As the Resident Evil 4 Remake edges closer more than ever to its release, Capcom has revealed a plethora of details and new gameplay for fans to consume. Prior to its deep dive into footage and new mechanics, it was made clear that replayability was one of the more essential aspects when developers were working on the remake and this is akin to the original title.
While there is no guarantee of the game's maintenance of all the modes and DLC, the confirmation of 'The Mercenaries' has left many anticipating either new or original modes to be present within the highly anticipated title.
5 New Weapons
Based on the recent footage of the 'Castle' and prior reveals, it appears as though Capcom has added in a new weapon known as the 'Bolt Thrower'. While it seems as though this has replaced the original's 'Mine Thrower', the design of the weapon has been changed drastically, and the ability to attach mines suggests players will be able to use different ammo types most especially a standard arrow. Whether this same concept will apply to all the other weapons in the remake, it is highly possible to please fans.
If there are new weapons to add to the collection that is already present, or redesigns and repurposes for original weapons, this will most certainly suffice and add to the current replayability factor that the original held for many years. With what has been shown so far seemingly sticking closer to the original than many had anticipated, this is an opportunity for Capcom to double down on this.
4 More Maps (The Mercenaries)
As the return of the classic and popular Mercenaries mode has been confirmed for the Resident Evil 4 Remake as post-launch DLC, it has left fans incredibly excited as to what the mode will contain. The original title only gave players four different maps to play within that were based on locations that were accessible in the main campaign. While these were fun to explore and retry for higher scores each time, they lacked any variety.
Given the inevitable expansion of multiple areas of the Resident Evil 4 Remake's main campaign, there is no doubt that fans will be expecting an addition to the stages to choose from. Despite the disappointment among some at the news of 'The Mercenaries' standing as post-launch DLC rather than arriving with the full game at release as the original did, it could suggest Capcom plans to put far more commitment and effort into the mode.
3 More Playable Characters (The Mercenaries)
Sticking with the beloved Mercenaries mode, one of the biggest missed opportunities in the eyes of many fans in the original game was the omission of Luis Sera as a playable character. While characters such as Leon, Krauser, Ada, Wesker, and Hunk were all playable the first time around, there was not much more to offer in this region with the roster being much more limited compared to other Resident Evil titles. Considering the lack of a player base and disappointment surrounding the Resident Evil Re:Verse online multiplayer game, Capcom has a chance to win fans over.
While it is unlikely characters from other titles in the franchise will make an appearance in 'The Mercenaries' for the Resident Evil 4 Remake, adding classic characters such as Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield, and Jill Valentine would most certainly open up the door for success for in the idea of replayability beyond the game's main campaign.
2 New Game Plus Specialized Difficulty
Despite the lack of discussion surrounding Resident Evil 4's difficulty options in the lead-up to release, many will assume Capcom has maintained its professional difficulty as the most challenging. Regardless of this being the case, an increase in enemy difficulty and damage taken beyond professional within the new game plus would give all players another reason to engage in the campaign after completing it the first time around. It is not yet known whether the new game plus mode will come in the form of players reloading completed saves for 'Round 2' through the typewriter, but an update to fit modern games would be appreciated by many.
This is similar to what Santa Monica Studios implemented within God of War's (2018) new game plus, which scaled enemy levels and the overall difficulty considering players' maintenance of upgraded equipment. If the Resident Evil 4 Remake follows in the same footsteps, it will encourage players to go through multiple playthroughs as an extra challenge to what the base campaign will offer.
1 New Enemies
Based on the current trend of Capcom showcasing new redesigns of enemies from the original, and new enemies entirely, it appears as though the remake has multiple surprises for fans within this aspect. With the plethora of enemies that were scrapped during the development of the 2005 original title, rumors of the game's beta enemy known as the 'Hookman' have circulated among fans.
Despite the confirmation of this particular enemy not being present, the new 'Cow-Head Ganado' enemy is enough to suggest that Capcom has a great deal of secrets that players will experience when the game is finally released.
Resident Evil 4 Remake releases March 24th on PlayStation, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.