RESIDENT Evil 4 has always been dense, and it continues to be so in the remake.
As you take your first steps into the rural village, you hear the cracks of sticks on the ground, crows caring, and the wind howling.
The remake blends new beasts with the old.
The tree crowd over you like a circus top, and there is a sense of claustrophobia even in the daytime.
While many aspects have been kept from the original, the remake is a different beast entirely.
The original moved away from the horror of the first Resident Evil trilogy, and opted for all-out action.
By contrast, the remake tries to give us the best of both worlds. Both terrifying and action-packed.
A crouch walk has been added to encourage you to use stealth to make your way through.
Every stealth kill is a risk. If you take down one Ganado, its death knell might alert a dozen more around the corner.
It remains the classic game in many ways. Leon is the same former police officer working as a US agent, out to save the President’s daughter.
Key locations and enemies will evoke nostalgia for fans of the original game, but a lot more has changed than you will realise.
There are new enemies, like the bull-headed monster from the trailers, and old enemies come with new tricks.
But no matter who you are up against, the same combat works, pushing back large crowds and aiming for the weak points.
That is except for the Parry. This is a completely new addition that can help you negate incoming damage.
Perfect Parries can also stagger the enemy leaving them vulnerable to a follow-up attack.
The story and the relationship between Leon and Ashley develop far more naturally this time around.
It all makes a lot more sense, but still keeps the zany and absurd feel of the original.
The remake retains the linear path of the original, but remixes it to give a similar feel to the original trilogy.
They’ve added a lot more collectibles, and once you get the treasure map from the merchant, you might feel overwhelmed with the possibilities.
However, it also gives a new sense of reward and meaning to exploring corners of the game you may have never seen before.
It’s still the same satisfying gameplay loop where you take down monsters, collect ammo and upgrade your weapons.
And it just works when combined with great level and combat design, paired with a kooky yet genuine story.
It’s the surprises that keep you playing. The constant feeling that the next big threat is looming around the corner.
Resident Evil 4 Remake is one of the best games of all time with a new shiny coat of paint.
The combat is sharper than it’s ever been, and the new sound and visuals bring the horror back to the series.
Extra additions will make you explore the levels as you have never done before, and it will continue to engage you until its thrilling finale.
Written by Dave Aubrey and Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
