Flagship of the Capcom Five project, and the only major commercial success of the five "exclusives" initially planned for GameCube, Resident Evil 4 It represented a huge turning point for video games at the time, despite having its origins in a risky plan. Shinji Mikami He himself, its director, does not really consider it a horror game: from the beginning his intention and that of his team was to create a game much more full of action than the rest of the series, and it was precisely that change of direction that It ensured its spread even among those who did not appreciate its predecessors, as well as inexorably bringing it to a myriad of other platforms.
However, to think that its success is only linked to more adrenaline-fueled mechanics would be a serious mistake: with inconceivable naturalness, the team led by Mikami managed to create a video game so well thought out that it became the inspiring muse of the entire saga. Third-party shooter genre. The most curious thing? His innovations - combined with the tension generated by the challenging confrontations - also led a large number of horror films to take up concepts and ideas from him, no small achievement considering how Mikami recently stated that he held back a lot during its conception, trying to give priority to the "producer" in him rather than the "creator".
At the same time, it would be simplistic to reduce Resident Evil 4's innovations only to the close-up camera behind Leon, when in reality the game still represents a perfect lesson in map design, not to mention enemies with behavioral and positioning routines. so perfect as to have made many of the most exciting phases of the campaign iconic. However, we are talking about a production that is almost twenty years old, considered perfectable in several aspects even by its creator, especially if we take into account the numerous advances in the industry and some risky decisions taken during its production (it seems that the plot had been written in a few weeks, for example).
However, the vast possibilities for improvement have not prevented debates on the choice of Capcom to dedicate yourself to remake of Resident Evil 4. On the one hand, many historical fans went into a frenzy immediately after the announcement, more eager than ever to relive Leon's adventure again in a renewed form; On the other hand, a good part of the fans frowned, convinced that Resident Evil 4 did not need who knows what intervention, or simply that there were games in the series that clearly needed a similar operation more (Codename Veronica, the most obvious) . In the unstoppable chatter of the web, someone even theorized that the game had been chosen to make money with a relatively easy job, considering the small intervention necessary to modernize the original. To some extent, it must be said, the last point is true: this Resident Evil remains today a very solid and brilliant game, which has lost very little of its charm; except that what Mikami said about possible improvements was certainly not unreasonable, and it is undeniable that some of its features have aged poorly, especially in certain specific phases.
Therefore, we approach everything in the only possible way in our opinion, that is, by playing the original title for the umpteenth time in parallel with the remake campaign, to compare the two works with maximum mental freshness. And we can tell you right away: Capcom's new addition emerged triumphant from the confrontation, despite an unexpected final disappointment. Today, obviously, we will analyze in detail what was played, in the our review of Resident Evil 4.
Story and narrative of Resident Evil 4
The Resident Evil series has always been pretty hard to pin down when it comes to fiction. Without a doubt, it is a brand loved by millions of players, around which a universe of rare complexity has been formed over the years, as well as endless debates and theories constantly exposed by fans. At the same time, however, its original inspirations were not only horror classics, but also B-movies, so it's not unusual to hear cheesy (if not completely crazy) dialogue between the various chapters. Many fans appreciate the balancing act on the verge of absurdity that the series has subjected them to for years, and Resident Evil 4 is a clear example of this trend, considering that it chooses to paint León with tones of a nineties action hero and In doing so, it delivers some truly memorable dialogue for its obtuseness, despite a compelling overall underlying plot.
However, the remakes decided to continue a new course from the narrative point of view, more refined and serious, although not so far from the exaggerations of the classic series as to completely betray its roots. Capcom's latest remake is no exception to the rule, and here too the adventure of good old Leon S. Kennedy has been largely rewritten with the aim of being more coherent and sensible. Let's be clear, we also loved the protagonist's one-liners and some of the ridiculous scenes in the final stages of the original campaign, but there's no doubt that the changes Capcom made to the story were a real blessing to the experience. Many of the most ridiculous events have been greatly reworked, virtually all the characters are infinitely better characterized and more present in the story, and what happens to León takes on a completely different value once we reach the final moments. And the good thing is that, as mentioned, the wholesale rewrite doesn't sacrifice the spectacular insanity of some iconic moments that didn't need to be removed at all.
There is no point in delving deeper into the situation with unwanted spoilers, so we conclude by simply stating that, as far as we are concerned, the work done on the plot is promoted with note, as well as noticeably superior to what we have seen. in the other remakes. If this is the trend, there are serious reasons to have hope in the continuation of the saga (and, who knows, perhaps in a reconstruction from scratch of the fifth and sixth chapters).
Contents and structure: complete menu, for two
Surfing the wave of narrative, we believe it is good and right to move on to game structure, also because the creation of a campaign with the same features as the original and without content cuts represents an essential fundamental for the majority of fans after the semi-disappointment of the remake of Resident Evil 3. We have already mentioned it in the introduction. but it is necessary to repeat it: the design of the maps and the meticulous positioning of the enemies are some of the main elements that make Resident Evil 4 a masterpiece, and if on the one hand it is not a problem to propose some unforgettable confrontations in a remake without major changes (like the town's initial, played to perfection), on the other hand, renewing the less successful ones requires considerable talent. Therefore, it was difficult not to be surprised by what Capcom had done in its latest creation, because all the contents of the game were approached with the same strategic plan applied to the plot: improve each element that had aged poorly and expand as much as possible. , with the utmost respect for what made everything great.
The end result is, honestly, incredible, and it is even more noticeable if you approach the two titles in parallel. throughout the campaign only one thing was cut - a single boss, in our opinion one of the least solid of the original - but the rest has been recovered in an evolved and modernized form, where everything that has not stood the test of time has been completely reworked. Seriously, during progression it can seem like some phases have been removed, when in reality most of the time they are simply recontextualized and appear at other times in the story in a modernized form. If that wasn't enough, the title is full of extras- New fights, significantly lengthened and renewed phases and new explorable areas. To give you an idea, if today finishing (again) the original game took us just over eight hours, the remake took a good fifteen. Given the high level of Capcom games in recent years, we practically assumed that this remake would be more than excellent, but here they have really outdone themselves. The new action sequences feature maps comparable in variety and intelligence to the best in the original game, with clashes perfectly calculated around the numerous changes made to the gameplay. If what has been described were not enough, even the few chapters with real horror potential are more tense and distressing, to the delight of those who have always wanted a partial approximation between Resident Evil 4 and those that preceded it.
Gameplay: Leon Texas Ranger's Phlegmatic Dance
Considering that it represents the backbone of the entire structure, Resident Evil 4 gameplay Capcom couldn't distort it too much, and in reality it would have been foolish to dismiss what Mikami and company had done. That said, the remake is still a title remade from scratch with the RE Engine, and this inevitably leads to it being based on a completely different physics system than the game it is based on; The filming here is a variant of what was seen in the remake of the second and third chapters, with different handling of aim and movement. To clarify, while in Mikami's Resident Evil 4 it was only possible to shoot from a standing position, but aiming was generally more precise and agile, in Leon's remake can move freely and even move (albeit quite slowly) while aiming at the opponent. It is a great advantage during battles, taking into account that the enemies are numerous and very aggressive, but they tend to have more telephonic attacks and launch projectiles with a predictable trajectory; Capcom partially countered this in two ways: by making the base move "heavier" and slower (though not by much), and by changing the weapon power and stamina of all opponents.
Simply put, the remake's weapons don't have the same impact as the originals, at least until you upgrade them properly from the mythical ones. game merchant (which, and we tell you with absolute joy, has even improved). He aiming system Therefore, it is close to that of the other remakes, with a scope whose accuracy decreases in direct proportion to how much you move, as well as a clearer diversification between the different weapons. However, even once the characteristics of the various weapons are improved, the resistance of the game's monstrosities tends to be significantly higher than what has been seen in the past (with only a few exceptions): Ganados practically always require at least two shots. in the legs to be thrown to the ground, if they are hit in the chest with low-power weapons their movements are not always interrupted, and sometimes they even resist two blows to the head. Considering that battles usually have a comparable number of enemies to the original (although in some cases the hordes of opponents are similar or even smaller, to counter) these differences make the game more challenging overall.
Be careful, the renewed danger of the infected does not mean that Leon's brutal executions do not continue to be an essential element of the gameplay of this title. In fact, in all probability today the use of these maneuvers is even more important, due to a greater overall scarcity of resources. While in the original, using the knife strategically and taking out groups of enemies with suplexes or spinning kicks (they deal high damage, are invulnerable during the animation, and hit in an area of effect) guaranteed a huge surplus of projectiles, the current approach of Capcom This is closer to its survival horror roots and it is now more important to conserve ammunition, because these are easily removed from the inventory during some tense confrontations or boss battles. This time there also seems to be one. adaptive difficulty, which evaluates the resources available to the player and changes the quantity and quality of bullets scattered around the maps based on how many are used, however we rarely had so much lead available to feel safe, and the possibility is not enough to craft bullets . with the gunpowder found there so that the situation returns to normal.
Probably also because these factors must be taken into account more, the developers have decided to provide the Lion with an additional powerful maneuver, which will be one of the main tools for those who want to avoid any waste: a very effective stop with the knife that allows you to defend yourself from an endless number of different attacks. This is a much more permissive defensive mechanic than we thought: the window is wide (at least on normal difficulty...) and it repels almost anything thrown at it, even stopping arrows and deflecting Molotov cocktails (if it stops a hit At the right moment, León also manages to damage the Ganados by cutting off his limb); Described like this it might seem exaggeratedly powerful, but in reality Capcom has balanced everything in the most natural way that exists, that is, giving opponents various attacks that they cannot defend themselves against with knives: grabs, pushes or simple blows. which can usually be stopped and made all blades destructible. Of course, it is possible to enhance the resistance of your main knife and repair it at the merchant's house, but considering that it is consumed after any action (including normal attacks, even if they are very few), we assure you that it is not a rarity. to break virtually all additional knives found. To make it even more difficult to keep this tool intact, the designers have seen fit to include in the game a kind of variation on the "Crimson Head" theme introduced with the remake of the first Resident Evil; In practice, once killed, certain Cattle begin to have convulsions, and if at that moment you do not finish them off with the knife, they wake up improved with a broken neck, in addition to having an enviable resistance to bullets. . The need to perform these final blows, added to the presence of new very damaging executions that always use the sword, make it really difficult to abuse them. There's even a new stealth system, which makes some situations easier if you clear the field of enemies by eliminating them from behind, to avoid being surrounded later: another excellent implementation, to the point that there are some situations that seem to have in the campaign have been included specifically issues that need to be addressed in this way.
In any case, the change that we welcomed most happily is QTE removal. Remnants of a past game and too punitive in the original, here they have been completely eliminated, with a total transformation of the phases that used them. Most of the time many of these events are replaced by the simple need to use dodging, another useful maneuver that can prevent a lot of damage if used at the right time. All of the developers' choices make a lot of sense and offer the same freedom of approach that makes Resident Evil 4 an unforgettable video game. However, the new system made the remake have a less visceral feel than the original game, where the weapons tended to be more devastating and much of the fun also came from their ability to cause mayhem. To summarize, we do not believe that the new gameplay is inferior to that of the predecessor, especially if we analyze all the reasons explained above and its perfect adaptation to battles, but we realize how high the quality of the shooting is. was in Mikami's work, and that some purists might prefer it to the new system.
Technical section and defects: the horror in the details
L'the only thing that really disappointed us during the experience was the total absence of separate ways, the mini campaign dedicated to Ada Wong. It is true that it was not present in the first version of the game, but in all the others it was and is considered an integral part of the story by practically all fans. After what was done in the remake of the second chapter, we were almost convinced that we could use the most beloved femme fatale of the series for a few hours, and we do not deny that we were very saddened by the absence of dedicated chapters. to her once the campaign is over. Now, we can't be too critical and, overall, León's adventure has practically been doubled in this remake; However, if these additional contents had been part of the package, we would have found ourselves facing a work bordering on perfection, and it seems like a wasted opportunity. Already confirmed but the absence of Mercenaries mode at launch. However, this will be added with future free DLC, so we don't think it makes much sense to penalize what has been done for its lack.
Nothing to say about him technical sector- The game has very respectable graphics on PS5 (where we played it) even if performance mode is selected, and features be careful with the animations stratospheric. León makes variable movements depending on his position during the executions, he has brief bursts of fear if a bullet grazes him, he gasps noticeably if he has been running for a while, and the brutal dismemberments of his enemies are no exception, so much so that it is possible to observe with clearly the tentacles of the plagues still moving from the severed limbs. Even the physics engine has come a long way thanks to new technology: enemies with large attack areas can literally tear apart their allies if they start landing blows in the middle of a group, iron grips also work with Ganados, and it's even possible two bullets collide in flight, blocking each other (obviously it is still possible to stop them with a shot, if desired). The amount of detail on the screen is also notable, especially if we take into account that the Resident Evil 4 maps are more extensive and full of characters than in previous chapters. There is no point in making great clarifications about facial animations and the quality of faces and models, in this the RE Engine is always safe and we have not noticed any setbacks of any kind.
Another element worthy of praise is theAI, on which the intervention is more sensitive than could be imagined at first sight. In the new version, many "arenas" have been modified to limit the single entry points that can be used to destroy enemies, and the Ganados appear to follow more complex paths, tending to bypass Leon in most cases. (it is still possible to exploit certain obstacles for easy removal, but less frequently than before). Additionally, phases with Ashley are significantly more successful due to the simple ability to tell the girl to move closer or away on command, as well as the lack of a separate health bar (she is now simply incapacitated by hits and can saved easily). if not, she receives a new blow). All the best for jumping into the dumpster, and that's a good thing.
Il sound design is no exception, and the Ganados' constant Spanish threats not only remain largely unchanged, but allow you to perceive the position of enemies much more clearly, which is extremely useful if you decide to exploit stealth. The sound effects are cleverly used to amplify the distress of certain situations, they change realistically depending on where you are, but as always we don't want to go into too much detail so as not to ruin some surprises, not to mention that the Mastery of the team in this type of operations is already more than consolidated. Last gem? The game is fully localized to Spanish, and the work done by the voice actors is impeccable.
Conclusions
Tested version PlayStation 5 Price 69,99 € Holygamerz.com 9.0 Readers (116) 8.5 your voteIf it weren't for the lack of Separe Ways, Resident Evil 4 would be a remake one step away from perfection. Capcom's work respects what was done in the original, but manages to systematically eliminate almost all of its weaknesses related to age and plot; all offer hours of new content in the main campaign and a very high overall quality in all other aspects. Of course, a less visceral filming compared to Mikami's work could partially disappoint purists, and here too the final phase underperforms compared to the highest peaks of the first two thirds of the adventure, but we are faced with a work worthy of applause. , which manages to perfect an already excellent title far beyond expectations. Absolutely worth playing whether you're a fan of the series or not.
PRO
- Campaign expanded and improved in all aspects.
- Brilliant gameplay, maintaining the freedom of approach of the original.
- The narrative has improved significantly.
- Technically very solid
AGAINST
- The absence of separate paths is difficult to accept
- Less visceral gunplay could upset purists
