When you think of saving games in Resident Evil, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? I think it’s a typewriter or even an ink ribbon. Maybe even a tape recorder if you’re a big Resident Evil 7: Resident Evil fan.
I’ve been spending some time with Resident Evil 4 Remake lately, and I’m sure to pick out every detail I can find. Not only am I struggling to hear Leon Kennedy say, “Bingo?” or make sure that arranging my storage box is really as satisfying as the 2005 title, but — I’m sorry to doubt Capcom — I’m also looking for a typewriter.
Resident Evil 4 wasn’t the first Resident Evil game to use a typewriter as a save point, but it was the first to use a typewriter that didn’t require an ink ribbon. Savings also became infinite, and were eventually abandoned in Resident Evil 5, along with the spirit of the series.
Anyway, I did find a typewriter. After all, there’s no point in remaking Resident Evil 4 — a game that was supposed to be more closely related to Resident Evil Village — without a typewriter as a save point. However, in this day and age, you never know what’s going to be a remake and what’s not (looking at you, Resident Evil 3 Remake).
It’s worth mentioning that in the build I’m playing with, we can’t actually use or interact with the typewriter. After all, this is a demo, and I don’t have to panic about saving my progress for fear that random Los Ganados will suddenly take me out. There appears to be some form of auto-save between areas of the game, but again, this may all be exclusive to the demo version.
That said, it’s safe to say that Resident Evil 4 Remake remembers exactly where it came from. So far, based on the part of the game’s demo I’m going to play, it feels like Resident Evil 4, with some fresh paint and evolved combat.
Keeping small details like the look of the storage compartment, the save system and the dialogue go a long way towards making it a great remake; I’m relieved to see that typewriter even though I can’t use it yet , and is relieved that this remake is in the right hands.
