The Resident Evil franchise has stayed relevant by not being afraid of evolution. Over the last 27 years, Resident Evil has undergone a number of changes, in terms of story, tone, and narrative. While the first few Resident Evil games were intense survival horror games with a schlocky B-movie tone and awkward tank controls, Resident Evil 4 ushered in a new age of action-oriented third-person shooters in the franchise, and then years later Resident Evil 7 flipped the script once again, giving the series a more pure horror focus while delivering first-person survival horror gameplay.
All this is to say that the Resident Evil franchise isn't afraid of change, and in recent years, Capcom seems to be growing wiser on what new elements should stay, and which ones should be left behind. The last release in the franchise, Resident Evil 4 Remake, introduced a new parry mechanic to the series, letting players block oncoming melee and ranged attacks if their timing was good enough. With parrying being a completely new mechanic, it's likely that Capccom will put a lot of thought into the possibility of its return in Resident Evil 9, and there are both pros and cons to that decision.
The Good and Bad of Losing Resident Evil's New Parry Mechanic
One of the biggest highlights of Resident Evil 4 Remake's new parry mechanic is that it puts even more of the action directly in the player's hands. While the original Resident Evil 4 had a much greater emphasis on action than its predecessors did, its gameplay still relied on slow-moving enemies and player repositioning to keep the tension high. With the addition of a parry mechanic, Resident Evil 4 Remake isn't afraid of upping the ante a little, increasing enemy movement speed and aggression.
But rather than feel overwhelming, Resident Evil 4 Remake's increased AI aggression feels like a welcome challenge, with the player being able to get in close, take some quick shots, and use their knife parry to get out of any sticky situations. The addition of the parry mechanic gives the player even more control of the game's combat, and helps to make each encounter feel like an intense, but fair and rewarding battle for survival, especially on higher difficulties. Moving away from that player empowerment by cutting the parry could feel like a step down for Resident Evil combat.
Resident Evil 4 Remake's parry mechanic was also balanced fairly well. On regular difficulties, players could use Leon's combat knife to deflect oncoming attacks by just holding down the button, which would eventually cause the knife to break. Players would then have to repair it at one of the Merchant's shops to use it again, or find a consumable one out in the wild. However, if players timed their parries perfectly, it would take less damage, and could be used for much longer. Having a parry mechanic in an action-focused game like Resident Evil 4 Remake also just looks and feels cool, so it'd be a shame to lose out on such a satisfying mechanic.
The biggest upside to losing Resident Evil 4 Remake's parry mechanic is that the next game would probably feel even scarier. At its heart, the Resident Evil franchise is firmly rooted in the horror genre, and while a parry mechanic made complete sense in an action-oriented game like Resident Evil 4, it might lessen the impact of a more horror-focused Resident Evil title. When there's no get-out-of-jail-free card, things tend to get a lot scarier, and it's solely up to the player to make the right decisions about their movements and their shots.
Resident Evil 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
