Resident Evil 4 won’t stay dead.
Capcom makes this clear by bringing the third-person survival horror title to newer hardware. Such is the case with PS4 and Xbox One players who will be treated to two generations of Resident Evil 4. CGMagazine got a hands off preview of the upcoming remake, which showcases new gameplay in a familiar setting.
The remake takes great pains to flush out the brighter, grayer colour scheme from 2005. Capcom’s preview of Chapter 4 makes this known as Agent Leon S. Kennedy moves under the cover of night to rescue the president’s daughter. It’s a drastic colour scheme that adds a creepy atmosphere that the original lacked.
Resident Evil 4 borrows some of the same tried-and-true elements from Resident Evil Village, adding cult shrines (courtesy of Los Illuminados) to caves, mines, and shacks. These visual changes – powered by the updated RE engine – bring Resident Evil 4 in line with other recent titles.
Cult chants grow louder as Leon encounters the redesigned Ganados. The original 2005 game marked a significant change for the series by placing combat on Leon’s shoulders. Inadvertently reinventing third-person action games, Capcom sticks with the intimate camera for Resident Evil 4. Like Leon, players in Resident Evil 2 (2019) are a long way from simply pointing and shooting at zombies.
Ganados can feel pain and react to strategically placed bullets. Combat begins with a flurry of karate kicks to keep groups of enemies at bay. This is especially useful for crowd control and responding to Ganados with a shotgun blast.
Stealth will also be a new addition to the remake. The preview showed this during his treacherous castle journey, with Leon taking cover to avoid detection. Players will also be able to crouch and sneak past enemies for quiet encounters. Footsteps are also quieter, giving players an advantage against certain enemy types such as the blind Garrador.
Parrying has been highlighted as a new feature throughout the level. Players have a chance to preserve their health with a well-timed button press. Leon will use his knife to deflect or stun attacking enemies before continuing. The knife also restores a health bar to encourage resource gathering. Players can also use it to finish off downed enemies before they get back up.
“Capcom offers a newer game but retains Resident Evil 4‘s iconic weapons…”
Like many weapons, the knife can be upgraded and repaired by Resident Evil 4‘s iconic merchant. The hooded Englishman makes a bold return to provide Leon with some much-needed items for his mission. He joins forces with the Duke of Resident Evil Village by offering weapon upgrades, ammunition, and cash of his own. Power, ammo capacity, rate of fire and reload speed are just a few of the tune-ups players can get to kick more ass.
Capcom offers a newer game but retains Resident Evil 4‘s iconic weapons, including the handgun, free shotgun, and TMP. Taking a cue from Village, the next remake also encourages players to combine treasures to maximize their value.
Ashley Graham was also featured in the castle section of the remake. Players will still have to multitask by watching out for fireballs and protecting the VIP. Like in the original, Ashley can wait, hide and follow Leon. But in the remake, Ashley gets more involved with a few quips of her own and a redesigned solo level as Resident Evil 4 takes a break from Leon.
Capcom‘s preview won’t surprise players who have gone through Leon’s bad day before. Even so, it introduces new gameplay improvements that pull the rug from even the most jaded Resident Evil 4 fans. Until launch, Capcom’s remake is shaping up to be a do-over both its developers and players might be looking for.
Resident Evil 4 releases on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and previous-gen consoles on March 24, 2023.
