The highly anticipated remake for Capcom's classic Resident Evil 4 is edging closer, and fans' recent glimpse at a plethora of gameplay and story sequences within the Resident Evil Showcase has left many even more excited. Considering Capcom's plans to create an experience that was new whilst also staying true to the original's nature was clear, with many famous moments being present within the reveal.
Despite this, there are a substantial number of clear differences from what was shown which was only in the Village section, and based on this, this is highly likely to be prevalent throughout the journey in Resident Evil 4.
5 Opening Sequence
Those who are familiar with Resident Evil 4's intense opening sequence, will have noted the massive differences Capcom has implemented in this remake. Based on this reveal, it appears as though the first house Leon encounters will be much larger in scale, containing multiple rooms and enemies to deal with compared to before. The player will also stumble upon one of the two police officers who would travel with Leon to his destination in search of Ashley Graham.
Right from the off, the environment seems to be much more unsettling, quiet, dark, and isolating as Leon wanders through the Village still gathering himself as to what is actually happening. Whilst the original certainly had moments of terror including the opening sequence, this time around it will be a whole lot more serious.
4 Enemy Aggressiveness
The original title was very well famous for its feeling of isolation and lack of help throughout the majority of its runtime. Enemies were relentless in their pursuit and attacks, often leaving players intimidated by the overwhelming numbers at hand. With the showcase revealing how far more aggressive the Ganados will be in this Remake, fans will know that their experience is set to be vamped up to a whole other level.
Given the shift in controls and the capability of Leon now being able to aim and move simultaneously, Capcom has clearly enhanced enemies' aggressive nature and heightened how quickly they can rush at the player. This will help keep a balance in terms of maintaining the edge-of-the-seat feel in the original, while also capturing a new and more tense experience in attempting to fend off enemies.
3 Quick Equip For Weapons
One of the biggest complaints in regard to the original was the need of pausing the game to access and equip different weapons, but this was obviously down to development capabilities at the time. Now with the Remake on the horizon using the RE Engine, the chance for players to switch weapons on the fly and engage in combat without losing momentum.
Along with the advanced controls compared to what many referred to as 'tank controls' in the original, this will be hugely beneficial to players who were looking for a fluid and smooth experience and avoids any complication that Resident Evil 6 contained which disabled players' ability to pause the game.
2 Enemy Attacks
This stands as one of the more important changes on a wider scale along with all of the other differences. It's a change that opts more toward the idea of adding new and unpredictable scenarios. A large majority of the attacks present within the original were more aligned to the usual grab and choke of Leon, axe throw, or weapon attack.
This time around, it appears as though the Ganados and potentially other enemies later on in the game, will punch the player, leap at the player with more distance and even hold Leon more purposely for Dr. Salvador to come and finish the job. An innovation as such will keep new and familiar players on their toes when engaging in combat with enemies, as some may expect the usual attack patterns from the original, but will then be met with a surprise when enemies utilize different tactics to take Leon down.
1 Horror Focused Tone
Since Capcom has made it their goal to ensure this Remake is not identical to the original but rather reinvented and improved version in multiple aspects, the change in tone was predictable. From both the first encounter with the first villager and the ambush in the Village, many fans will know that Resident Evil 4 Remake will adhere to the Resident Evil franchise's original horror roots and take a serious and grounded approach. Both the gameplay showcase and story trailer evoke the horrifying concept of Leon being left alone in his mission to find and rescue the President's daughter.
Despite the usual quips and one-liners from Leon still being present in the game, Capcom has done a very good job to illustrate the idea that this won't be fun and games like the original, which sometimes felt unserious and less realistic in certain aspects. This will be more akin to the canceled version of Resident Evil 4 where the storyline was supernatural, darker in tone, and had the fixed classic Resident Evil camera angle. Thankfully, players will now get as close to this unreleased version as much as possible, with this Remake giving a different taste to a cult classic.
Resident Evil 4 Remake releases March 24th, 2023.