Resident Evil 4 Remake First Impressions

[Jonipoon]

Okay, lots of replies in this thread since my last post. I'll try to elaborate further on what I said and the discussion that followed.

@Turo602 I definitely think it's possible to be too "faithful" when remaking something, because a remake is supposed to bring something new to the table that justifies its existence, and so far I don't feel RE4R is breaking any new ground compared to the original. It's an upgraded version of RE4 that looks and plays the same, and if that's what people wanted then good for them, I guess. My biggest disappointment so far is the sneaking system, because I was fooled into thinking that I was going to be able to play sections of this game almost completely undetected. However, there are very few moments where you're able to sneak up upon enemies without alerting others, and the game is clearly not optimized for this playstyle. And it makes sense, because part of what made the original RE4 popular was its intense horde scenes. I just don't understand why they would implement a sneaking system if its not even playable, it comes off as false advertising to me. Just as I feared before its release, the sneaking system was nothing but a marketing ploy.

Another thing worth mentioning is the fact that the original RE4 basically popularized the "over-the-shoulder" perspective, so there are no new revolutionary gameplay aspects in that regard. Comparingly, the RE2 remake took a giant leap from pre-rendered backgrounds to third-person perspective which increased its "wow factor". Graphically, the environments from RE2 were reimagined for the remake in many ways whereas in RE4 they look almost exactly the same. I mean, it's not RE4's fault that it holds up well but that's also why the remake isn't that impressive to me.

@Magnolia Grandiflora I don't think its fair to bring the RE1 remake into this discussion. RE4R is a near carbon copy of the original but the REmake took more of a huge leap in terms of graphics, atmosphere, story and scope that justified its existence. It didn't just add the "Lisa Trevor stuff", it changed the entire structure of the mansion, reimagined whole environments and even added completely new sections. It has the essence of the original but still feels like a completely new and different game. In my mind that's how you know you've made the perfect remake of something.

That being said, regardless of my criticism I don't think RE4R is a cash grab because anything is technically a cash grab these days.

 

[Jonipoon]

For discussion's sake, a major complaint some fans had about the OG game was how action-focused it was, so Capcom making RE4R more atmospheric and survival-horror driven is, IMO, a pretty big improvement.

I agree that RE4R is more atmospheric and survival horror driven.... up until the point where you reach the village. After that, it becomes classic RE4 again and it stays that way.

I think the reviewer at Destructoid put forward some good points that line up with my feelings: https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-resident-evil-4-2023/

 

[bSTAR_182]

I don't think its fair to bring the RE1 remake into this discussion. RE4R is a near carbon copy of the original but the REmake took more of a huge leap in terms of graphics, atmosphere, story and scope that justified its existence. It didn't just add the "Lisa Trevor stuff", it changed the entire structure of the mansion, reimagined whole environments and even added completely new sections. It has the essence of the original but still feels like a completely new and different game. In my mind that's how you know you've made the perfect remake of something.

That being said, regardless of my criticism I don't think RE4R is a cash grab because anything is technically a cash grab these days.

Yet many also feel RE4R enhances these exact same features. Maybe they just weren't done to the extent that some would have liked.

 

[Turo602]

Yet many also feel RE4R enhances these exact same features. Maybe they just weren't done to the extent that some would have liked.

Yeah, that's exactly what I thought. That literally describes what they did with RE4 remake. Literally, the structure of the village is different and areas are moved around, mirrored, and the way you progress through them is completely redesigned. The castle isn't even the same castle in the slightest. Yeah, they kept certain rooms or encounters, but they too have been redesigned. Rather than being a series of random combat rooms stitched together, this game actually flows better and allows for tension to be built up between encounters. The game even subverts returning players expectations on many occasions just like REmake did with the infamous dog busting through the window hallway. As someone who has played both the original and remake this year, the difference is night and day.

 

[UniqTeas]

The Castle updates are way better from a narrative and plotting standpoint now too. The original RE4 felt like it was taking you from one action set piece to the next. Each area was an individual adventure, and then, that part was over and you were in the next set piece. However, the remake muddies those lines up a little bit so you never feel like you are DONE with an area. Example: The Novistadors and Hive areas have a bunch of different locations that you find as you progress through the Hive and even have parts later in the game.

My one complaint about the game is that there could have been a few more chainsaw villagers. Just hearing that sound is so unsettling. They could have used that way more!

 

[Jonipoon]

Done!

I can openly admit that my final impression of the game has greatly improved since my first post in this thread, where I based my thoughts and opinions solely on the Village section. Like I mentioned before, the whole Village section was a disappointment in terms of how little it improved or changed from the original except from the first 20 minutes of atmospheric tension. The rest was a near carbon copy of the original.

But by the time I got to the Castle section, I started to notice some major changes. The structure and design of the castle was vastly different, especially the interior, and it was now filled with more tightly packed corridors and some major new areas that made for a fresh, more grounded experience. The quiet garden area was definitely a highlight in terms of both atmosphere and how it managed to feel like a true survival horror game. This was also the first area where I was able to complete an entire area completely undetected by using sneak kills only. So I can now respectfully take back my previous complaint that a stealthy approach is impossible, because it most certainly is (in some areas). Thank you Capcom!

The Island was okay for the most part, and I was surprised by how genuine the action felt compared to the original. Still, the new Krauser fight still felt too video-gamey and over-the-top, and I think they did a better job with the additional Krauser encounter in the mines which was extremely well done. I also do appreciate that they cut the laser corridor scene from the original, that was a sigh of relief.

Overall, they definitely tried to make the story and the gameplay more grounded and realistic, but they still kept a lot of the fantasy elements and over-the-top stuff from the original that I didn't like. I would argue that it's a better "Resident Evil game" than the original, but the original is still a better game simply because it's more consistent in its approach. The remake tries to be something that it isn't (a grounded survival horror game) and therefore it is not as consistent.

 

[SaddlerFan]

Finally finding the time and words to describe RE4R... as someone who is basically obsessed with the original I was okay with the idea of a remake but didn't think it could ever be as great as the original is (for me personally). I was wrong, lol.

I love how they remade the game and improved it and got rid of some of its more glaring and outdated flaws while still staying true to the original. Something like this is an extremely thin line to walk on, and they managed it. I also love all the Easter eggs and callbacks with some of the iconic lines returning and the trophy names being taken from the original, and the little attaché case charms being the original character models, etc etc. They clearly wanted to respect the original while also improving it.

I also love how, just like in the original, I can play through the game and STILL find new things/details every time.

As for the story - I realize that this isn't the strongest suit of the original either. It does have plot holes, but I love how they tried to make for things to be a little more coherent this time. And I love that the island got such an overhaul. I've always loved it in the original (unpopular opinion, I know) but I absolutely ADORE what they did with it in the remake. I love the addition of the Sanctuary.

Which brings me to my absolute favorite RE character - I love OG!Saddler and I always will, but his remake version is truly something else. Where the OG is 99% for me, the remake version is 100%. I love that he's an actual cult leader this time and not some seemingly random guy who's using a cult to take over the world. THIS Saddler really means business with his faith in Las Plagas. I love the overhaul they gave him and I actually don't mind that they dropped some of his scenes from the original. It makes him more mysterious. And I'm not sad they got rid of the goofy zoom calls. As much as I love them in the original, they would have been completely out of place in the remake. (Besides, he has no need for zoom calls this time, he can talk to Leon telepathically whenever he wants to.) They belong in the original, and I love them, but I'm glad they're not in the remake. THIS Saddler would not argue around with Leon about small time subordinates.

All I all... what can I say... my first impression from the demo was "wow, they really pulled this off" and this remains my opinion after having played through the game for quite a few times now. I will always love the original in a special way, but the remake sure deserves its place right next to it on my favorite list.

 

[Ridley Lockhart]

‘Resident Evil 4 Remake’ Ada Wong Actress Lily Gao Harassed Off The Internet By ‘Fans’

This time, it’s Resident Evil 4 Remake actress Lily Gao, who played Ada Wong in the new, highly rated remake. While her performance was criticized by some, that devolved into people heading to her Instagram to personally harass her, and as such, she deleted/hid all of her posts on the platform

www.forbes.com

That.

That's messed up...firstly I'll say i hated how they did Ada and Wesker ...ugh. but now feel kind of bad how the actress was treated. But what was Capcom thinking? Sally Cahill was perfect as Ada Wong. And I see they keep changing the VA's with the new games and such, it happens. But the chick in Damnation, while not Sally, she still did a good job IMO.

I thought Leon was okay. Otherwise Salazar, Saddler, Mendez, maybe even Krauser and of course the aforementioned Ada and Wesker all sounded like a poor man's version of the original, unique, memorable, distinctive characters. But that's just my opinion.

But shame on those heathens harassing the actress like that. Smh

 

[Jamesy]

In my opinion the village and island parts of RE4 remake improved upon the original but the castle part of the game was not as good.

 

[Frag Maniac]

In my opinion the village and island parts of RE4 remake improved upon the original but the castle part of the game was not as good.

I thought the 2nd giant part was OK, especially that you couldn't skip it like in the original. Granted, the giant went down easy once you got access to how to do so, but at least the whole ordeal kept you on your toes. I was upset they omitted the part with the invisible Novistadors in the sewer under the Castle though. That was always a fairly challenging segment.

Some have speculated they may use some of the omitted segments in Ada's DLC, but I'm not sure that makes a lot of sense to mix character battles like that.

 

[RipvanX]

I felt the opposite in a way, the village (while pretty) was not as good as the original and lacked the thick and foreboding atmosphere; especially during the night time segments. Replacing the calm dark night in the central village areas with a brighter one felt less scary and tense. The addition of a more windy storm blowing everything around felt more chaotic and less of a horror feel. Going back to the village and especially the swamp area at night still put me at unease in the original. The visibility was very low and you couldn’t see that far ahead of you.

It’s true they expanded parts but it was for the sake of more treasure hunting rather than actual story progression or additional lore. Whenever we do get new lore like Mendez’s diary, it’s so far and few between that many players may miss it as it’s mixed in with a bunch of filler side quests (that get more repetitive as u progress). To be honest, I am more of a fan of a tighter RE experience, I don’t need all these distractions with Uncharted levels of treasure hunting. The missing hiker side story had potential but it lead to nothing and Leon doesn’t even react when you find one of their corpses.

I will still play the original over the reimagining for serious story marathons but it’s fun for an action adventure game and has some things going for it, but at this point I rather them put more resources into progressing the story in more meaningful ways without retcons.

 

[Ikawaru]

They did add some cool new puzzles and sequences in the castle but all-in-all it was still the same old castle.

 

[RipvanX]

They did add some cool new puzzles and sequences in the castle but all-in-all it was still the same old castle.

Still a lot of set pieces were either changed or removed completely. I still dislike the mine cart section but it’s at least more exciting. It’s fair to say nobody misses the lava room or the giant Salazar QTE chase sequence. My least favorite addition was running across the rooftops avoiding the El Gigante boulders like it was Sen’s Fortress from Dark Souls. They could’ve been more creative with the El Gigante’s instead of being big dumb bullet sponge bosses but I guess making giant monsters actually scary is hard to do. The Novistadors I think we’re the biggest disappointment for me when it comes to enemy changes, they were definitely alot more menacing before they became 1-shots.

Overall I do like the puzzle additions and Ashley’s segment was pretty neat with the key ring. That whole section where you collect the statue heads is probably my favorite part of the game that was expanded on from the original.

 

[Frag Maniac]

They did add some cool new puzzles and sequences in the castle but all-in-all it was still the same old castle.

Yes, but we must remember a remake doesn't mean an entire reimagining. It's also important especially with such a well renowned game, to not change it too much and risk getting worse response than the original.

 

[Turo602]

I don't know if there's anything that I outwardly prefer about the original over the remake outside of specific character voices, character designs, or story beats. The remake does a great job preserving the general experience of the original, but also greatly improves on it and twists it into a stronger survival horror experience, which is evident in the design of the game alone that allows for so many creative ways to cut down on time for speed runs, which is something I've never felt compelled to do in the original because it just doesn't seem built for it, unless you play like an absolute savant like I've seen on YouTube. Hell, I've replayed Resident Evil 4 too many times to remember over the years, but I could never imagine going for 2 back to back playthroughs. The remake on the other hand, I did 8.

And the castle is easily my favorite section of the game now because of how dramatically improved it is over the original. I'd usually get burnt out in the castle because of just how uninspired, overbearing, and boring it gets. So many nonsensical encounters just stitched together to make the game longer and it just stops being fun at a certain point as you become numb to shooting things over and over again. It was a great waste of such a promising setting with an incredible atmosphere. But the remake remedies this by trimming a lot of the unnecessary fat, restructuring segments, reworking areas that didn't work, enhancing the ones that did work, and even adding entirely new sections so that there's a better flow and variety of ideas and gameplay.

The novistadors in particular were an enemy I was hoping would get the axe due to their cheap and cannon fodder-esque nature. Outside of their first encounter in the sewers where they're invisible, they didn't really add much to the original game other than being a nuisance. And while they're not particularly a favorite of mine in the remake either, I did appreciate just how much more improved they are as enemies now that they compliment the gameplay a lot better.

In the original, they just swarm you and get cheap grabs in that you can't recover from and amount to you finding a spot to corner yourself in and shot gun blast away like in most of the other cannon fodder encounters like the mine cart section and clock tower elevator sequence. But now, you can parry their attacks, counter their grabs, and take them out with a couple of hand gun bullets, which just feels so much more balanced given their speed, movement, and swarming nature that actually keeps you on the move and engaging with them. I also thought the camouflage was a really cool touch that added an element of surprise and kept you on your toes.

 

[Ridley Lockhart]

I don't know if there's anything that I outwardly prefer about the original over the remake outside of specific character voices, character designs, or story beats. The remake does a great job preserving the general experience of the original, but also greatly improves on it and twists it into a stronger survival horror experience, which is evident in the design of the game alone that allows for so many creative ways to cut down on time for speed runs, which is something I've never felt compelled to do in the original because it just doesn't seem built for it, unless you play like an absolute savant like I've seen on YouTube.

THIS is exactly how i see RE4R.

 

[Jonipoon]

I've only played the original and the remake one time each, so my comparisons may differ from yours. I did however start a new game plus for the remake and played through the first village sections, something I never bothered doing with the original. I do agree with others in this thread that there is a greater sense of replayability in the remake, while the original simply felt like this massive commitment you had to overcome. At least to me, although it has nothing to do with "old controls" since I still enjoy replaying the classic PS1 trilogy.

I do however prefer the aesthetics and the atmosphere in the original which felt more cohesive, whereas the remake went for a more bland/mainstreamish look that doesn't leave the same lasting impression.

So which one is the better game? I've said before that the remake is a better RESIDENT EVIL game, while the original is a better game overall. I think that's a fair comparison.

 

[Ikawaru]

I have replayed the original probably around 20+ times upon release.

I've replayed RE4R once and am still on my "Professional" run with barebones equipment and it is very tough whilst RE4 OG "Professional" mode wasn't all that tough to me.

Very different times indeed but I will disagree with the notion that RE4R feels more replayable because I'm not very enthusiastic about replaying through this nearly as much as I was in 2005.

 

[Turo602]

Very different times indeed but I will disagree with the notion that RE4R feels more replayable because I'm not very enthusiastic about replaying through this nearly as much as I was in 2005.

Yeah, but that doesn't really negate the fact that it was deliberately built with replayability in my mind. Had the remake been the original release, you'd have played it 20+ times too. Whatever general feelings or fatigue you have with Resident Evil 4 in 2023 isn't really a factor as to whether or not the remake is more replayable when it can in fact be beaten in one sitting, stayng true to the series' speed running roots.

I didn't beat the game 8 times back to back because I had nothing else to play, but because there was incentive to do so and each playthrough was significantly shorter due to the progression of unlockables, shortcuts, and strategies that greatly reduce the time it takes to beat the game, which is no different from the typical completionist/speed running experience you get from any of the prior classically designed games in the series.

Though, I will say that in regards to Resident Evil 4 remake, I'm not a fan of how unlockables were handled and how they're basically tied to difficulty progression. For instance, you get certain rewards for specific difficulty playthroughs/speed runs and they each feel necessary for completing the next difficulty setting. At least that's how I felt when going for my Professional S+ rank, which I attempted before doing any of the other S+ ranks since I figured the challenge would stack and unlock all the other S+ rank rewards, which it doesn't. But I was immediately humbled by just how difficult it was that I realized I was going to have to S+ rank each difficulty to use the rewards to my advantage which admittedly, has a nice progression to it, but also ruins the experience of playing on harder difficulties which should be reasonably achievable with base-level gameplay and not scaled for unlockables.

Which speaking of, is also something I think they really dropped the ball on. Now, I have no problem with Resident Evil games including silly accessories for the characters to wear. They've been doing silly costumes since forever, but those were only aesthetic. Perks like infinite ammo, stronger melee moves, and a more powerful knife shouldn't be tied to stupid things like cat ears or a butt plug with a tail attached to it. It completely detracts from the ability itself since it's basically worn like a badge of shame, like the chicken head hat that reduces damage taken, which sucks considering the amount of effort it takes to unlock these things.

 

[Mr.R]

I agree with @Turo602 about unlockables being tied to specific difficulty settings. And also...the cat ears and the tail associated with such strong perks does seems like the game is shaming you for using it (I think Metal Gear has something similar?). By the way, I'm going for my Professional A ranking to get the Chicago and...I hate speed running. I'm all the time fighting with every fiber of my body to not kill all enemies or to not pick every item and treasure. One of the things I like the most about pretty much every RE is to actually fight the monsters. Feels weird for me just running by most of them. I never liked speedrunning in any game. It's always a struggle for me (and I know some people just love to do that. It's alright. It's pretty much a 'me' thing)