Resident Evil 4’s remake is faithful to the original, even at times when players might wish it wasn't. The original Resident Evil 4 is known to have some particularly arduous sequences that are memorable for how tedious or difficult they are, included the cabin ambush with Leon and Luis, defending Ashley from a mob of zealots in the castle, or navigating the room with zealots and two Garradors. However, there are a few narrative beats that have been altered or expanded upon in the remake, including the depiction of Leon and Ashley’s Plaga infection.
The Resident Evil 4 remake makes the infection a more manipulative and traumatic experience, allowing players to empathize more with the innocent people who found themselves infected and bowing to Lord Saddler’s every whim. Ashley is particularly traumatized by how she is exploited to nearly kill herself and Leon, and the effect it has on Leon gives him intermittent hallucinations of Saddler. One mechanic from the Resident Evil 3 remake could have better tied this narrative thread into Resident Evil 4’s gameplay.
Resident Evil 3 Remake Features Unnerving Poison Effects
Resident Evil 3’s remake rubbed a lot of fans the wrong way due to it not being a faithful interpretation of the original, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. But structurally the remake is not unfavorable, and its gameplay was still on par with that of the Resident Evil 2 remake with its own unique additions, such as its side-step dodge.
Like Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3 had an enemy type that would inflict poison on the player if they were attacked. Resident Evil 3’s Drain Deimos is hideous and arouses disgust in its introductory cutscene since it forces its mandible down Jill’s throat and impregnates her with infectious larvae.
In gameplay, all this does is poison Jill Valentine and cause her to stumble, and the only cure is to quickly ingest a green herb. This does not occur often throughout Resident Evil 3, but it is a great way to make the Subway Power Substation much more intimidating to traverse and makes players much more wary about how many green herbs they presently have in their limited inventory.
Resident Evil 4 Remake Could Have Made Its Plagas Infection Interactive
Leon is given the Plagas infection at the end of Resident Evil 4’s Chapter 1, and Resident Evil 3’s approach to poisonous infection could have given players a survival-horror micromanagement element that they need to constantly monitor aside from his traditional health status.
This could occur as a random event where Leon experiences hallucinations again and his body begins to temporarily betray him, though that would make enemy encounters incredibly difficult and unpredictable with sudden bouts of infection getting in the way. The potential for a separate game mode or difficulty option with this infection mechanic involved would have been exciting, but an entire mode for that alone would have probably been too much work for what it would entail.
The Resident Evil 4 remake is perfectly fine without such a mechanic, but introducing the infection in gameplay could have made some moments much more immersive as well. Instead, the remake shows a side of the Plagas infection that is more horrifying with regard to how it affects Ashley, whereas Leon is primarily unaffected by it. Saddler still does not make an effort to simply kill Leon while he is kept stiffened, but that is yet another example of how Resident Evil 4’s plot armor is serviced.
Resident Evil 4 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
