Resident Evil 4 Remake review: The best game in the entire saga

united against evil

Leon S. Kennedy “glides” with a smoothness and agility that would be the envy of his previous iterations. He feels the military training that (as the game tells you) he had in the six years since the Raccoon City incidents.

His handling of weapons and close combat is better than ever, and at the same time those movements feel more real thanks to the animations.

Running, kicking and shooting, the most basic actions to survive this mission, seem heavier if you compare them with the 2005 RE4, but in less than an hour you accept that it’s better this way, that this Leon is more capable and strong, worthy hero of this work.

And what about Ashley? For many years this “damsel in distress” was considered one of the most annoying and useless characters in video games. Capcom recognized that and accordingly gave her a bolder personality and mechanics that make her more endearing.

Besides, here you can’t separate yourself too much from her. Ashley can follow you up close or from afar, but she is always with you, except for rare moments where she can hide because the coming battle would be disastrous if you have her within a meter of distance.

To this we must add that the interactions with Leon are more intelligent and deep. They do not reach the level of those you have with the companions in The Last of Us, but ultimately there is a more transcendent relationship.

These changes to Ashley and her relationship with Leon are no small feat, because you’re on a rescue mission. Her company is essential for the whole experience in this cursed town in Spain, and it is appreciated that she is finally interesting.

Likewise Luis Serra, the mysterious Spanish man who also opposes Lord Saddler and his retinues. His motivations and his arc are more substantial and he has more interactions with Leon, which go from mere distractions to opportunities to develop the plot and the dangers the heroes face. Luis is no longer an occasional ally, but a true agent who moves history.

Everyone’s favorite character, the Merchant, is back with a new voice, more catchphrases, and most of all, a much better stocked store.

With it you no longer only sell treasures, you buy new weapons and improvements. You also repair your bulletproof vest and knives (vital for this era of Resident Evil), and receive rewards for completing side quests.

Side missions? Well, do you remember the blue medallions that you had to destroy? Capcom expanded this mechanic and it is one of their best successes to extend the replay value.

In each area you will come across one of these tasks, none too complicated or unappealing. Kill rats, find a golden egg or sell snakes, things like that. Accomplish these missions and you will be rewarded with special jewels that you can exchange for unique and very valuable items with the Merchant.

Even the target shooting minigame is much bigger, challenging and enriching for your mission. Your rewards are no longer just decorations; They are key chains that you put in your briefcase and give you special abilities, like finding more money by killing enemies.

scarier than ever

RE4 can be praised for its gameplay, but when it comes to horror in any audiovisual medium, the art design must be impeccable to create the right atmosphere, and once again, Capcom delivered.

No more that poo-colored filter smeared all over the place (which is what was in style in those days). The village, castle, and other settings are now illuminated by gloomy cold lights, or by dim burning flames that guide you to the next trap, raising the tension and desolation.

The character models and settings were redesigned to look more realistic and terrifying, without losing the characteristics that made them unique. The details in every corner (paintings, plants and pieces of corpses) submerge you, sometimes by force, in this Castilian hell.

The monsters that inhabit here have more fluid movements and more advanced artificial intelligence. If before you thought they were intelligent because they moved better than a zombie, because they opened doors and threw their weapons at you, now you will be seriously afraid of them when you discover that they protect each other, plan strategies to surround you and use their weapons to deflect your attacks.

The confrontations are therefore more unpredictable and tense; the enemies feel very dangerous even by today’s video game standards.

The soundtrack has been re-orchestrated, the musical themes reinterpreted and adapted to give them new life, while the sound effects and voice acting will require you to buy better headphones or a better sound system in your living room, so that your neighbors can share the sound. fear.

Conclusion

20 years later, Capcom has done it again. You just set new standards when it comes to a good remake and a great horror game. I’m immensely grateful for how he rocked me from start to finish, and how he kept the action flowing perfectly.

If Capcom had asked me what I wanted for a RE4 remake, and told me that everything I asked for would be there, I would have fallen short, because what they did exceeds any fantasy of mine about it.

RE4 is now on my list of the best video games of 2023. It’s perfect, scary and above all, fun at all times. I have nothing to claim from such a majestic work of art that I didn’t know I wanted, until I stayed up all night to finish it.