In many ways, Resi 4 is still the series’ most iconic entry, and just a few weeks before the latest remake arrives, we got a peek behind the curtain courtesy of Capcom. An extended hands-off demo of the game has given us some big hints as to how it’ll feel to play on arrival.
Capcom
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Preview
Looking impressive
This remake is looking super accomplished, with smart modernisations and a visual overhaul that should make it actually scary again.
Pros
- Great new looks
- Much-improved movement
- More combat options
Cons
- Hard to tell without playing
A classic revisited
Our preview footage of Resident Evil 4 picked things up in Chapter 4 – which is a short way to say that the ratcheting tension of the game’s opening hours are only just in the rearview mirror.
Leon, for the majority of what we watched, has already found Ashley and is trying to guide her through a sprawling, labyrinthine maze of castle hallways and caves to escape the island where she was made captive.
Needless to say, the twisted residents don’t make that easy, with the Ganados recreated in frightening detail that is only compounded if a kill sees a tentacled menace burst out of their neck.
Even from a fairly concise preview, the tonal balance that the original Resident Evil 4 managed is in evidence – this isn’t exactly a tied-down horror story.
While you’ll experience real tension and moments of dread, there’s so much action here that you’ll often have no time to luxuriate in fear.
Capcom
A brief look at Ramón Salazar confirms that the creepy, boyish castellano is back and has been pretty heavily redesigned to look less like a boy and more like a stunted old man.
That goes for most of the design work that steers Resi 4’s story – a lot has been changed, but everything we saw suggests that it’ll make for a scarier, more cohesive tone than before.
Smoothing things out
Resident Evil 4, like most games in the series, bounces between tense exploration, puzzle-solving all the way, and more action-packed combat.
From what we saw, that combat is much improved over the original – a game that was fluid at release but has now been outdone.
Capcom
Leon moves far more smoothly now, and can shoot and move at the same time. His knife is also a total game-changer thanks to a new parry ability that can block a wide range of attacks, even from bosses.
This is something we look forward to seeing in the hands of skilled players and speedrunners, who will doubtless master it quickly.
We got to see a few weapons in action, from the starter pistol and classic shotgun to an SMG and a bolt-thrower, all of which can be upgraded at the merchant (who now has a snazzy stand to go with his coat) for more firepower.
The way our preview’s footage was stitched together means we can’t be sure of whether more sizeable changes have been put in place, changing layouts or the order of events, but there’s a feeling of modernisation throughout.
Capcom
Resident Evil Village’s systems seem to be the benchmark, and a lot of what we say was unsurprisingly reminiscent of that game, the most recent mainline new entry in the series.
One small touch is the addition of collectable attache cases for Leon to find, each of which offers a perk when you’re using it, plus charms to hang off the case’s corners for more benefits – the sort of small addition that returning players will be able to get to grips with.
Quite a looker
Without being able to play it ourselves, the one area that we can be most confident about when it comes to the footage we saw of Resident Evil 4 is its visuals.
Capcom
The game looks excellent, to give you the short version – it’s been completely rebuilt on the latest tech and has all the hallmarks of a modern release.
Lighting is moody and atmospheric pretty much the whole time, doing away with the washed-out nature of the original game’s hardware-limited system.
This means that enemies hiding in corners are far more liable to shock you, while key moments such as a knife fight with Krauser (no longer a QTE but a full encounter) are significantly more dramatic and cinematic.
The castle, in particular, looks unrecognisably improved, with no more tiling textures of identical brick, giving way instead to mottled rock and properly laid-out areas.
Resident Evil Village looked phenomenal on release, and we’ve been given every reason to expect the same level of quality from Resident Evil 4, basically.
Early impressions
The proof will be in the playing, but Resident Evil 4 looks really solid from what we’ve seen so far, and we can’t wait to get our hands on it very soon.
If it can manage to be the latest in a long string of impressive remakes, then one of the best games ever will be more accessible than ever for new fans.