After years of rumors and speculation, Capcom announced the Resident Evil 4 remake during Sony’s State of Play event. Following in the footsteps of previous RE remakes, Resident Evil 4 reimagines the beloved fourth entry for a new generation. The trailer teases familiar characters like Luis, Ashley, and the evil mastermind Osmund Saddler. It also hints at a spookier, creepier tone.
The original Resident Evil 4 reinvented the franchise. It marks a turning point when the series shifts from its survival horror roots and into action. The game eschews the fixed camera angles in favor of an over-the-shoulder, third person perspective. This makes it easier to aim and shoot at incoming enemies. Plus, the new perspective laid the groundwork for games like Gears of War and Uncharted.
For critics, the game is a masterpiece. The Gamecube original holds a 96 on Metacritic, and was named Game of the Year by several publications. For fans, it’s their favorite of the series.
Video by IGN
Resident Evil 4 was developed as a Gamecube exclusive. Not long after, Capcom released a PS2 version. The PS2 port features new content including an extra campaign, new weapons, and outfits. Since then, Capcom has re-released the game on every system imaginable, including the Xbox 360, PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.
Resident Evil is no stranger to remakes. 2019’s Resident Evil 2 successfully reimagines the original sequel, making it scarier and more exciting. Capcom followed up Resident Evil 2 with Resident Evil 3, which was a mixed bag. The game cuts out a lot of content from the original, and fans felt Nemesis was less of a threat.
On the PlayStation Blog, Capcom promotional producer Edwin Edso writes:
“This time, the game is being developed to achieve state of the art quality for a survival horror suitable for 2023, while preserving the essence of the original game. We aim to make the game feel familiar to fans of the series, while also providing a fresh feeling to it. This is being done by reimagining the storyline of the game while keeping the essence of its direction, modernizing the graphics, and updating the controls to a modern standard.”
Resident Evil 4 releases on March 23, 2023, for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X | S, and PC.
