Audio design is one of the most underrated elements of game development. It's one of those things where if it's done well, then the player barely notices it, but if it's bad, it becomes glaringly obvious. A gunshot, the opening of a door, the noise of a player's footsteps on the floor beneath them, they're all common sounds heard across video games, and though they're subtle on their own, they all culminate to create one cohesive and atmospheric experience. And it's this level of intricate sound design that propels Resident Evil 4 Remake far past its original counterpart.
While sound design is incredibly important in just about every video game genre, it's one of the most pivotal aspects of horror game development. The noise a monster makes as it creeps toward the player, the intensity of a scene ramping up alongside some violin strings, and the sound of a shotgun shell blowing apart an enemy's head at the last second are all integral aspects of the average horror game, and the Resident Evil 4 Remake puts it all at the forefront.
Resident Evil 4 Remake's Sound Design Goes Above and Beyond
The original 2005 version of Resident Evil 4 had some pretty impressive audio design, especially for the year it was released in. The game's varied arsenal of weapons felt even more unique due to each gun sounding suitably powerful in its own distinct way. Each enemy type could be immediately identified due to its various mumblings and groanings. And the sound of Leon's footsteps on the marble floors of Salazar's castle gave the whole environment an eerily empty feeling. Resident Evil 4's sound design did exactly what good sound design should, it elevated all of the game's other elements.
Resident Evil 4 Remake takes the original's stellar audio design, and runs far, far away with it, in the best way possible. Now, every enemy type sounds even more ruthless and intimidating than ever before, with Ganados gleefully screaming at Leon as he makes his way through their village, and Cultists menacingly mumbling mysterious incantations under their breath as they slowly make their way toward the player. Each Resident Evil 4 Remake village fight or enemy type is even more distinct than in the original, and that only serves to raise the tension of the sequence even further, with players having a good idea of what intimidating enemy lies around the next corner.
The sound design of Resident Evil 4 Remake's weapons is much more impressive than in the original 2005 version. In the original, though each weapon sounded unique, many didn't sound all that powerful, and that lead to some feeling a little weak. In the remake, even the barebones starting pistol sounds like it packs a mean punch, with each crack of a gunshot echoing around the player's surroundings.
When paired with the sound of bullets hitting enemy flesh, Resident Evil 4 Remake's weapons end up feeling like some of the most powerful in not only the entire Resident Evil franchise, but also some of the most satisfying in all of gaming. One key area of sound design is knowing when to use video games' best scores and soundtracks, and Resident Evil 4 Remake certainly doesn't disappoint there either.
Resident Evil 4 Remake seems to know exactly the right moment to introduce a piece of music or leave it silent. When the game is leaning in closer to its action roots, it will often play a suitably bombastic piece of music, and when the game is trying to ramp up the tension of a horror-focused scene, it simply lets the sound of a chainsaw or the incoherent screeching of Resident Evil 4's villagers fill the player with dread. Resident Evil 4 Remake's phenomenal sound design is one of the most important facets of the game, cementing its tone at all times.
Resident Evil 4 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
