It’s boring to talk about it Resident Evil 4 is one of the greatest games of all time. Since its release in 2005, you’ve probably played it countless times in countless forms, from the OG version on the Nintendo GameCube, to the impressive iOS port, and even better in VR, or like the 1585 on consoles.
So announcing a remake based on Capcom’s revised handling of Resident Evil 2 feels like unnecessary overkill. It’s already available everywhere. It’s still great, right? Ashley is basically tolerable. No, you cannot move and shoot. Quick-time events are a design relic society has relegated to the past. That unexplained lava chamber in the castle is weird. Visually, it’s still there. but the island. Christ, the island! All right. Just like you, Capcom.
When the developers of the remake recently promised that there would be “more content” in the island segment, it made headlines for a reason. The island, while far from stunning, is a blemish in Resident Evil 4’s golden armor. Fragile cervical spine in arguing that it’s the series’ best entry. If the developers decided to cut something from the original Resident Evil 3 Remake, the island would be put on the altar, leaving no one hopeless except for the molded entity on Reddit.
Is the criticism excessive? Maybe, but the island is exactly when Resident Evil 4 wasn’t popular. Enemies are tough sponges of bullets, unleashed in repetitive waves that drain your plentiful ammo supply and upgraded weapons. The soldier ganados are also your average bunch of gun-wielding savages and grunts – forgotten fodder compared to the villagers and whispering castle monks. The consensus view is that the island is the place to die in horror, but action has always been the mainstay of Resident Evil 4. Here, it’s just set to be predictable.
Last scene syndrome has been a problem in Resident Evil for decades. The de facto finish line almost always passes the lab before the final clash with the gangly-limbed mutant. There are exceptions; the final tyrant battles in the original and its sequels are decidedly limited compared to modern standards, but the series’ only means of leveling up are power fantasies. When you’ve spent hours rationing ammo and surviving one-hit-kill enemies, flipping the script to gun-flaming makes sense. However, when the innovations of modern Resident Evil lean toward horror, this well-worn route has become a safe and tedious solution.
The divide between horror highs and action lows has never been more clear than in the latest Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village. With Jack’s pitchfork and Louisiana’s drag tongue constantly stalking you as you fumble around the crappy Baker House, this series is both the best and the scariest ever. The same goes for House of Benevento, a methodical puzzle that climaxes with a terrifying dash of a screaming mutant baby. In both cases, these tense early standouts—where you’re most vulnerable—work toward the final act, where you overturn possibility with exaggerated action sequences.
Of course, the colossal piece of shit at its core is progress. When you throw new instruments of death at players over a period of 15+ hours, each with their own upgrades, the obvious counterattack is to push the chaos to the max. More enemies, repeated boss fights, and added gizmos, all designed to give you the most loaded sense of finality and purpose. That’s how action games work, because we’re all impressionable young sperm. However, some modern examples have proven that when operating within the boundaries of these systems, you can leave a refreshingly lasting impact.
The Last Of Us and 2018’s God Of War followed similar development paths over the course of their games, but left a memorable slap in the face with their ending story choices.You may not remember the previous mob wave, but you will remember Joel choosing to save Ellie or real The identity of Atreus. A remake of a 2005 game, especially one that uses Resident Evil’s intricate lore, might not be able to pull off this trick–but it could take inspiration from Final Fantasy VII Remake. A game that acknowledges its venerable history and takes pleasure in crushing fan expectations.
The island, for all its contempt it breeds, does have two standout encounters: Krause and Regenerator. The former is famous for its QTE marathon knife fights, where failure to enter means death. It’s overblown and goofy, but a change of pace when regular combat gets tiresome. Likewise, Regenerator is a terrible beat-breaker. Between the heat-vision killing mechanic and the creepy piercing breath, there’s a good chance they’ll be completely overhauled, and that’s the scariest prospect going into a remake.
With these island highlights, there is a chance to defy expectations. Deploy the Regenerator during Ashley’s sequence, where you’re deprived of an arsenal of upgrades. Bring them closer to the conclusion, and let their belated presence be the final, lingering note. Turn Krauser fights into a cinematic spin on Yakuza brawls, where Leon can indulge in suplexes, roundhouse kicks and knife parries.
Or, make the island your gimmick home to experience a host of novelties. An Unsung Hero is the creative and varied Resident Evil 7 DLC, which ranges from escape room puzzles to Brother Jack’s duel to nightmarish Blackjack rounds. Witnessing Leon resolve his differences with Sadler on a deck of cards might be too much, but it will make a difference. A bold, unexpected thing.
After its release, Resident Evil 4 reshaped the franchise and influenced a generation of action games, for better or worse. Since then, Resident Evil has evolved in some ways, but the roadblock that keeps the series stuck in the past is its stiff, tired handling of the ending action.
By revamping the island, an isolated point in Resident Evil 4’s legacy, and moving away from the inevitable, the franchise as a whole might find a novel way to wrap up Finale.
