Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways Review

Game ZXC

Resident Evil 4 (2023)

By Dalton Cooper

Published Sep 24, 2023

The highly-anticipated Resident Evil 4 remake launched to near-universal acclaim earlier this year, though there was one common criticism aimed at the game. Even though the Resident Evil 4 remake earned a great deal of praise for successfully modernizing then classic RE4 experience, there was no getting around the fact that it simply had less content than its predecessors. The Resident Evil 4 remake launched with no Mercenaries mode, no Assignment Ada, and most disappointingly of all, no Separate Ways.

Separate Ways is a side scenario starring Ada Wong that shows what she was up to during the events of Resident Evil 4. It was added when Resident Evil 4 was ported to PlayStation 2, giving that version of the game something extra not found in the GameCube original. Separate Ways was popular for expanding on the Resident Evil 4 storyline and showcasing fan favorite Ada Wong, so it's understandable that many fans were upset when they realized Separate Ways was not a part of the remake. Capcom has since rectified this, adding Separate Ways to the Resident Evil 4 remake as a $9.99 premium DLC.

Resident Evil 4's Separate Ways DLC stomps on the gas right away and never lets up. Ada is thrust into the action from the start, with players forced to fight off deadly swarms of enemies in the castle area from the base game. It would be easy to get overwhelmed if not for Ada's grappling hook, which players can utilize to make quick getaways.

resident evil 4 remake separate ways ada on roof

Ada's grappling hook is used for more than exploration. She can also use it to zip directly to enemies and hit them with a quick melee attack, which adds an extra layer to Resident Evil 4's revamped combat system. Ada is capable of pulling off all the fancy new moves that Leon has in the base game, which includes parrying and dodging. Adding Ada's grappling hook to the mix makes the Resident Evil 4 remake's already-incredible combat even more exciting.

While the Resident Evil 4 remake has shaken up melee combat, much of the action still revolves around shooting. In typical Resident Evil fashion, Ada has a powerful arsenal at her disposal. Shooting in Separate Ways feels as great as it does in the base game, with Ada having a solid selection of weapons and a nice variety of enemies to shoot despite Separate Ways being shorter than Leon's adventure.

It's true that Separate Ways is shorter than the core Resident Evil 4 remake experience, and that's to be expected from DLC. But even though Separate Ways can be completed in around 3-5 hours for an initial playthrough, it is still a full-fledged experience. All the features from the Resident Evil 4 base game that enhance replay value are accounted for in Separate Ways, which means players collect treasures, complete side quests, level up weapons, and can go back through it all as many times as they'd like thanks to New Game+.

resident evil 4 remake separate ways merchant

Capcom could've gotten away with simply updating the graphics for Separate Ways and calling it a day, but instead it has greatly expanded the experience. This version of Separate Ways features new story beats, new gameplay sections, and completely reworked encounters. The El Gigante boss fight in this new version of Separate Ways, for example, is now a breathtaking battle that has Ada zipping from one rooftop to the next and weaving her way around the beast with her grappling hook in scenes that look like something out of Attack on Titan.

Everything in this version of Separate Ways is bigger and better than the original. It also goes out of its way to surprise longtime fans and help fill in the gaps left by the Resident Evil 4 remake base game. There was some concern that Capcom was essentially carving Separate Ways out of Resident Evil 4 to sell it back to fans as a cash grab, but that's not what's happened here. It definitely would have been nice for Separate Ways to be in the Resident Evil 4 remake at launch, but the DLC goes so far beyond what anyone could have expected that it's very easy to justify its $9.99 price tag.

And while the DLC does offer incredible value, it's certainly not perfect. The last chunk suffers from the same problems as the base game. The controversial island section is still more annoying than it is fun, though it is at least shorter here. Some may also not be impressed with Separate Ways largely recycling areas and enemies from the base game, though it makes sense thematically and the verticality added with Ada's grappling hook helps most familiar areas still feel fresh.

Nitpicks aside, Separate Ways is a mostly tremendous addition to the Resident Evil 4 remake and, along with The Mercenaries mode updates that were released for free, goes a long way in making the RE4 remake experience truly complete. Some may still not be happy that Separate Ways is a $9.99 DLC instead of being packed-in with the game like it was in the post-GameCube versions of the original Resident Evil 4, but this version of Separate Ways is a fundamentally different experience and one that surpasses its predecessor in every possible way.