Resident Evil has had a good string of games lately; starting with 2017's first-person Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, then with the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3, and most recently with the action-oriented Resident Evil 8: Village. It is those remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 along with the obvious Resident Evil 4 inspirations found in Resident Evil 8 that suggest Capcom is already working on a remake of 2005's Resident Evil 4.
Resident Evil 4, for those who haven't played it, was a game-changer for the series. It did away with the fixed camera angles of previous games and went for an over-the-shoulder camera - one which inspired multiple game companies and titles to take after it. Resident Evil 4 was also more action-oriented and used adrenaline-fueled set pieces and quick time events to give its players a sense of urgency. This reliance on action fed into the game's overall tone. Resident Evil up to that point had been walking the line between overly serious and ridiculously cheesy, but with Resident Evil 4's release, Capcom decided to jump the gun and go all-in with the cheese.
A Simple Story Told In A B-Movie Manner
The premise of Resident Evil 4 is quite simple compared to its predecessors. Leon S. Kennedy, the rookie cop protagonist from Resident Evil 2, is now a U.S. government agent tasked with saving the president's daughter, Ashley Graham. She had last been seen in a village in Spain run by a cult that called themselves the Los Illuminados. Cue a parasitic infection which turns the villagers into crazed mutants, and the makings of a Resident Evil story aren't far behind. Since Resident Evil 4 doesn't tie in closely with past events such as the Spencer Mansion and Raccoon City incident, Capcom was able to take more liberty with both the gameplay and storytelling, and it is truly ludicrous.
For starters, Leon himself is a lot more chatty than his Resident Evil 2 incarnation. He constantly spouts one-liners to both his allies and his enemies, with one of his most quotable moments being when Ramon Salazar, the village castle owner, monologues to Leon that he has sent his right-hand henchman to dispose of him. Without skipping a beat, Leon questions Salazar if his literal right hand comes off. It's moments like these that can make the player groan at the script, but at the same time laugh at how something as cheesy as this RE4 dialogue made it into a AAA video game.
Suplexes And Roundhouse Kicks Round Out RE4's Gameplay
The cheesiness doesn't stop with the dialogue and bleeds straight into Resident Evil 4's gameplay. Whereas previous games would have players scared as they turn around every corner, Resident Evil 4 has them roundhouse kicking and suplexing villagers to bring them down. It isn't just for show, either. By performing a roundhouse kick or suplex on an enemy, players can save on ammo, which is rather scarce at the start of the game. That's nothing to say of the other crazy stunts Leon and the rest of the cast can do (Ashley being constantly told to hide in garbage dumpsters deserves special mention).
Still, even with all this goofiness on display, Resident Evil 4 can still deliver tension. Quiet moments, which are more commonly found at the start of Resident Evil games, are emphasized with their minimal sound and eerie atmosphere. The only difference in Resident Evil 4 is that these quiet moments build up to a big fight or the introduction of a new enemy archetype.
While the Resident Evil 4 remake will most likely go down the same serious path the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes have, Capcom shouldn't rule out the possibility of keeping the original game's tone. Just as it was refreshing to see a cheesy, action-oriented Resident Evil back in 2005, bringing that same tone back for the remake could revitalize people's interest in the franchise.
Many players still count Resident Evil 4 as one of their favorite games, so bringing back the suplexes and one-liners, while removing some of the game's more sexist elements, might not be so bad.
Resident Evil 4 is available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One, and legacy platforms. A remake is rumored to be in development.
