Resident Evil 4<\/em> remake<\/span>\u2014a complete reimaging of the classic 2005 survival horror game out now on consoles and PC\u2014follows Capcom\u2019s previous Resident Evil <\/em>refreshes. Following the somewhat standalone Resident Evil 1<\/em> remake<\/span>, we got the excellent Resident Evil 2 <\/em>remaster<\/span>. After that, we got the good if a bit short remaster of Resident Evil 3<\/em><\/span>.<\/em> And while fans may have wanted Capcom to remake Code Veronica<\/em> next (and I still hope they do\u2026), most assumed the publisher would hear the siren\u2019s call and once more return to Resident Evil 4<\/em>. It\u2019s a game Capcom has re-released over and over again. I was, admittedly, nervous about it. After Capcom\u2019s previous remasters, HD ports<\/span>, and a VR version, did we really need a remake of such a great game? Would it even be worth it? Well, I\u2019m glad Capcom ignored me and other fans and made the RE4 <\/em>remake, a game that is better than the original.<\/p>\n Remaking this beloved Resident Evil<\/em> installment would be different that Capcom\u2019s past projects. Unlike RE2 <\/em>and 3, RE4<\/em> wasn\u2019t a slow horror game with tank controls and static camera angles. It was the entry in the series where Capcom ditched all that and added more action and shooting into the formula, complete with a now-famous (and often imitated) over-the-shoulder camera. So the room for modernization was narrower, and the places where Capcom could \u201cimprove\u201d the game were less obvious.<\/p>\n So instead of tossing it all out or slavishly sticking to the original, the developers smartly pruned and tweaked it, as if the game was a delicate plant that could topple over if fucked with too much.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/figure>\n At its core, this is still the same basic game. You still play as handsome good guy Leon S. Kennedy, a few years removed from that terrible night in Raccoon City. In the time since RE2<\/em>, he\u2019s become a badass federal agent and is sent on a mission to save the President\u2019s daughter, who has been kidnapped by some creepy cult in the middle of rural Europe. Once Leon arrives and starts blasting and kicking his way across the area, he uncovers a disturbing secret, involving dangerous parasites and religious zealots. Veterans of the OG RE4 <\/em>can confirm none of that has changed. Even the campy tones and cheesy dialogue\u2014like Leon yelling out one-liners before killing bosses\u2014mostly remains intact.<\/p>\n It\u2019s in the details and execution where Capcom has tweaked and edited the narrative and overall game. Some boss fights are missing, replaced either with new ones or just left off the table entirely in an effort to keep the story moving. Ashley is still a young woman, with a similar outfit, but you no longer can look up her skirt<\/span>, and characters aren\u2019t constantly hitting on her in uncomfortable ways. Leon can now move, aim and shoot at the same time. Oh, and QTEs are gone from cutscenes!<\/p>\n Added up, all of these tiny tweaks and changes do make the game feel noticeably different than the original. This is a faster, more aggressive, and more modern-feeling Resident Evil 4<\/em><\/span>. My first few hours were spent being knocked around a ton while getting cornered by large groups of enemies. Yet, I didn\u2019t mind this at all. In fact, modern improvements to controls make it easier to fight big waves of baddies. And all of this\u2014including the way the remake better handles its characters and narrative\u2014felt like they were implemented by people who really, really cared about this shit.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/figure>\n This is more noticeable in the ways Resident Evil 4\u2019<\/em>s remake doesn\u2019t change things up. There\u2019s still a mysterious merchant<\/span> who will sell you various upgrades and weapons and buy your unwanted items, though you can no longer kill him. The opening village fight remains an intense baptism by fire<\/span>. The Regeneradors<\/span> in the latter sections of the game are still scary as hell. You can shoot crows to get coins like it\u2019s 2005. You can once again abuse Leon\u2019s massive kicks when attacking a stunned enemy. And if you shoot the lake, you\u2019ll still get your ass eaten by the giant monster hiding below the murky surface.<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear the devs knew what could be tweaked, removed, or heavily altered and what needed to remain. It\u2019s a balancing act that seems unbelievably hard to pull off, and yet throughout the entire 16 hours or so it took me to beat my first RE4 <\/em>remake playthrough, I never stopped and shook my head over some tweaked mechanic or missing piece of content.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/i.kinja-img.com\/gawker-media\/image\/upload\/c_fit,f_auto,g_center,q_60,w_645\/4f1eff54e7eacbf2d947bb70cdb9582c.jpg\"\/)
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