With every Resident Evil remake Capcom releases, the company slowly catches up with itself. The remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis were fine games that provided players both new and old with modern reimaginings of classic titles that were released during the 1990s. Now, with the upcoming release of the Resident Evil 4 remake, Capcom is slowly dipping its toes into its 2000s history.
As is customary with the newer Resident Evil titles, Capcom is planning to release a playable demo of the Resident Evil 4 remake prior to its official launch on March 24, 2023. Details about the demo are scarce, but if past Resident Evil demos are anything to go by, this new one will start slow and build up tension before exploding into all-out madness. Both Resident Evil demos and the full games are at their best during their beginning hours, but there is one thing in particular the Resident Evil 4 remake demo could learn from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard's demo, Resident Evil 7 Teaser: Beginning Hour.
A Demo Separate From The Main Game
Before Resident Evil 7 was released, people were hungry for anything about Capcom's upcoming survival horror entry. Resident Evil 6 left a bad taste in everyone's mouths, and this new title looked like it was bringing the franchise back to its roots. Gone was the third-person, over-the-shoulder camera and bombastic gunplay popularized by the original Resident Evil 4. In its place was a first-person camera and an emphasis on a quieter, darker atmosphere. The sense of wonder and dread was also heightened as players didn't know much about the game's setting or who they were playing as. All of this and more was carried into the game's playable demo, Resident Evil 7 Teaser Demo: Beginning Hour.
In the demo, players take control of an unnamed protagonist trapped in a run-down guest house. Depending on the actions they do or do not make, the conclusion to Resident Evil 7 Teaser Demo: Beginning Hour differs. Regardless of their choices, the demo provides players with enough time and a sizeable location to explore and experiment with the upcoming game's systems. What makes Resident Evil 7 Teaser Demo: Beginning Hour so unique is that Capcom stated that the events in the demo took place before the main game. While the setting and most of the characters make reoccurring appearances in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, having a free demo with canon occurrences is typically unheard of in this day and age. Despite its loose connection to the events of the main game, most of the progress in Resident Evil 7 Teaser Demo: Beginning Hour does not carry over to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.
A Dirty Coin For An Upgrade
The only item players can carry over from the demo to the main game is the Dirty Coin. By combining the Dummy Finger with the Object Made of Celluloid to create the Dummy's Left Hand item and using it in conjunction with the Blank Notebook, players can interact with the Bloody Message in the attic. Solving the puzzle in this area will net them the Dirty Coin - an item that has no use in the demo.
To get the most out of the Dirty Coin, players must load a save file in the full Resident Evil 7: Biohazard game and pick it up from any one of the many Item Boxes. The Dirty Coin serves as an extra Antique Coin item, which can be used to open locked bird cages inside Zoe's trailer or in the Mine Office. Locked bird cages contain Steroids, Stabilizers, and the powerful .44 Magnum handgun, so it is in players' best interests that they collect as many of these coins as possible.
The Resident Evil 4 Demo Could Have Some Moveable Items As Well
Having items that can be carried from the Resident Evil 4 remake demo to the main game is a great way for Capcom to get more players to try the demo out. The original game has a ton of purchasable items and cosmetics that help Leon, Ada, and Ashley out on their escapades - most of which cost quite a pretty penny. A little extra help getting these items would go a long way for players looking to get that one weapon or attache case upgrade they need, as it feels like a reward for adopting Capcom's remake before its official release.
With less than a month until the game launches, Capcom is no doubt putting the final touches on the remake of one of the gaming industry's most influential titles. But that doesn't mean it can't add a little something extra for players looking to check out the game early. The Resident Evil remakes have been some of the better ones in this age of reimagining old games, and having that extra incentive from the demo will let people see that Capcom has their players' interests in mind.
Resident Evil 4 Remake will release on March 24 for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
