Resident Evil 4 Review: Remake Gameplay Impressions, Videos and Speedrunning Tips

It felt like a matter of time before developer Capcom revisited Resident Evil 4 and gave the beloved classic the remake treatment.

After all, the superb Resident Evil 2 remake in 2019 set the bar high for going back to revise and upgrade past classics. And it doesn't get much bigger than the survival horror game of the same name from 2005.

With this effort, players again assume the role of Agent Leon S. Kennedy, but within the modern trappings of visuals and gameplay. With the gap between original and remake smaller than with RE2, though, the question becomes simple—how much can the classic really improve?

As always, the biggest challenge of a remake is to properly balance staying true to the original while modernizing in thoughtful, measured ways. Whether Resident Evil 4 does that will determine whether the bold endeavor of remaking one of the greatest games ever is a success.

Graphics and Gameplay

Onlookers don't need to spend more than a matter of seconds looking at RE4 to understand it's one of the most visually impressive feats in modern gaming.

The level of detail packed into every little environment and fidelity of it all creates an immersion most games simply can't capture. There aren't muddy textures or problems that stick out and, whether players are in a lush forest or slaughterhouse of a cabin or something else, little particle and lighting effects give the air of a lived-in world.

Making the experience much more immersive are the enhanced backgrounds to each area. Improved character designs, both in attire and behavior, don't hurt either.

As expected, RE4 doesn't hold back in the grisly violence department, perhaps best exemplified in a new way by the knife-based executions. Beyond that, enemies swarm the player at every turn, make lunges and react realistically to damage received. Some enemies, even early in the game, can destroy parts of the environment while trying to trap the player.

Sound design is top-notch, too, with directional noises drawing the attention of player and the character, who even comments on it. Rip-roaring chainsaws, unsettling, unknown noises and more permeate every turn of exploration and voice acting is improved, bringing it up to modern standards with better tonal fits to match the setting.

The result is a genuinely terrifying and claustrophobic experience (it even feels like areas have been shrunk in some places to give the player less space). It's a robust presentation and immersion experience that few games ever achieve.

This is still the same game with very clever level design that helps the whole experience flow so well. Levels are linear but don't seem as such while players paying attention to detail can often see their next destination just out of sight. Major setpiece areas are linear too, but verticality and other creative designs destroy any such notion of that being the case.

The third-person gameplay returns, although unlike the original, players can move and shoot this time out and the smoothness of it all, as expected, puts it near the top of the video game food chain as a result.

Leon can still shove enemies away from him to create some distance, but more of note is a new parry system. Pull it off properly and he can even counter chainsaw lunges from dangerous foes.

There's still an almost rock-paper-scissors loop to gameplay that is super engaging. Players can flip on the fly between melees, a knife and guns depending on the situation and enemy. The knife is the real star of the show. In the original, it was a last-ditch effort and a sign the player was in big trouble. Now it's something players should seek out and use often, a combination of useful and fun that feels great. While the knife does degrade with use and players must maintain it, this mechanic feels very fair considering how strong the weapon is.

Those foes can have a variety of different weapons and styles too, but they always telegraph what it is. The result is an engrossing gameplay loop rewarding paying attention and timing and allowing players to pile up a whole lot of bodies.

Layered atop this gameplay loop is a steady uptick in difficulty. Those who step back from the immersion can see the game taking a player's hand and guiding them along before throwing them into a pit of challenges they should be ready for. It has aged supremely well and is one of the reasons the game has after all these years.

One new feature mixed into the gameplay is the presence of stealth, with Leon able to crouch and attempt to sneak past or even manipulate enemies. It's at least nice to have the option to pull off sneak attacks or even slink through an area undetected, grabbing as many resources as possible before the inevitable horde descends.

Also new is the game detaching itself from the last one's Quick Time Events (QTE). These were a staple of the original, to the point the game was a pioneer that had others mimicking it for years. QTEs are not popular these days and RE4 has thankfully removed them, sometimes instead inserting full gameplay segments in their stead.

Gameplay loop staples such as The Merchant and the "attache case" return the former serving as a necessary vendor and the latter the inventory management system.

This is also the first game in the series to offer different control schemes, with the hyped number settling on six. How they feel will vary by player, but all are punchy and responsive.

Story and More

This remake of a classic might better ground some of the character's dialogues to fit the setting, but as a whole, the story appears to remain the same.

Special agent Leon, no longer the new police officer from prior games, is sent to rescue the President's daughter, Ashley Graham. She's trapped in a mysterious Spanish village after being kidnapped by a cult. Mix in former farmers-turned zombie by nefarious means and both Leon and the player are fully trapped in a hot, disgusting hell where twists and turns unfold quickly and change the entire mission.

Those twists tell a gripping tale, but it's really the characters themselves who stand out—that includes the main cast players will become attached to and the setting itself.

It's worth pointing out that this rescue mission that could sometimes frustrate has seen the burden eased by modern gameplay trappings. As a companion, Ashley behaves differently this time. She can do useful things like unlock doors now and Leon can direct her to stay in one spot instead of wandering aimlessly into a fight. She doesn't appear to have a health bar either, which is a nice bonus compared to the older mechanics of the last game.

If the story feels bigger to veterans this time around, it's at least in part due to the expansion of side quests. They're not dramatically critical, but completionists will find value in doing them for rewards. It's also nice to have a reason to explore places upon returning to them.

A crafting system via recipes returns, as does a nice trove of weapons to round out an impressive arsenal.

Kudos goes to the developers for taking a little inspiration from modern games that go heavy on customization. There isn't a ton of wiggle room for wacky stuff in the dark, dramatic setting. But while customizing the attache case, players can tweak the color and add funny items to the side of it.

Odd as it might sound, actually kitting out those attache cases is a blast given the little Tetris-styled minigame it presents. Thankfully, modern game design seeps into the inventory management here though, as players can now store excess items at typewriters found throughout the game.

As a whole, RE4 runs well despite the impressiveness of its visual feats and runs the expected gamut of options. It's a robust package, with modern sensibilities throughout its menus, not just gameplay and presentation.

Speedrunning Tips

The original RE4 was a juggernaut in the speedrunning scene.

Really, it still is, with world-record runs posted within a month of the remake's release—landing in the 1.5 hours mark.

It's not hard to see why, either. The skill required to properly path the game, navigate it quickly and skillfully and remain composed makes for an entertaining thing for runners and observers alike.

For now, some of the age-old advice remains. Skip cutscenes and dialogue where applicable and avoid non-essential enemies.

The implementation of stealth is a boon to the series for speedrunning. Players can sneak around grabbing resources in a rather efficient manner while avoiding lengthy encounters with groups of enemies now. The weapon of choice is one with a silencer, to keep things vague.

Best routes and strategies will emerge in time, but the staples of a rather linear game with skill-based combat will keep RE4 as fresh as its predecessor, if not longer in speedrunning communities.

Conclusion

It might be a little strange to call a remake of a game from 2005 a breath of fresh air in the current video game landscape, but so it goes with Resident Evil 4.

In an age of open-world games with daunting checklists of things to do and live-service games, Resident Evil 4 triumphantly throws players into a linear experience with an excellent gameplay loop and uses clever tricks to keep them horrified and engaged. Great controls, narrative cliffhangers at every turn and a knack for environmental storytelling tell the tale of a game that has withstood the test of time.

As a remake, it walks that fine line between not despoiling the memory of the original while also implementing just enough modern, fresh ideas to make it a brilliant standalone.

For that, RE4 feels like the definitive version of the all-time classic game and a no-brainer as a Game of the Year finalist.