After much speculation over the past few years, the remake of Resident Evil 4 has finally been officially announced with a trailer during today’s Sony’s State of Play. The beloved horror and action game is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, and Steam on March 24, 2023. Back in January, a leak by one of the voice actors revealed concept art for the game. Now we finally get our first glimpse at Leon’s remade journey.
Resident Evil 4 Is Back… Again
The game, looks to be a faithful redesign of the original game with updated graphics, textures, and character designs. Like the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, there’s an indication that this entry will temper more modern controls with a stronger emphasis on horror. The original Resident Evil 4 was first released on Gamecube in 2005, but eventually found its way to practically every major console. There have been multiple re-releases on modern hardware.
The trailer primarily features Leon Kennedy near the beginning of the game as he arrives in the dangerous village. We also get a look at the ever-elusive spy Ada Wong in her signature red. There’s a glance at Ashley Graham, the president’s daughter. In the original game, Leon rescues and later escorts Ashley. Will she be just as helpless this time around? Only time will tell.
Capcom Speaks Out About Rebuilding RE4
According to a blog post shared by PlayStation’s blog, Capcom will aim to keep the spirit of the game alive 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.” Sounds like we might finally be able to move and shoot at the same time.
They went on to say that RE4 “revolutionized the Resident Evil franchise with its new game-style that combined action, shooting, and resource management elements, subsequently setting the standard for future Resident Evil titles.” There’s an earnest respect for the title, one that will hopefully translate to an even better version to come.
The Perfect Resident Evil
Resident Evil 4 served as the perfect in-between game. It stayed true to the horror roots in the first few entries of the series and the more action-oriented approach presented later in Resident Evil 5 and 6. In recent years, the series has returned to the fear with Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village. Village itself was a loving homage to Resident Evil 4, so one has to wonder what tricks Capcom has up their sleeves.
Let’s hope that this remake of Resident Evil 4 captures that perfect blend of action-horror.
In February, a fan-made project that aimed to upgrade the graphics and texture of the game was released. Be sure to check out our ranking of all the mainline Resident Evil games to see where Resident Evil 4 falls. If that isn’t enough Resident Evil content for you, we’ve also ranked all the final bosses in the series – from Wesker in Resident Evil 5 to the original Tyrant in the first game.
