The Resident Evil 4 Remake will make extensive changes to the gameplay, some of which seem more necessary than others. This much-beloved entry in the Resident Evil series takes recurring protagonist Leon Kennedy to Valdelobos in rural Spain, where he's tasked with rescuing the U.S. President's daughter from the clutches of zombie-like cultists. Both critically acclaimed and a bestseller, Resident Evil 4 received high praise for its tense story and atmospheric gameplay. In many ways, it doesn't need to be updated; it's a classic in its own right.
However, it still incorporated a number of gameplay mechanics that, while once industry standards, could use a little tweaking. Resident Evil 4 is the latest game in the survival horror series to get the remake treatment, and like its predecessors, Resident Evil 4 Remake will change the gameplay. Resident Evil 2 and 3's respective remakes did away with cinematic camera angles and tank controls for a smoother, more modern gameplay experience. The original Resident Evil 4 had somewhat steadier controls - it was the first game in the series to feature a free camera. Still, the remake will address some of its more outdated aspects.
Resident Evil 4 Remake Best Gameplay Change: Fewer QTEs
Where the original Resident Evil 4 frequently required players to succeed in fast, sometimes rapid-fire button presses to progress in the story, producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi confirmed in an interview with controversial feature in Resident Evil 4, prompting the player to hold down a button to shake off attackers.
Once upon a time, QTEs could be found in just about any action game, but the mechanic has since fallen out of fashion. Mid-cutscene QTEs aim to increase interactivity, but often end up more of a frustration than a neat feature. Sometimes players just want to sit back, relax, and watch the story unfold, and that goes double for a title with such tense gameplay as Resident Evil 4. QTEs sometimes even make the associated cutscenes unskippable, so players might have to complete them over and over again if they lead into, say, one of Resident Evil 4’s ridiculous bosses that take multiple attempts to beat. If any feature needed fixing going into Resident Evil 4 Remake, it's this one.
Ashley Graham Will Be Buffed In Another RE 4 Remake Best Gameplay Change
In what is probably the most requested gameplay change to Resident Evil 4, the remake will turn Leon's sidekick, Ashley Graham, into a more capable companion. In the original release, Ashley merely trails Leon, waiting in place or following him at the player's direction. She has her own health bar, which players have to top up with rare curatives. If the player leaves her alone for too long, she can be recaptured or even killed by cultists, resulting in a game over. RE4 Remake may change things about its characters, and Ashley will probably not be an exception.
Ashley is unfairly maligned - though she's somewhat of a drain on the game's limited supply of healing items, the sudden, pressing need to save her adds urgency and purpose to combat, and isn't too disruptive unless players actively ignore her. Still, the Resident Evil 4 remake will make major changes to Ashley. First, she'll no longer have a health bar. If attacked, she can become downed, and players will have to revive her in order to continue. She may even prove indispensable in ing certain obstacles, like traversing crawlspaces in order to unlock doors from the other side. The changes are so extensive that Ashley might even seem like a new person compared to her original Resident Evil 4 character.
Resident Evil 4 Remake Worst Gameplay Change: Knife Durability
In Resident Evil 4, players could use the game's only melee weapon, the combat knife, indefinitely. The combat knife was a relatively ineffective option, dealing little damage and being useful only at close range. However, it was a valuable asset for saving ammo, a scarce resource. It appears that Resident Evil 4 Remake will add a knife durability feature, which is more in line with how melee works in the remakes of RE2 and 3. In prior remakes, knives can be used not only for melee combat, but also to escape grapples - their durability is reduced whenever they're used, and when one breaks, it's gone for good. Adding this feature could be an unforgivable mistake in Resident Evil 4 Remake.
Weapon durability is more of a modern trend, even if its popularity is already declining. Still, in the Resident Evil remakes, weapon durability has its purpose. With Resident Evil 4 Remake's responsive controls, defeating enemies with knives will likely be simpler than ever. It'd be too easy for players to take down most of the early-game foes with melee alone, stockpiling enormous ammo reserves and making survival a cinch. Durability may be annoying, but it adds an extra dimension of difficulty to what could be some of the goriest Resident Evil gameplay ever.
The Resident Evil 4 Remake Will Have Additional Sidequests
The original Resident Evil 4 does have side quests, even if it doesn't call them that. Restoring bejeweled artifacts for sale, collecting hidden blue medallions, unlocking secret cutscenes - none of these are necessary to the plot or overall progression through the world of Resident Evil 4, but they can be entertaining diversions from the main story. Even though they’re unrelated, these side quests are simple, and can easily be completed without having to go too far out of the way. Or, if players prefer, they can be ignored with few consequences. The medallion collect-a-thon will return in the remake, as well as Resident Evil 4’s merchant.
For better or worse, Resident Evil 4's remake will have more side quests than the original. It appears that these side quests will be spread out around Valdelobos in the form of blue posters. Side quest goals will range from deciphering head-scratching puzzles to felling formidable foes. While it certainly sounds like these quests will be varied, they may also detract from the suspense of the main story. Many games are filled with unnecessary, repetitive side quests that add nothing to the experience except a longer playtime. While this side quest bloat has largely left the horror genre untouched, it could prove a distraction in Resident Evil 4 Remake.
The remake of Resident Evil 4 is expected to release for Windows, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5 on March 24, 2023. It’s anticipated to be one of the biggest PlayStation games releasing in 2023. While many samples of gameplay and details of changes have already been revealed, players will have to wait until then to see whether the mechanical adjustments to Resident Evil 4 Remake truly improve the experience.
Source: IGN, GameSpot/YouTube
