Recent reviews for Resident Evil 4’s remake have provided a more in-depth look at the game’s gameplay, key improvements and modifications, boss fights, and more.
Many fans anticipate the impending remake of Resident Evil 4 because of Capcom’s established reputation for producing high-quality, comprehensive remakes of classic games. Capcom’s State of Play 2023 trailer for the Resident Evil 4 remake proves that the hype surrounding the game is only growing.
While details about the Resident Evil 4 remake, such as the addition of new Ashley gameplay, the parrying mechanism, and so on, have been verified in the past, nothing beats seeing it in action, which is why Game Rant was just given a sneak peek at 17 minutes of hands-off footage. Resident Evil 4 is among the series’ most beloved installments, and this remake looks set to propel it to new heights.
First, we started with Resident Evil 3 Remake, later Resident Evil Village came, now this account will be focused in RESIDENT EVIL 4 REMAKE! 🙂#REBHFun pic.twitter.com/pNz9jS0ezT
— Resident Evil 4 REMAKE Info/Countdown (@RE4Rcountdown) June 2, 2022
Resident Evil 4: The Lake, Parrying, Blue Request Notes, and More
Near sunset in Resident Evil 4, we saw Leon exploring the lake and encountering numerous enemies. Without a controller, we could still feel the impact of weapons and attacks, which is crucial to any action game. Leon’s melee skills and the effects of his weapons all appear to be in top form.
With the addition of the parrying mechanic, the fights in Resident Evil 4’s remake felt even tenser. As well as using it for long-range defense against weapons like crossbows and Parasites, Leon could also draw it for combat. This means players won’t look helpless using knives as a defense weapon.
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While certain quests, puzzles, and the like were hinted at, one of the most interesting elements was the introduction of Blue Request Notes. Completing their requests, such as turning over a Golden Egg, will reward players with Spinels.
It stands to reason that these rewards and the variety of these notes will be plentiful, but as we only saw one, this is pure speculation. It’s an excellent addition to the exploration elements of the Resident Evil 4 remake, at least, as it gives someone else for players to keep an eye out for. Overall, those looking in every nook and cranny can be rewarded in many ways, such as these notes, Blue Medallions, and the like.
Resident Evil 4 Weapons, Vendor, and Customized Attache Case
While it may not happen every time, the Merchant we saw in Resident Evil 4 did not pull back his coat and ask, “What’re ya buyin’?” Instead, he was more set up with shops and wares. He looks like the Resident Evil 4 merchant fans know and love, and there will likely be some of the same grungey dialogue. It’s just a noticeable change from the Merchant hiding in the corner.
Seeing how fresh and crisp the store UI looks is still pretty exciting. Beyond the standard buy and sell, there is also an option to “trade,” though we could not see what this entailed. Everything is divvied up nicely, but perhaps the most significant tie-in in this section was confirming a customizable attache case. Players can change the color and design of it, as well as attach little keychain-looking items.
These may have a minor impact on the game experience, but it’s worth a laugh to see Leon’s weapon case having a chicken attached to it.
Between the Merchant’s shop, Leon’s equipped weapons, and other weapons used throughout the gameplay (and likely plenty more), here are all the Resident Evil 4 weapons we saw:
- Combat Knife
- SG-09 Handgun
- An Unidentified Hand Cannon
- W-870 Pump Shotgun
- An Unidentified Sniper Rifle
- A Second Unidentified Rifle
- TMP SMG
- Bolt Thrower
- Rocket Launcher
- Attachable Mines
Resident Evil 4: Attack the Castle, New Ashley Gameplay Changes
Another section of gameplay we saw dealt with getting into Salazar’s castle. Here, the combat of Resident Evil 4 genuinely shined as Leon and Ashley were surrounded by various enemies. It required the player to swap between close-range weapons to stop from being overwhelmed while also popping up a sniper rifle to kill enemies on top of nearby towers.
It’s a tough fight for the player to advance through, to realize the door is not open. This turns into an even more intense battle as players reach a nearby cannon to blast the door open.
One of the highlights of this section is the specific changes to Ashley’s gameplay in the Resident Evil 4 remake. In the original, players could command her to follow or hide/stay put. This means players could leave her safely in one area while they clear out another, but that’s unrealistic. Ashley always follows Leon but can stay close or maintain some distance.
This allows players to choose the best commands in certain situations; if players are suddenly overwhelmed, they can tell her to hold back in hopes of not making it worse. If players are being struck at from afar, they can call her closer to better protect/revive her. She seems to be a lot more proactive and doesn’t hold the player back as often as she did in the original.
Resident Evil 4: A Ramon Salazar Crowd and a Garrador Fight
As players explore the castle inside, it’s explicit how daunting and disturbing it all is compared to the original Resident Evil 4. Exploring it with Ashley is more cooperative than before, with the pair eventually coming face-to-face with the castle lord.
Salazar has been shown off a few times, but the showcase provides a fresh look at his improved character model when players first meet him in the castle. It’s a good look at Leon and Ashley before the preview shifts to a Garrador mini-boss battle.
These opponents are quick and deal high amounts of damage, with players wanting to be as quiet as possible. However, the parrying mechanic works here, too—should players alert the creature, they can use their knife to parry its giant claws to reduce or avoid damage, depending on the timing. It’s still as tense as ever, but how much this new parrying mechanic adds to the Resident Evil 4 experience cannot be understated.
Resident Evil 4: Jack Krauser Fight
The final section of the preview gave us a small glimpse at the Jack Krauser fighting, showing a little more than the recent State of Play trailer. As fans may know, the original Jack Krauser fight was a QTE in the original game, but now it relies on the player using that parrying mechanic.
Like with the Garrador fight, this makes the whole thing much more intense as players strike at Krauser with a knife, try to block his own, and clash. At least one button-mashing sequence is tied into this fight, but it feels more natural and like a face-off than a mini-game.
It’s impossible to judge a full-blown game off of seven minutes, but Resident Evil 4 seems on track to match Resident Evil 2’s remake quality, if not outright exceed it. Resident Evil 4 Remake will be released on March 24, 2023, for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.