Resident Evil 4: Remaking the Most Influential Horror Game of All Time

How do you remake Resident Evil 4?

It’s that time of year again, when we huddle around the fireside, wrap up warm, and think about all things spooky. But gamers aren’t the only ones getting into the spirit of things this Halloween, as a number of well-known developers have been using the occasion to make some exciting announcements. In the past few weeks, we have been treated to the likes of fresh gameplay footage from brand-new upcoming horror The Callisto Protocol, all-new details on the long-awaited Dead Space remake, an unprecedented four new Silent Hill announcements from Konami, but most excitingly of all, an extended look at the Resident Evil 4 remake.

An Occult Classic

Resident Evil 4 is widely regarded as one of the most influential games of the last twenty years, and one of the greatest horror titles ever released. It single-handedly changed the way players and developers looked at both the survival horror genre and third-person shooting mechanics as a whole.

Looking back, it was the game that introduced me to the more “grown-up” side of gaming – there were no cutesy platformers mascots and brightly coloured levels here, only the gritty reality of a corrupted village, harrowingly human enemies, and the most realistic graphics I had ever seen to really hammer the horror home. I may have been a little too young to play it at the time – hiding behind my strategy guide and constantly checking enemy weaknesses so that I didn’t get too scared or overwhelmed – but it was my first introduction to the horror genre and a real eye-opening experience. One I loved so much that Resident Evil 4 quickly became my single most replayed game.

What started out as an exercise in fear soon turned into one hell of a power trip as I learnt level layouts and enemy positions like the back of my hand. Bosses became like old friends, and even the most terrifying of them (like U3 and Verdugo) were no match for a few bursts of my Chicago Typewriter. The fear dissipated, and I began to play it as less of a horror and more of a bombastic and over-the-top action flick.

And that is where we find some of the few criticisms levelled towards the game. Resident Evil 4 is unlike any Resident Evil title that came before. Gone are the tight corridors and slow, shuffling zombies, and in their place are wide-open spaces, mobs of angry villagers and cultists, and explosive set-pieces. Resident Evil 4 certainly doubled down on both the campiness and the action, and though that sent the series down a dark path that wouldn’t be fixed until Resident Evil 7, to me at least, it never let up on the scares.

So, how do you remake one of the most beloved horror titles ever made? What essentials does the remake need to keep, and is there anything it could afford to throw out? One thing’s for certain, despite having a lot to live up to, from what we’ve seen so far, it may just pull it off.

Lessons Learnt

First things first, this isn’t the first Resident Evil Capcom have remade – they do have other successes to draw inspiration from. As well as lessons to be learned. For the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on their two most recent outings, Resident Evil 2 Remake and Resident Evil 3 Remake.

RE2 Remake was phenomenal. Here is a textbook case of reimagining and reworking an old game for a modern audience. The blocky PS2 graphics were replaced with almost photorealistic 4K visuals, gameplay was tighter and improved with more precise controls, and the fixed camera angles were replaced with an almost too-close-for-comfort over-the-shoulder camera heavily inspired by Resident Evil 4’s. The zombies are more terrifying than ever, stumbling and lurching unpredictably, making lining up the perfect headshot a near impossibility. And when by some miracle they are hit, their flesh sloughs away to reveal horrifically slick and detailed gore beneath. But it’s Mr X, the ever-present Tyrant, who is the most terrifying and most well-executed of them all. He makes for a terrifying presence, one which has players constantly looking over their shoulders in fear.

For all it gets right, there are some downsides to the Resident Evil 2 Remake. Namely the fact that it is a little too streamlined. There is some backtracking and a few little puzzles, but a lot was stripped out to keep the game moving at a brisk pace, and that left it feeling a little too short. Especially compared to the original.

This was a problem that plagued the Resident Evil 3 Remake. That game was streamlined even further, cutting out all of the filler and exploration to keep the game moving at a breakneck speed. RE3 Remake is less survival horror and more akin to the action of the later titles. This, unfortunately, resulted in a game that was far, far shorter than its original. Even the hulking brute that was the Nemesis lost his menacing touch. Instead of doubling down on what made Mr X so scary, Nemesis is relegated mainly to scripted set-pieces.

Thankfully, Capcom has heard fan complaints and is aiming to deliver the full experience when it comes to the Resident Evil 4 remake. So, here’s hoping they only remove what absolutely necessary – those weird boulders and giant Salazar statue chase really don’t need to make a return, do they?

The original RE4 was quite a long game, clocking in at around 15 hours for the campaign alone, and much longer if the player went after all of the collectables and secrets. But it never outstayed its welcome. RE4 was wonderfully paced, with high moments of overwhelming action interspersed with quiet sections of sombre reflection designed to ramp up the tension. It had varied environments that progressed the story naturally, slowly unravelling the deeper mysteries of the cult as the player explored. And while some areas are more fondly remembered than others (The Island, for the most part, sticks out in my mind as a particularly uninspired slog), and streamlining certain sections would improve the pacing (especially in the latter half of the game), removing too much would rob the game of its unique, somewhat campy, personality.

One thing I would love to see more of, however, is the original game’s Quick-Time Events. While QTEs have become passé in recent years, they were big when RE4 first released and lent the game a certain amount of character. They were spattered liberally throughout the game’s runtime, but didn’t overshadow the main gameplay loop. And when they did crop up, players had to act fast, other they would be in for a nasty shock as Leon was dismembered or killed in ways that would shock even 2013’s Tomb Raider reboot.

So, it’s a shame then that Capcom has already come out and announced that their remake will cut back on the QTEs, with “considerably fewer” of them than in the original. Well, as long as they keep the outrageously over-the-top Krauser knife fight, I’ll be happy.

A Cabin in the Woods

Resident Evil 4’s opening is an iconic masterwork in horror and tension.

Set six years after the events of RE2 and 3, Leon is sent to an unnamed Spanish town on a clandestine mission to save the President’s daughter. It’s a great premise, and the fact that Leon has been sent alone instantly instils a sense of isolation and dread in the player. This sense of foreboding only builds as the opening progresses, with Leon stumbling across an old, ramshackle house in the middle of the woods. Entering the house, Leon encounters his first Ganado, a very human-looking threat, and one that doesn’t get up again after Leon puts him down. This encounter alone does a great job of letting the player know that the zombies they know and love are long gone – there’s a new threat in town, and somehow, it’s just as unnerving.

The most recent footage Capcom revealed shows scenes from right at the start of the game, and if this small slice is a fair representation of the game as a whole, then fans have a lot to look forward to.

The Ganado are expressionless, mindless, and attack the player as one, almost like they are being controlled from afar. Their human appearance and ability to speak jars with their zombie-like movements and tendency to soak up bullets, showing the player that there’s more to them than meets the eye without giving away the secret right then and there.

After leaving the house, Leon makes his way towards the village square, sees one of his police escorts being burnt at the stake, and is immediately set upon by a whole hoard of irate Ganado. All of a sudden, the player is forced to think on their feet and try to get to grips with the game’s new controls and shooting mechanics on the fly as they are swarmed by enemies from all directions. This whole section is incredibly overwhelming and challenging for first-time players, and introduces them to a new kind of panicky terror that is miles apart from anything seen in the series prior. A terror that only crystalises with the sound of a chainsaw and the sight of the relentless Dr Salvador.

Thankfully, Capcom hasn’t cut a second of this masterful opening, instead, they’ve added to it. The remake starts almost identically, with Leon alone in the woods and approaching a seemingly derelict house. Only this time, it’s set at night rather than in broad daylight, the path is longer, and the woods are much denser, more claustrophobic. Almost immediately, this instils a sense of foreboding dread, both for old players and new. Exploring the woods at night with nothing but the thin beam of a flashlight to guide you is a singularly terrifying experience, and one that’s made all the scarier when you are certain you are not really alone.

This time, when Leon enters the house and dispatches the lone Ganado, he doesn’t stay down. While exploring a brand-new basement, filled with evidence of murder and mutilation, the seemingly dead Ganado rises up and begins to stalk Leon in a scene reminiscent of the zombie in the back of the gas station store at the beginning of RE2 Remake. This Ganado is very clearly not human. With his broken neck lolling at a sickening angle and fine tendrils sprouting and flailing from his neck, he looks more like the creature from The Thing. And while this does take away some of the mystery surrounding the Ganado’s strange behaviour, it shows long-time fans that this isn’t the Resident Evil 4 they grew up with; it’s far darker and far, far more disturbing.

Aim For the Head

Combat in the original was way ahead of its time, so much so that it’s nearly impossible to find a third-person shooter nowadays that wasn’t inspired by its innovative over-the-shoulder camera. You couldn’t move while aiming in the original, but its new perspective allowed for incredibly precise shots. And the game rewards you for pulling these off, with its enemies reacting semi-realistically. Leg shots cause enemies to fall to one knee, headshots cause them to grab their faces in pain, and shooting their hands can cause them to drop their weapons (which works especially well if they are holding dynamite).

It also introduced some fantastically dynamic strategy to its combat encounters. Stunned enemies could be kicked back to create distance or suplexed into the ground to finish them off; doors could be barricaded with bookshelves and chests of drawers, and ladders could be knocked over with enemies still climbing them. And canny players had to take advantage of these options as the Ganado were relentless. They would swarm and outflank the player and offer them no reprieve, and anyone not paying attention would quickly find themselves overwhelmed.

The Resident Evil 4 remake is turning all of this up to eleven. As in the RE2 remake, Leon can now move while aiming, a move which would have made formerly tense combat encounters trivial, had the enemies not also been given increased aggression. Now, there are even more Ganado on screen at once, and all attack with ceaseless energy and deadly determination. Even a single wrong move could now see players swarmed within seconds. Especially as particularly handsy Ganado will grab a hold of Leon and turn him towards their partners in crime, opening him up to all sorts of new attacks.

The counter this, Leon can now parry and get out of grapples with his trusty knife. This even works against Dr Salvador’s rusty chainsaw, if players are brave enough to risk losing their heads. But it’s not something to be relied on, as each use sees the knife’s integrity diminish, until, presumably, it becomes too broken to use and must be repaired. Environmental hazards have also been improved upon, opening up all-new possibilities in combat. One part of the new gameplay shows Leon shooting a lantern to set a cow ablaze and use it to break up a circling crowd of Ganado. A useful tactic – just don’t tell PETA.

With even that small glimpse into what the Resident Evil 4 remake has up its sleeve, it’s clear to see that its combat and enemies are even more frenetic and formidable than ever.

What Will the Future Bring?

This is clearly a labour of love from the developers at Capcom, and one that is sure to please even the most diehard of fans.

Overall, it is shaping up to be one hell of a remake, and while it is certainly treading down a much darker and more sinister route than the original – with creepier, more fleshed-out environments, and far more gothic character models – it hasn’t lost sight of its campy roots. Fans will no doubt be pleased to hear that Leon’s infamous “Where’s everyone going? Bingo?” line makes a triumphant comeback. Not to mention the return of the fan-favourite Merchant.

With Resident Evil 7 leaning into outright horror and Resident Evil 8 swerving back to campy fun, this new take on Resident Evil 4 looks like a perfectly tailored mix of the two. And one that keeps getting better and better with each new reveal.