid product on the basis of the original. After almost 20 years the game is still a marvel in controls and with even more changes if possible. However, the aspects that once made it shine are still intact; like: the camera on the shoulder, the peddler, his treasures, among others… Certainly, everything worked, and works, in a very organic way, even if the creators behind this new work went further. For this reason, they rewrote some parts of the story and changed some phases that didn’t fit very well, in order to consolidate and better connect the whole storyline with the last episodes starring Ethan Winters. In this way we better understand the origin of the plague and all the events it triggers until what we most recently experienced.

The adaptation has renewed many aspects of the playable section, thus modernizing certain mechanics while adding other more current ones. So we see how more importance was given to stealth and knife use, because now we are allowed to sneak up on the infected, knife in hand, to cut their necks. This feature works surprisingly well and integrates seamlessly with the other mechanics. In fact, it’s an item that looks very organic and even takes advantage of various stage elements to quickly finish off enemies; like shooting a lamp to light up a group of enemies, knocking down a pulley with a single blow to make heavy objects fall… among other very useful actions.

On the other hand, one last thing to take into account is that the enemies usually have well-tuned ears, so at the slightest noise they will locate us and come in droves. Therefore, it will be essential that we remain patient and careful when approaching our objectives if we want to be stealthy.

The knife, this great ally. This versatile tool has become an essential and very important element in this reinterpretation of the work, since it will now be like our Swiss army knife in action. This has several functions or mechanisms, since with it we can stab our enemies causing fatal damage if we are stealthy, finish them off when they are lying on the ground, block melee attacks and even do a sort of parry with a interactive sequence included. The versatility and inclusion of this tool is unmatched, as is the juice that is squeezed out of it throughout the adventure. However, this one has a finite lifespan, which decreases as it is used, whatever the action; even break.

The rest of the playable section is still quite similar to the original, thus keeping the essence and the experience intact. Actually, the progression system is still very present all in all, running delicious without even undergoing modifications. From there, finding new weapons, equipment or treasures continues to be as satisfying as it was in 2005. Likewise, we can continue to improve our equipment with in-game money (pesetas) and thus obtain greater assault power. The plague will perish before our astounding arsenal and might, we are sure.

Resident Evil 4 Remake This is the revision that incorporates the most changes of all those that have been made, and although we have mentioned some of them… The truth is that it is better to leave out those that refer to the story so you can discover them for yourself; Well, there are other very rewarding surprises. With this we will only tell you that there are areas of the title that have been completely redesigned to fit more into the story than Capcom developed a posteriori with the evolution of the saga. Thus, we could say that we are facing the best adaptation that the company has made to date, with many new features. Considering the duration of this whole compendium, we can say that the adventure led us about 15 hours or so from start to credits.

Moving on to more technical aspects, where the most substantial changes reside, to say that the RE Engine is still an impressive “muscle”. Capcom’s engine never ceases to amaze us delivery after delivery, coming to offer very good finishes and high quality. Next-gen console versions have two modes we can choose from: performance mode and fidelity mode. Indeed, both work very well except for some minor texture loading issues. In addition, the artistic design is superb, coming to capture some truly spectacular prints with which to bring out our photographic vein.

Concerning the sound part, we have once again the meticulous work of Shusaku Uchiyama. In this way, the soundtrack continues to be a delight for our ears, although the occasion was also used to introduce new compositions. Besides, He opted for full Spanish localization, both voice and text, thus cherishing a prodigious quality in the interpretations by having professionals such as Lorenzo Beteta or Verónica Llaneza, who have extensive experience in the sector. On the other hand, the sound effects have been subtly modified to make them sound better, thus increasing the quality of the final result. Finally, we appreciate that some jokes or original phrases from the work have been kept, such as the nostalgic one: “Behind You, Fool”who adapted very well.

conclusion

Resident Evil 4 Remake It turned out to be the best adaptation that Capcom done so far, so definitely worth the wait. The feeling after finishing it is extremely good. In fact, this adventure could be replayed again and again until nausea, since we don’t have this feeling of fatigue or repetition while playing it. For this reason, we invite you to dive into its “New Game+ Mode” after completing the main story, as you will always find more surprises if possible. The adventure of Leon S. Kennedy is now lived in the best possible way, and surprisingly, it holds the type very well after almost 20 years since its release. We might get some disadvantages from this work beyond the not counting the missions of Ada Wong, to name a few absences. However, all the improvements and changes that have been implemented are warranted and work perfectly, so hopefully they will continue to do well in the future.