Resident Evil 4 Game Review – Survival is only the first step. Six years have elapsed since the Raccoon City biological disaster. Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors, traces the president’s kidnapped daughter to a remote European village where the locals are horribly deformed.
If you, like me, played the original Resident Evil 4 to death, these words will still reverberate in your ears even after all these years. Despite being nearly as annoying as the little navigation sprite from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, it was one of the numerous ways the survival horror franchise broke new ground. So, the remaining debate is whether we should return.
In short, the answer is sure. When the initiative was first announced, I was extremely apprehensive because Resident Evil 4 is one of the best games I have ever played. That’s how much I adored it, and I still do. Given the outcome of the Resident Evil 3 remake, I believe my anxiety was warranted at the time. The last thing I wanted to see in the remake was significant portions of the original omitted.
Watch Gameplay of “Resident Evil 4” on YouTube below:
Thankfully, it appears that Capcom has heeded the feedback, as almost everything is present and correct (with the exception of one boss that comes to mind), albeit with numerous variations. If you’ve played the original, Resident Evil 4 on Xbox Series X|S frequently plays out as you’d expect, before throwing you a curveball.
For instance, there is a moment early on in the village that completely surprised me, but I adored it. If you’re new to the game, you’re covered, as there are numerous legitimately shocking moments that will make you jump out of your skin. It is evident that Capcom is attempting to attract both Resident Evil 4 veterans and newcomers. Even occasionally, the characters appear to comment on how familiar everything feels…
Oh, look at me, I’m getting carried away! Permit me to go back a bit. In Resident Evil 4, you assume the role of Leon S. Kennedy, a series legend who has been promoted to government agent. The sole survivor of the destruction of Raccoon City is entrusted with locating the president’s kidnapped daughter, who was abducted by the Los Illuminados. Your investigation leads you to a strange village in Europe, where you enter a hellish nightmare and fight for survival against the Las Plagas parasite.
Additionally, the tone has changed marginally from the original. It is more straight-edged, less campy, and more gritty. It focuses more on the cult itself, which works remarkably well, with more iconography and a sharpened emphasis on the sacrifices they perform. Resident Evil 4’s visual design reflects this atmosphere. This time around, it’s more claustrophobic, and the color palette is murkier, which makes greater use of the light (when it’s available). In areas such as the castle, however, it is juxtaposed with scenes of splendor and swaths of color. You can also choose between performance and quality modes, depending on which aspect of graphic fidelity is most important to you.
I had a great time in Resident Evil 4 reliving many moments from the original game, as well as experiencing the alterations that came with the remake. The events of the game have been more closely tied to those of the other games in the series, including the development of a certain character from the original game (spoiler alert).
My only minor criticism of the original was that the villainous cult leader Osmund Saddler felt like a squandered opportunity, and the final battle lacked drama. This time around, there has been a marked improvement. His behavior and appearance are significantly more malevolent and threatening.
Additionally, Ashley has undergone another significant change. The section where you play as her has been entirely revamped and is now incredibly exciting. Suddenly losing your firearms plunges you back into the horror of the situation and turns the game on its head.
The final component of the motif change is the gameplay. Because Leon is clumsier and less nimble, you are essentially always in peril. Survival requires a combination of evasion and good, old-fashioned firepower, as outrunning your adversaries is impossible.
Ammunition feels scarcer, so it’s fortunate that Leon is skilled with his faithful knife. If a Ganado has its hands around your neck, a fast pull of the right trigger will plunge the weapon directly into the neck of your attacker. The only difference is that a durability mechanic has been added, and defensive maneuvers such as this considerably degrade your knife’s durability.
As in the past, Leon is able to construct a remarkable arsenal of weapons that all feel uniquely brilliant in design and function. Each handles differently but pleasingly, and their personalities will inspire you to bring your favorite armaments on your mission. My trusted Punisher handgun was my most prized possession. It’s also convenient that you can designate them to directions on the D-Pad so you can switch between them quickly.
Also returning from the more recent series of games is the crafting system, which feels like a natural complement to the combat system. You will occasionally run out of ammunition, so crafting cartridges is the only way to proceed. As a result, there is a healthy balance and the threat remains real.
If not for his close friend the Merchant, who is very much back in business, Leon would be long gone. Along the path, he will offer you new items, opportunities to upgrade, and even the ability to trade. You can now exchange the spinels you earn from requests (such as shooting those pesky blue medallions) for a variety of items, as opposed to merely selling them.
The Merchant will also strengthen your weapons and restore the durability of items like knives. Additionally, you can sell him absolutely everything, which is a nice detail. This consists of mission-critical objects that are no longer required, such as keys, which were previously discarded.
If you wish to take a break or simply refine your skills, you can rejoice because the shooting ranges have also returned. The objective of these challenges is to eliminate as many pirates as possible for high scores and tokens. These new rewards can be exchanged for trinkets at the range. Randomly dispensed in exchange for your hard-earned tokens, these trinkets offer a variety of benefits, including extra ammunition when crafting, the ability to sprint quicker, and more. This is a subtle addition to the combat strategy that enhances the gameplay without profoundly altering how it functions.
Obviously, your dependable attache case keeps everything secure, and you can engage in some inventory management if you so choose. Or, a fast press of the thumbstick will automatically resolve the issue. What a difference a century makes!
This time around, despite Leon’s access to numerous weapons, the emphasis is on dodging and parrying enemy assaults. He still has the ability to perform a fast turn, but he is not quite as nimble on his feet as his opponents. This was the only significant issue I encountered while playing Resident Evil 4.
There were numerous occasions where I was unable to avoid an enemy attack. This may have been due to the fact that I believed myself to be a “Billy Big Potatoes” and went directly for the hardest difficulty (having played the original game numerous times and thus following the game’s advice). Whether it was a pitchfork to the chest, an axe to the cranium, or a stick grenade to the face, Leon could not move his posterior fast enough.
It appears I was experiencing “deadzone” issues on Xbox, as were many others. This is essentially where there is a lack of recognition for minor thumbstick movements. Even when equipped with laser sights, it appeared as if my enemies could stroll through my bullets when aiming.
In addition to this, LB or B flashes up most of the time to allow you to escape imminent peril, but there were numerous occasions where I was certain I had pressed the button in time, only to see Leon get knocked out. Again, it could be me or the difficulty (the professional difficulty specifies that parries must be perfectly timed, so perhaps that’s a factor in hardcore mode), but the responsiveness felt a touch off.
I did not find the issue to be a game-changer; it is nothing of the sort. Although a recent patch has improved matters, the controls are still not as precise as they could be. It caused occasional frustration and a few needless fatalities. If you are pursuing more specialized accomplishments, however, I could see it being problematic.
This update also brought The Mercenaries, an iconic arcade mode, back as a free add-on. This little gem is a time attack challenge with a high score that pits you against waves of enemies in various locations from the main campaign.
The arenas are relatively spacious, but there are numerous confined spaces and corners where it is easy to become overwhelmed. Occasionally, a supervisor will show up to further confound matters. However, after a certain number of kills, you will be able to activate “mayhem mode,” which grants your character a temporary advantage. This time, there are also online leaderboards.
This time around, the highlight was being able to participate as Luis, but a few notable characters are missing. My spider sense tells me they may appear under the (ahem) aegis of paid DLC at some point in the future…
Resident Evil 4 presents a substantial challenge, particularly on the hardest settings. Early on, in a valley on the outskirts of the village, it was extremely difficult for me to survive. I was surrounded by adversaries who were hurling grandes and fire arrows at me, so it took me numerous attempts to clear the area. I ultimately resorted to hiding in a home and awaiting their arrival. Thankfully, this early flash of difficulty was not a portent of things to come, and I soon found my footing after that obstacle. Other than this, the difficulty trajectory was fairly rational.
Resident Evil 4 feels more like a survival horror game due to the numerous alterations. This has been accomplished without removing anything that pushed the original in an innovative new direction, which was my initial concern. The changes work well for me, as I now feel less secure hiding behind my shotgun because ammo is scarce and enemies are more difficult to eliminate.
Additional content can be unlocked by earning completion points by completing in-game challenges. Whether it be weapons, character models, or artwork, the adventure is bolstered by an abundance of supplementary content that is a genuine treat for players.
Resident Evil 4 is fantastic and remains true to the original while breaking new ground for the franchise once more. There is so much for both old and new fans to appreciate, and the game has lost none of its impact.
Resident Evil 4 on Xbox Series X|S is a beautifully recreated thrill voyage from start to finish, despite a few minor technical issues. Capcom has struck an equilibrium that should satisfy both veteran and novice players.
Resident Evil 4: Survival is only the first step. Six years have elapsed since the Raccoon City biological disaster. Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors, traces the president's kidnapped daughter to a remote European village where the locals are horribly deformed. – kendajaya