With new announcements and information regarding Resident Evil 4 Remake imminent and its release edging ever closer, many fans are still wondering how Ashley's companion gameplay is going to function. So far, the only gameplay Capcom has revealed is the opening segment of the Village and Leon's encounter with the ganados, which fans have been very impressed with.
As already made clear by the producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, this remake will look to pay respect to the original version, whilst also implementing new features and aspects within both gameplay and story. Depending on how much Capcom is willing to reveal before launch, fans may get an early glimpse of Ashley during gameplay and what this will mean for the majority of the game.
5 New Commands
In the original Resident Evil 4, players only had access to three commands when journeying through the game's regions with Ashley. Two of these were either wait or follow, and the other one was for her to hide in areas that were deemed too overwhelming for her to be out in the open. Whether these will remain in the upcoming remake is yet to be seen, but what is most certainly needed to revamp Ashley's companion gameplay, is new and helpful commands that Leon can give.
While fans will be hoping that Ashley's AI will be a little less frustrating than it was before, it would be unlikely and unrealistic for Ashley to suddenly become a companion that can either use weapons or fight alongside Leon. Considering this, new commands that entail scoping an area out for enemies, or specific directional commands such as "go here" or "wait there" would be much more realistic.
4 Unique Hiding Areas
Those who are familiar with the original game will be aware of Ashley's absence during the cabin fight alongside Luis Sera, with a plethora of ganados attacking the pair. With the story trailer, it appears as though this section will remain in the remake, but it is yet to be seen how the encounter will play out. In order to improve gameplay in the aspect of true survival horror, allowing the player to choose where Ashley must hide during intense combat sequences with the possibility of enemies finding her would raise tensions even further than ever before.
This would not only introduce an edge of the seat like gameplay experience, but it would also give players an incentive to take a more tactical and thoughtful approach to combat scenarios that contain Ashley as a companion. The gameplay segment revealed at the RE Showcase last year confirmed the addition of stealth which was non-existent in the original, and choosing safety spots for Ashley would create new and engaging challenges to confront amid gameplay.
3 Resource Supplier
Akin to games like The Last of Us, Capcom has a great opportunity to utilize the companion designated sections to their most optimal performance. In the aforementioned title, Ellie can often supply Joel with ammo, health packs, or resources for crafting when players are in trouble depending on the difficulty level. This is also present within the original Resident Evil 4 during the cabin fight with Luis Sera, and after Ashley's puzzle segment in which all gained resources are passed over to Leon's attache case.
Considering the plethora of fans who sometimes found Ashley to be less useful in the height of combat situations, this would be the perfect solution for Capcom developers to implement, especially if they take the route of limiting ammo resources that players' can stumble upon.
2 Playing As A Companion
During Leon's path in the Resident Evil 2 Remake, players must play as Ada after Leon is hit by a stray bullet while attempting to save her. Ada's gameplay segment lasts just a little longer than Ashley's in the original Resident Evil 4 and is completely different in terms of being able to attack enemies as players can defend themselves.
In light of Capcom maintaining the section that includes Ashley breaking out of captivity along with completing a puzzle, Resident Evil 4 Remake can implement a segment that allows players to take control of Ashley. Whether this is while Leon is injured or incapable of his usual combat maneuvers, it would be a great way to give the player an experience on the vulnerable side of things.
1 Distraction For Enemies
With stealth standing as a new addition to the title, fans will most certainly anticipate scenarios in which it may be the best way to get around among an overwhelming amount of enemies. If sequences as such were to take place while Ashley Graham is alongside Leon, then it would be advantageous if she had the ability to play bait before players are able to neutralize enemies quietly.
This would go hand in hand with the idea of new commands being implemented in the title, as players would then be able to have full control over the AI's positioning. One of the biggest immersion breakers in titles such as The Last of Us is enemies spotting companions but not reacting whatsoever. Considering the addition of stealth, this will most likely come into play, so creating decoys via Ashley would serve very well.
Resident Evil 4 Remake is set to release on March 24 on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.