Set six years after the events of Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 4 centers Leon Kennedy as he searches for the president's daughter in a rural Spanish village. In addition to Leon's experiences in Raccoon City, he has undergone intense training to become a United States special agent. As a result, he is now more capable than when players last controlled him, and this is reflected in the remake's demo.
The recently released Resident Evil 4 remake's "Chainsaw Demo" doesn't spoil much of the story. Instead, it introduces players to the new village setting and gives them a good taste of what the gameplay will feel like. Leon looks like he has a handle on things in this remake thanks to his firearm and martial arts skills. Conventional firearms are good for dispatching opponents at a distance, but when it comes to close combat, nothing beats a knife and some hand-to-hand combat.
Resident Evil 4's Ganados are More Lethal Than Zombies
The Resident Evil 2 remake's zombies are drastic improvements over their original counterparts. They shamble erratically to avoid getting shot and can lunge at Leon and Claire from a good distance. Once players are in the zombies' clutches, they can either tank the inevitable damage or use up precious resources like grenades and knife durability to escape. There is a bit more strategy involved, but at the end of the day, Resident Evil 2's zombies are only threats when their numbers are overwhelming or at close range.
The Ganados in the Resident Evil 4 demo have more ways to hurt Leon. Apart from lunging at him, Ganados also wield repurposed tools like scythes, pitchforks, and axes. These makeshift weapons increase their effective melee range, and can even be thrown at a distance. Other Ganado variants possess different attacks, but the ones shown in the demo are far deadlier than the zombies found in Leon's last outing.
Leon's Knife Works for All Scenarios
In addition to its original uses in Resident Evil 2, where Leon can use his knife to slash, stab, and escape enemies, the knife allows for more combat options in RE4. By raising his blade, Leon can deflect objects thrown at him by the villagers. Deflected attacks wear down the knife's durability, but prevent a good amount of damage to players' health bars - with style at that.
Raising the knife just as an enemy attacks also allows Leon to perform a parry. A well-executed parry costs durability like a deflection, but it leaves the attacking enemy stunned and open to a counterattack. The parry is especially great against foes like the chainsaw-wielding Ganados, who can otherwise kill Leon with a single blow.
A Ganado Who's Down is Not Always Out
The complexity of the Resident Evil 4 remake's melee combat reveals itself at two specific points. There are stuns that occur whenever Leon performs a successful parry, attacks a specific part of a foe's anatomy, or uses items like a stun grenade. When an enemy is stunned, Leon can perform a wide-sweeping roundhouse kick that knocks them down alongside any other foes in the attack's effective radius. Not only is the kick an essential crowd control technique, it also lets players conserve their ammunition by corralling enemies together for more effective shots. Those looking to master the game should be mindful of the kick and use it whenever possible.
The second type of scenario that showcases the Resident Evil 4 remake's close combat is whenever Leon downs a foe. If Leon's knife has enough durability, players can quickly perform an execution that eliminates them before they get back up. Knife durability is a core part of Resident Evil 4 remake's close combat. Actions like parrying, blocking, and attacking enemies will wear out the knife and leave it broken, but instead of looking for another knife like in the Resident Evil 2 remake, players should be on the lookout for special repair items. Even though it can be destroyed easily, players should use the knife just as often as their kicks to maximize damage.
The begining village showcased in the Resident Evil 4 remake demo is just a small slice of what will be available in the final game. If the original game is anything to go by, there are a lot more enemy variants and gameplay nuances that players will be able to take advantage of. Players will have to wait until the end of the month for the full release, but Resident Evil 4 remake's Leon Kennedy is shaping up to be a capable protagonist both at range and in close quarters.
Resident Evil 4 remake releases for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on March 24, 2023.
