started in 2005, Resident Evil 4 has branded an entire generation of thrill seekers. And 18 years later, Capcom has achieved what we thought was impossible: further perfecting one of the greatest games of all time. Cap.
We’ll admit it from the start, we spent countless days – and nights – using our thumbs on our GameCube’s controllers when the original Resident Evil 4 was released. Since then we have revisited this universe many times through the various ports offered on new generations of consoles over the years.
To say that this game shaped minds as much as it shaped the industry would be an understatement.
Because it is this fourth chapter that catapults the horror saga into a new era, abandoning the fixed camera so characteristic of the three main parts. The result, more modern and accessible, has attracted new legions of fans without, however, offending the faithful. Therefore, in the eyes of many connoisseurs, Resident Evil 4 deserves a very high place in the charts of the best video games of all time.
An opinion shared by the author of these lines.
In short, both the detours of its plot and its dark universe held no more secrets for us. However, the redesign (or remake in the vernacular) that Capcom offers us today surprised us. To tie us up And above all, to amaze us.
danger in Spain
Its premise remains intact: the player embodies the special agent Leon S. Kennedy, who is assigned to a dangerous mission in Spain. In fact, he must rescue the daughter of the President of the United States, who has been kidnapped by members of an obscure cult (and with macabre intentions, of course).
His path will therefore be littered with bloodthirsty enemies, nightmarish creatures and complex puzzles. Not exactly a tourist ballad in bullfighter country, huh.
This trip to Spain will not be easy for the players either. Because Resident Evil 4 turns out to be one of the most terrifying, scary and disturbing adventures of its generation. This statement applies all the more in view of the new edition.
Breathtaking action scenes, frenetic fights, tortuous and gloomy plot…everything is done to bring strong emotions to the player.
Thanks to current technologies, the experience offered by this remake is more realistic than ever, but also more fluid. As with the recent rereads of Resident Evil 2 and 3, the aesthetics are more polished, the controls more intuitive and the result, let’s face it, even superior to the source material. That means something.
Everything is therefore not identical to the original experience, starting with the plot, which is tightened (read: shortened) at various points here.
No downtime
Some will be disappointed if some parts of the game are removed or condensed, but we have to admit that all the changes fit the story particularly well. It is thus raised to the umpteenth level, freed from any dead time.
Nevertheless, rest assured. This new adventure might be more concise, it still takes almost fifteen hours to complete and takes the time to explore every quest and every nook and cranny.
Therefore, it is often said that perfection does not exist. This is true. But this new Resident Evil 4 comes closer than any other game of its generation.
- Resident Evil 4 ★★★★1⁄2
Available for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series and PC.