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:

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[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.