Resident Evil 4 Remake Review — A Cult-y Classic

2023 has been a fantastic year for game releases so far. Of all the games I’ve had the pleasure to review, I can recall few if any games dipping below the 8/10 point. This seems to be thanks in no small part to an industry-wide change in the attitude of game developers.

Perhaps in response to community feedback, we’re seeing a shift away from micro-transaction-driven live service games. Single-player experiences have proven successful, and are making a big return to the market, to the great approval of players everywhere.

2023 has also shown itself to be the year of remakes. Though often hated in the film industry, remakes find a lot more success and approval for video games. Remaking classic favorites with newer technology seems like a good idea, and when it’s done right it can enhance the experience of the original. Dead Space’s release earlier this year set the precedent of what a good remake should be, and Resident Evil 4 has only reinforced that.

With that out of the way, I’m going to avoid discussing Resident Evil 4 as a remake any further and treat it like a brand-new release. The last word I’ll say on the topic is that fans of the original will definitely enjoy the 2023 version as much as the original, if not more.

If you’ve never played a Resident Evil game before, staring at RE4 isn’t a terrible point to get into the series. While you’ll be missing some plot from past games, and I highly recommend at least playing RE2 first, each title in the series is fairly stand-alone and not having context from the previous games won’t ruin your experience.

Without spoiling anything, the story of Resident Evil 4 starts out pretty straightforward but quickly spirals into a deep and engaging narrative that shows a lot more is going on than our protagonist originally thought.

Said protagonist, Leon S. Kennedy, is a former rookie cop and a survivor of the Racoon City incident, the outbreak of a bioweapon made by the Umbrella Corporation that saw a major city overrun with zombies.

Since then, Leon has been turned into a specially trained agent for the United States government. When the President’s daughter, Ashley Graham, is kidnapped in Spain, it’s up to Leon to find her and bring her back home safely.

Resident Evil 4’s gameplay is as engaging as the story, offering something highly replayable and truly different from other games on the market. On the surface, the gameplay is pretty straightforward; players must navigate through a series of levels, backtracking as they see fit, solving puzzles fighting back waves of enemies (and more than a few bosses) as they progress.

Resident Evil 4’s greater complexity is in the scarcity of resources and how players manage them. Save points, as well as ammo and healing items are rare and must be spent wisely, leaving it up to the individual player to determine the value of every bullet spent and every enemy killed.

This can be tricky at times, as sometimes said enemies will return without a head, requiring a few more bullets than you expected.

RE4 sets itself apart from other ‘Zombie’ games in that regard. Most similar games see players on opposite ends of two extremes; Either you are a zombie slaying savant, loaded up with all the guns and ammo you could ever need, or you’re a stealth-focussed survivalist who often finds the only bullet they have is reserved for themselves.

In Resident Evil 4, you’re somewhere in the middle. Leon is no pushover, and ammo is just scarce enough to make combat challenging and tactical, but not impossible. Often, your guns serve more as stun tools, setting enemies up to be taken out by a mixture of martial arts and knife play.

The explorative player might find plenty of ammo, making clearing through a level a breeze, while a stealth-minded player might find the extra time they spend sneaking past foes has given them more ammo to take on bosses. It really is up to you how to take on Leon’s mission.

If you’ve ever played Escape from Tarkov, you might be similar with the concept of ‘Loot Tetris,’ something that the Resident Evil games may very well have created. Your inventory in RE4 is managed via Leon’s Cache, a metal case with a limited amount of slots. Each item you collect, which includes ammo, weapons, and healing, takes up space in the Cache, meaning you have to be careful what you pick up and when.

Items that can be better used down the line can be put into storage at save stations, allowing clever players to plan ahead for encounters further down the line, or have a backup plan if they find themselves stuck on a level.

Ammo isn’t the only thing you’re looting from the Spanish countryside. Treasures such as rubies, sapphires, and precious silver goblets can be found and sold to the Merchant, a mysterious character who’ll supply you with all the weapons and upgrades you need — For a price.

Treasure can be combined, increasing its value, which rewards players for exploring and showing a bit of patience; Selling that ruby right away isn’t always the best idea, but when it can be combined with a Goblet you might find further down the line.

Resident Evil 4 isn’t a shooter, however, and some reading this review might be wondering how Capcom handles horror in their latest title. My answer? They handle it well — With a big focus on tension that only Resident Evil can really pull off.

Resident Evil as a series is famous for its gory monsters and body horror, and there’s plenty of that here. What RE4 does that’s missing in other games in the franchise is present you with a uniquely human threat.

Zombies are predictable, slow, and stupid, but in Resident Evil 4 you’re up against a cult of crazed, superhuman maniacs. Enemies are smarter than your typical zombie, avoiding obvious hazards and using tools such as throwing hatchets, dynamite, and bear traps to not only overwhelm you with numbers but present you with clever and often unexpected strategies to keep you on your toes.

The tension of finding yourself in an unpredicted situation with a horde of very human enemies is unlike many horror games, and Resident Evil 4 doesn’t need to make use of cheap jumpscares or loud noises to surprise and scare you. That being said, I wouldn’t run haphazardly into any blind spots, or you might fall victim to RE4’s unique ability to surprise and catch you off guard.

Finally, this review wouldn’t be complete without an acknowledgment of Resident Evil 4’s graphics. The game is absolutely beautiful, in a drab, depressing, and unsettling way. It feels like a horror game, and you’ll find yourself appreciating the fantastic graphics all the more when you’re looking into the gaping wounds of headless enemies and sacrificial lambs left around the countryside.

Try Hard Guides was provided with a PC review copy of this game. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles in the Game Reviews section of our website! Resident Evil 4 is available now on the PlayStation 5 (PS5), the PlayStation 4 (PS4), Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.