Resident Evil 4 is a real classic. One of the best games ever made. And so it was inevitable a remake would happen. Today, with a large digital shop windowCapcom showed off a bunch of new gameplay footage of the upcoming Resident Evil 4 make new. And while many classic moments and characters return for this new version of the legendary horror game, this time around some things that made this old one different are also changing RE4 fan very excited.
Continue reading: Everything we saw in the big resident Evil Showcase
Originally released exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube in 2005, Resident Evil 4 is considered by many to be one of the best third-person action horror games of all time, mixing classic survival horror elements with a then-new over-the-shoulder camera and combat controls. The Story Stars Resident Evil 2‘s Leon Kennedy, who takes on a mission to rescue the President’s daughter after she’s been gripped by a strange cult in Eastern Europe. When he arrives, he quickly learns that the locals are infected with a strange parasite, Las Plagas, which is turning them and local animals into dangerous monsters. Lots of killing and inventory sorting follows. Good times. I should know I’ve bought it about 300 times by this pointt. And this new remake, coming out in March 2023, seems to mainly follow the same setup but with some small tweaks and possibly bigger changes to the classic formula.
In the first gameplay video Capcom showed during the event, we see what appears to be a recreation of the legendary opening hours of Resident Evil 4. Leon searches for clues about missing daughter Ashley Graham and stumbles upon a run-down farmhouse. Unlike the original game, this time it’s even scarier as the scene takes place in the middle of the night.
At one point, after entering a spooky basement full of skulls, Leon finds one of his police escorts dead and hears over the radio that the other escort is having a, uh… bad time. This is also a change from the original. While these escorts also met an unfortunate fate in the classic game, how Leon learns about them is a little different. I’m curious to see what else Capcom changes in the exact way certain events play out, keeping the overall story similar but tweaking the smaller beats. Oh, and Leon can crouch now! Clean.
When Leon reaches the village, he finds a scene similar to the original, and just like before he must fend off the nasty locals, including a chainsaw-wielding madman who can kill with one hit. During this fight we see that Leon can still use the classic stun-kick-kill combo that I always rely heavily on to conserve ammo. He also kills a poor cow when he sets fire to the barn while escaping. Kind of an idiot, Leon.
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Throughout all this action, we can see that Leon has learned to move and shoot at the same time, something you couldn’t do in the original game (but in the latest VR edition). I know some people are concerned that this will end the game’s famously tense suspense, but I’m also curious to see how Capcom will use the player’s newly increased mobility to increase the intensity in larger fights.
Capcom explained some of the other changes made in the Resident Evil 4 make new throughout the live stream.
Leon now has a new parry that allows him to block enemy attacks with his knife. This will likely come in handy as Capcom says villagers are now more bloodthirsty and have more options to attack and kill you. He also uses his knife to stop a chainsaw from cutting him in half, a good reminder that this is still the case resident Evil and things get campy.
Ah yes, the amazing thing Briefcase inventory system is back. Thankfully, crafting and equipping items like herbs seems more streamlined and easier than the original, with a few pointers in mind the VR portperhaps? The dealer is back too and while he still sells and buys (stranger…) He also now accepts gems as currency, allowing you to exchange these precious stones for new gear and items not found in the original RE4.
Finally, Capcom has released a new story trailer that offers some interesting hints as to what else might change. At one point we see Ashley, fully infected with the parasite, point a gun at someone, possibly Leon or Ada. This didn’t happen in the classic game and I’m curious if this is a real moment or some sort of fake dream sequence. This story trailer also gave us a first look at some iconic moments, such as: the boss fight against the sea monsterand a better look at the new version of Ada Wong.
Everything here excited me. The small and potentially large changes to both gameplay and story seem smart. So far nothing seems to ruin the mood and feel of the original game. But even if Capcom botches that up, I’m not overly concerned. Of all the games in the world, few are as easily accessible on almost all platforms as Resident Evil 4. So if this is a disappointment, I can always go back to the original and enjoy it again. So I’m looking for Capcom to shake things up RE4‘s plot and fight.
Continue reading: Everything we saw in the big resident Evil Showcase
Resident Evil 4 Make new will be released on March 24, 2023 PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. PS4 owners can also upgrade the game to the PS5 version for free. Pre-orders are now also possible.
