Resident Evil is arguably one of the most, if not the most successful survival-horror franchises in the history of video games. With the original game debuting on the PlayStation 1 in 1996, Capcom probably had no clue what kind of a monster it unleashed. While the series did have some slips and even a bit of an identity crisis during the Resident Evil 5 and 6 eras, there is no denying that the series has made a strong comeback in the last few years. Resident Evil 7 brought back what the fans loved, the suspenseful horror and survival elements. Then Capcom went on a remaking spree, starting with Resident Evil 2 Remake in 2019, which ended up being a game of the year and raised the bar on how good remakes can actually be. In 2020, Resident Evil 3 Remake was released. Even though it had some problems, including the cut content and being less faithful than the Resident Evil 2 remake, it was, nonetheless, a good game. It was only a matter of time before Resident Evil 4 Remake was announced, and it finally happened on June 2, 2022, during the PlayStation State of Play.
Resident Evil 4 is regarded as one of the best titles in the entire series alongside Resident Evil 2. Individuals with the Resident Evil franchise from the start know the exact reasons why they should be excited for the Resident Evil 4 Remake, and those who are new to the series may need a bit of enlightenment as to why this is such a big deal. Whether you are a Resident Evil fan or not, here are ten reasons why you should be excited for the Resident Evil 4 Remake.
Reason #10 – It’s Resident Evil 4
This is probably the most obvious reason, but I have to put it here. The simple fact that Resident Evil 4 is being remade is reason enough to be excited. While that may be very obvious to your regular Resident Evil fanatic, it may not be obvious to other gamers. Especially those who are hearing about the franchise or the game for the first time. To make a long story short, Resident Evil 4 is very special and has been ported over many generations to a variety of consoles. It is probably the 2nd if not the 1st most ported game ever.
Think of it like the Skyrim of the horror genre. Resident Evil 4 came out on the Gamecube and became a massive hit and the most beloved game in the series. It’s so popular and highly regarded that Capcom milks it as much as possible because they know people such as myself will gladly buy it and play it again for better visual fidelity and nostalgia. As of today, Resident Evil 4 has been ported over to the following platforms – Gamecube (Original release), PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and is playable but isn’t officially ported over to the PS5 and the Xbox Series X|S. A VR version of the game was also released on the Oculus last year in 2021 and was deemed successful.
Reason #9 – Has The Potential to Raise Standards Once Again for Remakes
Resident Evil 2 was the most requested game by the fans to be remade by Capcom. Capcom answered everyone’s prayers and not only impressed its fans with its release in 2019 but also surpassed their expectations and raised the bar when it comes to remaking high-profile titles. One of the scariest things about remaking a game is that it could ruin the game’s legacy. Many people were worried about both the Resident Evil 2 and Final Fantasy VII remake, but Capcom and Square-Enix, who are both Japanese developers, proved that it is more than possible to faithfully remake a game. I am very confident that Resident Evil 4 Remake will be glorious and shall raise the bar once again.
Reason #8 – Potential for More Story/New Content
Remakes open up opportunities to retell the story that the developers originally wanted to tell but couldn’t due to technical or hardware limitations. You have to realize Resident Evil 4 was originally released on the Gamecube in 2005, the game is now 17 years old, and a lot has changed in that amount of time. Final Fantasy VII Remake, for example, touched base on a few new things and added new story elements that weren’t previously known or told in the game back in 1997. The same could be done with Resident Evil 4 Remake if Capcom decides to go that route. Now, whether Capcom decides to introduce these new plot details via cut-scenes, gameplay sequences, or levels is another story, but the opportunity is there. Either way, I believe this could raise an interesting hook for the fans, including myself.
Reason #7 -The PSVR2 Content
Capcom also announced that Resident Evil 4 Remake will have some sort of PSVR2 content for Resident Evil 4 Remake. Resident Evil 4 VR was released last year for the Oculus Rift, and everyone absolutely loved it. While I haven’t played, it would be very disingenuous for me to speak for it on personal terms, but I heard nothing but positive things about it. New tech is always exciting, and the PSVR 2 looks quite good. It’s going to be very interesting to see how Capcom implements PSVR2 for Resident Evil 4 Remake, but most importantly, how will it feel and play? I expected a Resident Evil 4 Remake for sure, but I did not expect it to also have some sort of VR capabilities, and this has me excited and surprised to the point where I will likely purchase PSVR2 for this reason alone.
Reason #6 – Next Gen Only
This is the first Resident Evil title solely running on new-gen platforms, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, so Capcom doesn’t have to worry about the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One being the lowest common denominator when it comes optimization and development. For those who are not so tech-savvy, this simply means that Resident Evil 4 Remake is not going to be held back by old generation hardware, and Capcom can take all the advantage from the shiny new toys. This is very exciting because Resident Evil 2 and 3 Remakes were drop-dead gorgeous games to this day. The RE Engine is very impressive. The last cross-gen Resident Evil game that was Resident Evil 8 Village, which came out in May of last year, and that game also looked impressive. Now imagine how Resident Evil 4 Remake will feel, play and look like.
Reason #5 – Better and Improved Boss Fights
Boss Fights in the Resident Evil franchise were always an exciting part of the story and gameplay. I am curious to see how true Capcom will be staying to both the bosses’ visuals and gameplay. Such as De Lago and El Gigante, which are both iconic to Resident Evil 4. it will be nerve-wracking and interesting to see how they will play out running on the updated RE Engine and what gameplay design philosophy Capcom decides to go with. Thanks to new tech, they can either keep the fights very similar to the original version or add new moves or abilities to the bosses that they never had before due to either a technical constraint or a lack of time for development.
Reason #4 – Reliving the Chainsaw Man
I was 15 years old when I first played Resident Evil 4, and I will never forget running away from the chainsaw man in complete and utter fear and panic. I think the beginning of Resident Evil 4 has the best start of any Resident Evil title. You come across an abandoned village somewhere in space and meet these crazy residents who speak in their own language and try to kill you. The next thing you know, you’re locked in a burning house and a crazy dude with a sandbag over his head is chasing you and all you hear is the sounds of a chainsaw buzzing. While I am not sure if I will have the same excitement again, I cannot wait to see how it is redone in Resident Evil 4 Remake.
Reason #3 – The New Reload Animations
You cannot talk about Resident Evil 4 without talking about its reload animations. To this day, I look back on some of the gun’s reload animations and just sit there with a huge smile on my face. As silly as this sounds, many people always adored the work Capcom has done when it came to the overall feel of the weapons in Resident Evil 4, particularly their animations. The act of shooting an angry mob and watching heads explode followed by the reloading of your gun is extremely satisfying. I cannot wait to see what Capcom has done here, and this should have you excited as well.
Reason #2 – Returning to the Castle
I don’t know how most Resident Evil fans feel, but I would argue that the castle in Resident Evil 4 was one of the best parts of the game. There is always something mysterious and suspenseful when it comes to environments such as castles in survival horror games. Resident Evil 8 Village was kind of a throwback to Resident Evil 4 with its own village and Castle Dimitrescu. For the majority of the people, the castle was the best when it came to the level design and pacing aspects of Resident Evil 8 Village, and I feel it was the same with Resident Evil 4. I am super stoked to go back to the castle in Resident Evil 4 Remake. It’s the most memorable location, thanks to its creepy and eerie atmosphere. The deranged religious zealots added a lot of personality to it as well. I cannot wait to blast those cultists in the face with my trusty rifle and the shotgun.
Reason #1 – The Return of the Merchant
You see, Resident Evil 4 is so iconic that even people who are not fans of the series know where the line “What Are You Buying” came from. The game is known for many things including the fantastic pacing, shooting mechanics, the atmosphere, the blend of survival horror and action, the memorable boss fights, and of course how could you forget about the Resident Evil 4 merchant. Well, guess what…you can’t forget about him because of his part of the Resident Evil 4 DNA.
The merchant is a mysterious character in the game, you don’t really know why he is there or how he manages to stay alive, but you do know he has the goods you desperately need. You simply do not question the merchant. You just buy things from him because he has a badass voice and he knows you are running low on ammo or herbs on higher difficulty levels. I cannot wait to see how the merchant has been remade. I am hoping and praying to the Capcom gods that they’ve kept all the famous lines and have contacted the original English voice actor who happens to be Paul Mercier. Fun fact, Paul also voices Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil 4.
And those were the 10 reasons why you should be excited for Resident Evil 4 Remake. The game will be released on March 23rd, 2023 and we cannot wait. Stay tuned at Gaming Instincts via Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook for more gaming news.
