Let's talk Resident Evil 4 Remake- The Good & The Bad

If you've played Resi4R then welcome! If you haven't and avoiding spoilers. . then you may wanna give this a miss for now as I will be spoiling some things best experienced yourself first. And I expect the same from any and everyone else diving into this game, just let out how you're feeling about this game; a remake of a beloved video game that had a huge impact for many developers and gamers alike.

Some of the things I'm going to note may be seen as tips so that may come in handy too.

For the record I am in that vocal group of "RE4 doesn't need a remake" but we got it, and here it is. And frankly it's excellent, I think the pacing of the Island is vastly improved as are majority the bosses. However it was not all for the better.

So on that note here are a few of my hot-takes on what the game did worse than OG4-

• Ringing the Bell at the church doesn't spawn enemies anymore, this is one of many small easter-eggs chopped from the game (whether you like it or not the laser-beam dodging was cool)
• Killing farm animals in OG4 would decrease ammo drops and added enemies to the game. Remake4 encourages killing animals and in fact setting the cow on fire makes the opening village section far easier, the player is not punished.
• I found crafting highly pointless. Options are always good sure but just program the game to respond to low ammo/ no ammo as Dead SpaceR does. So yeah, Just hand me ammo for what I'm using, all it does is clutter up my case. It really doesn't function well in Remake4.
• One of the Verdugo's apparently just peace's-out of the entire game or killed off screen (DLC maybe?) The sewer Verdugo boss is given context through a note and is overall a downgrade when compared to the original, in which we saw the perspective from various villain characters.
• The unlockable costumes leave a lot to be desired, we essentially get one for Leon and one for Ashley unless you pay-up, lame. No classic Ada dress either. .
• Ada doesn't really do anything in this game anymore and all her scenes are mediocre. This was however to give greater context and stronger roles to Ashley and Luis so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• Invisible Novistadores are worse in Remake4, usually a cautious threat now not threatening what-so-ever. Maybe they just wanted instant kill enemies to be less stress inducing?
• Cable cars are better than an ugly scripted chase scene that lasts 15 seconds when you know what you're doing, this killed the pacing of the village finale for me.
• The reload animations for a few guns are much worse, less cool in Remake4.
• I get why they use yellow paint for everything (people with short attention spans) but did they have to make things 'glow' when scouting an area? simple answer, no. Capcom just thinks we're idiots at this point, and looking at average competition rates. . maybe they're right.
• Handcannon is no longer the definitive magnum of 4. Making the challenging reward mediocre. Broken Butterfly is the best magnum in the game when fully upgraded, this is not opinion, it is tested and proven. Does more damage and have a quicker fire-rate.

Cool stuff you can do in Remake4 you may not know-

• When Salazar is rambling through the pipes you can shoot the pipe and cut him off mid sentence, this is a call-back to a cutscene in OG4.
• You can't shoot the merchant anymore but you can throw eggs at him. Likewise with Ashley if you miss her calling you a "pervert".
• You may have already seen people having fun throwing a golden egg at the Salazar boss; taking a chunky 70% his heath. However this isn't random and is hinted during the portrait side-quest.
• If you're having trouble grabbing S ranks in the shooting gallery you can use auto-aim however the Merchant will comment on you 'cheating'.
• On the note of 'cheating' keychains really do make a difference. Striker is easily the best one, prey to the RNG Gods that you get lucky.
• The hanging lights in various areas on the Island section can be shot to damage enemies, it exposes the Plagas of Regeneradors for easy non-scope kills.
• Ashley can easily avoid attacks during her section by strafing to the left. This is less useful when you unlock her armored skin but still, just never go right on an enemy and you should be ok.
• Maybe you just went along with the scene but you cannot use guns against Krauser in the Mines, this makes the player pay more attention to how fundamental the knife is in Remake4.
• Heavy Grenades are great for skipping sections of the game that requires something being destroyed usually by a third party. This works in a few sections of the game, and can be done with rockets too.

When the original released I played the two disc GCN version for all of a few minutes but I'm almost finished with my first play of the remake. Right off the bat, the content is vast especially when compared with the remake(s) of two and three. Playing outside of the city didn't seem like the right fit for me but it has proven to be quite an experience. I'm sure I'll think of more later.

@Solaryellow: Definitely takes longer for a playthrough. Not too surprising considering Resident Evil 4 was the second longest Resident Evil just behind Veronica. The remake is roughly the same length as the original if including the side-quest activities.

Gotta clear the Elephant in the room first. First & foremost, I have never played the original Resident Evil 4 on GC when it came out. I did play RE1 & 2 when it came out. Follow by Zero, Code Veronica but just never got around to play 4 for unknown reasons and I got back into the franchise thanks to Resident Evil Revaluations when it came out for 3DS (own PC version now) and so with that, I'm not a huge fan of RE & I don't like the fanbase for obvious reasons but that's beside the point, I just never play the original so playing RE4 Remake is totally new to me.

That being said, I been really enjoying RE4 Remake, I'm now on my 2nd playthrough, I can't say much what change from the original to the remake but the game itself is amazing, it blows RE2 Remake out of the water IMO. One thing I like here is the Merchant I find to be very interesting, and I suspect he's the secret apprentice to The Duke from RE Village (and yes, I really like RE Village mind you) but also, he's Ganado...well I am aware from the original it's implied that he is and his lust for money makes him my fav character in the game. I didn't have any issues regarding crafting materials, it was just like I did with RE Village as Village was more towards action as it was taking ques from RE4 as I was always told by the community.

Overall, I may not know much of the original on what change but the Remake was clearly made for people like me who never played RE4 and this Remake was a nice introduction and now I see why RE4 is overrated but in a good way as I was always told it redefined how we play 3rd-person action games. I give this Remake a 9/10 and its right...just right up their with Dead Space Remake yet another awesome Remake game and you already know, I'm a huge fan of Dead Space games and like you RMS-HQ, I too thought Dead Space didn't need a Remake and yet it came and prove me wrong in a way. But that's another story.

Can understand this statement. Much like many long running franchises that swap out genres, a vocal group of Resident Evil fans are Gatekeeping Bigots.

Overall you'll find fans who tell people "what true Survival Horror" is and what games are "shit" without giving them a chance or explaining a stance rationally. If it's not fixed camera some fans would dismiss any entry, etc, it can be very toxic in the community and difficult to simply have a nice conversation about a series, let alone about Survival Horror or Action Horror.

The way I always looked at Survival and Action Horror is they namely both handle enemy encounters and resources differently. Fixed camera and dated controls has nothing to do with it what-so-ever; and modern changes are not something fans should so easily dismiss.

Likewise I wish newer fans would give some of those older games a chance too, if someone really enjoyed Resi2Remake? chances are they'll like the Game Cube Remake of the first as well after adjusting to the perspective change and controls.

The divide in the fandom is mostly stubborn people who hate change.

it blowsRE2 Remakeout of the water IMO

Very different games and design, but I understand this sense, with you being a huge Dead Space fan. Dead Space was extremely inspired by Resident Evil 4 so it comes full circle to an extent.

Resi2R is probably my favorite RE Engine entry. I think they really took the Survival Horror rule-set and catered it to modern tech near-perfectly.

Resi4R is a remake of simply one of the greatest games ever made; they're both extremely well made yet Resi4R is more accessible, because honestly Survival Horror is pretty niche and not everyone likes Survival Horror. Telling the player they have six bullets and 12 zombies that take between 4-29 shots to down isn't for everyone, Survival Horror is more about decision making than basking in a warzone. Most just want to kill a horde of the undead and bypass the lack of firepower in games such as Resi2R.

The move to Action upset and caused a divide however it cannot be denied how awesome a game 4 is (well it can if someone didn't want an Action game I guess). Most importantly 4 is fun. Many would get a lot of joy german suplexing the world, and it is very entertaining hehe.

I suspect he's the secret apprentice to The Duke fromRE Village

Other way around I believe seeing as Resi4R is set in 2004 and Merchant hinting at retirement in the remake. But the whole Merchant guild is left to the players imagination so either could be correct. Duke is one aspect I really liked in Village.

Enjoy your second playthrough, I hope you're playing with the mafia outfit now lol.

RE4 was perfect the way it was and didn't need a remake. That said, the remake is still very good and I'm glad it happened.

Probably my favorite thing about it is actually the way they connected the village section by putting the house at the end of the chapter 1 on the other side of the lake. I just love the lake section in general in this remake. Super fun to explore.

I like that they gave spinels more of a purpose with trading, and the added merchant quests are mostly a nice change of pace and fun.

Durability for the knife makes sense. Can't just headshot, kick, knife while they're down every enemy anymore.

Game has a more "survival" vibe with less ammo and the crafting compared to the original. Don't like that change.

I like that for areas such as the fish farm and valley you start from the back. Nice little changes that make the game more fresh and unexpected.

The end of the village section is much better in the original. Not sure why they decided to make such a change after the house fight with Luis.

I like playing through the one chapter with Luis a lot.

Ashley and Luis became much better characters but Ada is God awful now :( worst voice acting RE has gotten in years and the character is written and performed just so badly.

Island section has less and changed content which is probably for the better. But the "It" fight should've been left in at least.

I don't like how some of the big unlockables are put behind a speedrunning wall. In the original all you had to do was beat the game on the different difficulties.

If Separate Ways is paid dlc then screw you Capcom.

Minagawa Junko does a fairly decent job with what she's given, I just feel Ada overall was kicked to the side so the other side characters could shine. Read the other voice actor for English is pretty bad.

Agree with a fair number of your points though, outside the Survival aspect, which maybe because I love Survival Horror but was one of the main areas I wanted this remake to focus on.

For me that was an area in which OG4 was heavily criticised being stacked with ammo, much like the knife it was a change to heighten the games other areas. Along with the overly simple puzzles of OG4 this give the game a little more of the series trial-by-fire of handling any situation. Now it's encouraged to trick enemies into traps to save ammo.

If Separate Ways is paid dlc then screw you Capcom.

It's sad that we can almost guarantee it will not be free if it happens at all. After all Resi3R didn't have a Barry ending which was previously the canon ending. Wouldn't be surprised if Ada's perspective is dropped entirely, after all the character isn't exactly loved right now anyway.

The ONLY thing I don’t like about RE4 Remake is the lack of a dodge button. Still a 10/10 game, though.

The ONLY thing I don’t like about RE4 Remake is the lack of a dodge button. Still a 10/10 game, though.

Dodge mechanic seems linked to Jill Valentine and is her veteran skill in the franchise_

Guess they just want certain characters to have different ways or surviving these imposing enemies. Ethan soaks himself in liquids, Leon kicks/ suplexes, Chris punches, and Jill dodges.

Though I have noticed Leon in Resi4R is taking some cues from Sebastian from The Evil Within; multi purpose crossbow and stealth kills_

Seeing as Game Spot keep reposting ranking for the series. As a fun gesture I'm going to rank the 'canon' games.

Well in a more informative manner to the quality and overall enjoyment I've experienced with each entry. Some of these you may think are spin-offs, however my rule is if they get referenced in later games? they're canon.

God Tier (Pinnacle of franchise)

• Resi Remake
• Resi 2 Remake
• Resi 4/ Resi 4 Remake

A Tier (Undoubtedly great)

• Resi Outbreak/ Resi Outbreak: File 2
• Resi 3
• Resi 2

B Tier (Highly enjoyable with minor flaws)

• Resi 5
• Resi
• Revelations 2

C Tier (Flawed in many areas, still fun)

• Resi 3 Remake
• Resi 7
• Revelations
• Code Veronica
• Resi Village

D Tier (Well, it had moments)

• Resi 6
• Umbrella/ Darkside Chronicles

F Tier (Best avoided)

• Resi Zero
• Gun Survivor (All of them)

*If I considered adding The Evil Within the first game would be in B Tier and TEW2 would fall in A Tier (probably the top). They are not part the Resident Evil franchise, however they're largely treated as a spiritual successor IP during mid/late 2010's.

It's hard to fathom how they created the perfect 3rd person shooting mechanics with RE4, and just decided to ditch it. To me, no other game matches the intensity of every single encounter. If they revert to the generic shooting of other modern Resident Evil titles instead of building on what they did here, it will be a total waste.

@patriotplayer90: Some people find OG4 stiff and difficult to adapt. The main 'fair' complaint I usually see is the way movement of the camera works. Because it's readjusting tilt. It's not the third person set-up most playing in 2023 are accustomed with, what with a free rotating camera being standard for third person games for the past decade at least.

Those who moan about move-and-shoot rarely if never play a Resi game. As it doesn't make a difference. Moving an inch makes zero difference in any the RE games outside of maybe a bolt shot/ knife throw from 4 onwards. If a monster is going to chomp your face off? it's going to happen regardless how many inches you've nudged while aiming.

Don't think the modern games are generic though, I think that's unfair. Though modern only fans can be unfair saying older games are unplayable.

I would say this game was pretty near perfect up until the last few chapters. Then it seemed kind of intense and repetitive. But overall, excellent game, really enjoyed it.

@SolidGame_basic: Kinda how the original ended, I would say the Island was better in the remake though, they just cut out all the non-sense and bad gimmick sections.

Fire-Man & Regenerators are really the main highlight of The Island in both versions.

I'm enjoying the game. On my 6th or 7th playthrough. I love the replay value for Resident Evil games. Few things that annoy or piss me off: crafting, too many bugs (enemies), 2 minuteish walking segment near the end (allow us to skip that!), mercenaries mode. Now I do enjoy mercenaries but it's bare-bones at the moment. I would prefer at least one more stage, wouldn't care if it's the waterworld level or not. And we should have Ada as a playable character at least. I'm assuming we're getting an Ada DLC, maybe they'll add more to the mercenaries mode then. I hope so. Overall awesome game though.

I agree, glad they added the mode soon after launch but I'd prefer it be delayed if it ment having the complete experience.

too many bugs (enemies)

The only enemy issues/ bugs I've had is every now and then enemies forget I exist and return to default position running away, I've noticed this happens in all the RE Engine games though. Most infamous is the Lickers in the Police Station.

Ashley can be a little weird and run around, mimicking a lunatic as well.

2 minuteish walking segment near the end (allow us to skip that!)

Fully agree, much like Hunnigan sections, make it skippable.

@RSM-HQ: That's true, but the remake showed that they could simply modernize the controls and it would still work perfectly.

RE4's combat is what made it a classic, and it has been used as a blueprint for the genre and 3rd person shooters in general. From what I've played and seen from other "good" Resident Evil titles, combat feels like a total afterthought. There was absolutely no reason they needed to ditch the satisfying and engaging combat system for boring gunplay and unresponsive bullet-sponge enemies. Even if they simply wanted to reduce the amount of combat and focus more on the survival aspect, they didn't have to intentionally make it worse

@patriotplayer90: It's all very debateable for sure and will split the community on preferences.

I'm not sure one is worse than the other, but the OG did provide its own take on third person gameplay, while the remake follows more the expectations for modern games.

Personally enjoy both games but have aspects I like and dislike from both. Overall I do give the slight edge to the OG because its held up way more than some vocal opinions give it credit.