Continuing its momentum, Capcom once again provides us with an excellent remake of one of its best games of all time. Resident Evil 4 Remake is an undeniable achievement.
For four years, Capcom has done a monstrous job of resurrecting some of its greatest masterpieces. After Resident Evil 2 and 3, it is the turn of one of the most popular episodes of the license to pass under the mill of modernity: Resident Evil 4. Leon’s adventures in Spain are one of the most milestones in the history of the license, branding an entire generation of players with its brutal horror and uncompromising violence. The game is now back in a completely remastered version, and for us players this means the beginning of long hours of trouble because we are once again immersed in the middle of the welcoming Los illuminados. Our editorial team was able to play it up and down, ending it in hardcore mode at 6:30 p.m. (digging into the corners) and gives you its opinion on this third remake of Resident Evil.
Leaves crunching under boots, creaking trees in the woods, shabby houses with annoyingly homicidal inhabitants, no doubt, here we are back in the Spanish countryside. The detailed makeover of Resident Evil 4 could have almost made us doubt, as the lighting effects, textures and landscapes of the RE Engine smell like new. But there is no mistaking it; the village, the smoke, the stake, everything is there. Capcom has taken one of the most iconic intros in video game history to perfection, pumping out a crescendo of horror throughout the game’s first act. Seems like it, since these first minutes set the tone for a remake that does not hesitate to modernize its game design, while respecting the cult passages of its original product. The landscapes are magnificent, the views impressive, the levels convoluted without being too much of a headache. In short, Capcom has managed, throughout this remake, to take the design of its levels up a notch while retaining their identity, making exploration much more free and enjoyable in areas now linked together by a form of small open-world. A feat to salute, although the Japanese publisher has already accustomed us to excellence in the past. On the scenario side, nothing to say, the original game is respected even in its lack of finesse.
Resident Evil 4 manages to keep its identity while doing something new, or rather better, in all areas. Everything that the game had brought when it was released in 2005, the camera and aiming behind the player’s shoulder, the contextual QTEs, is taken up to perfection by Capcom, which offers us a new nervous title, where the fights are dynamic, vicious enemies, and the constant sense of danger. A bad fall and you find yourself in the middle of hostile country people, zigzagging between the blows of axes and sticks of dynamite, using the excellent game design of certain levels to create space, all while managing a limited amount, but sufficient, ammunition. In terms of gameplay, we can perhaps blame the return of certain rather archaic sequences, particularly against bosses. The fight against the lake monster, the one against Mendez, or the escape from the mine are sequences that all seem to lack a little something new, even though they punctuate in an original way a sometimes redundant but overall exploration playful.
The return of Resident Evil 4 to our screens will bring back good memories for the most veteran of gamers, memories of flip phones, Nintendo DS, CRT screens and Internet cafes. There’s no point ignoring the value of nostalgia in a release like this, that nostalgia that ripples the senses, gets the serotonin flowing, and can sometimes cloud judgment when looking at a gaming landmark like Resident Evil 4. But unfortunately, Capcom has done its job too well and knows its subject too well to leave even a shred of doubt about the relevance of this new release.
The game is magnificent, still just as scary, offering a challenge that one could sometimes almost hope would be more difficult (note that the game has a New Game system) and benefiting from quality of life changes that greatly improve the experience. Exploring the area may seem long at times, but in addition to giving you the means to find points of interest and hidden objects on your map, the game above all offers you a shop well enough stocked to make you want to explore. to pick up the smallest pesetas. In short, Resident Evil 4 is made prettier, smarter, and just as intense as its predecessor. It’s a release not to be missed for fans of the license, who will find everything that contributed to its legend, and an ideal purchase for all those who wish to continue their discovery of the Resident Evil universe after the two first remakes.
