The Evolution of Resident Evil 4: A Masterclass in Remaking a Classic

Resident Evil 4 is widely regarded as one of the most influential games of all time, and its impact can still be felt in the gaming industry today. The original game was released in 2005 for the GameCube console and revolutionized the survival horror genre with its over-the-shoulder camera system, fast-paced action, and memorable set pieces. However, as much as we love the original Resident Evil 4, it's undeniable that its influence can be seen in many modern games, including some of the most critically acclaimed titles of recent years.

But what does it mean to remake a game like Resident Evil 4 in a world where modern gaming has evolved significantly? Capcom's latest attempt at revisiting this classic is not just a straightforward re-release of the original game; instead, it's a thoughtful and nuanced reinterpretation that pays homage to the source material while also pushing the boundaries of what we expect from a horror game. The game's developers have taken the time to examine the evolution of gaming over the past two decades and apply those lessons to create a more modern, more polished, and more thought-provoking experience.

The result is a game that feels both familiar and new at the same time. While some aspects of the original Resident Evil 4 remain unchanged – such as its story pacing, memorable set pieces, and iconic enemy types – the game's combat, story, and overall presentation have been updated to reflect modern gaming standards. This includes a more refined gameplay mechanic, a greater emphasis on character development, and a narrative that explores themes of trauma, identity, and the human condition in ways that were not possible in the original game.

One of the most impressive aspects of this remake is its ability to honor the legacy of Resident Evil 4 while also placing it firmly within the context of modern gaming. By re-examining the game through the lens of two decades' worth of gaming evolution, Capcom's developers have created a version that feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking. This approach is not just about re-releasing an old game; it's about creating something new and exciting while still paying tribute to what made the original so beloved.

For fans of the original Resident Evil 4, this remake offers a unique opportunity to experience the game in a way they never have before. By stripping away the nostalgia and embracing the changes that have been made, players can appreciate the game for its own merits rather than relying on fond memories of playing it for the first time. And for new players who may not be familiar with the original Resident Evil 4, this remake offers an excellent introduction to one of gaming's most iconic franchises.

The real question is what makes a good video game remake? Is it simply about re-releasing an old game with minor updates and cosmetic changes? Or is there something more to it – some hidden secret or creative spark that sets the remake apart from the original? In this case, Capcom's approach has clearly hit the mark. By re-examining Resident Evil 4 through the lens of modern gaming evolution, they have created a version that feels both nostalgic and new, familiar and exciting.

So what do you want to see in a video game remake? Do you look for subtle updates and refinements, or something more substantial – like a complete overhaul of the gameplay mechanics or a radical change in tone and style? For me, a good video game remake should be about more than just nostalgia; it should be about creating something new and exciting while still paying tribute to what made the original so beloved. And if Capcom's latest attempt at remaking Resident Evil 4 is any indication, then I think we're on the right track.

The Future of Gaming: Lessons from Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4's influence can be seen in many modern games, including some of the most critically acclaimed titles of recent years. But what does this say about the state of gaming today? Is it a reflection of our evolving tastes and preferences, or is there something more at play?

One possible interpretation is that Resident Evil 4's influence represents a shift towards more aggressive and fast-paced action in modern gaming. This is certainly true for horror games specifically – but it also extends to other genres like first-person shooters and third-person action-adventure games. By embracing the over-the-shoulder camera system, quick-time events, and intense set pieces that defined Resident Evil 4, many modern games have created a sense of tension and urgency that feels both thrilling and authentic.

But what does this say about our relationship to horror games? In an era where survival horror has become increasingly rare in modern gaming, it's interesting to consider how Resident Evil 4's influence has helped shape the genre. By emphasizing atmosphere, storytelling, and character development over pure scares and jump-out-of-your-seat frights, modern horror games have created a more nuanced and sophisticated experience that rewards players for their patience and attention.

And yet, despite this shift towards more mature and thoughtful gameplay, there is still something about Resident Evil 4's fast-paced action and intense set pieces that feels both familiar and new. This raises an interesting question – what does it mean to revisit a classic game like Resident Evil 4 in a world where modern gaming has evolved so dramatically? Is it possible to recapture the magic of the original, or is there something inherently lost when we re-release old games with minor updates?

For me, the answer lies not just in the gameplay mechanics or narrative – but in the way that we experience and interact with these games. When we play a game like Resident Evil 4 for the first time, it's often because of its reputation, its critical acclaim, or simply because it was part of our gaming DNA. But when we revisit this game as an adult, perhaps after re-playing other classic titles or experiencing new gameplay mechanics – that's when the magic happens.

It's not just about revisiting a favorite childhood memory; it's about re-experiencing something that shaped us into who we are today. And when Capcom's latest attempt at remaking Resident Evil 4 gets this right, then I think we're onto something truly special.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthere have been multiple points this year where I've had to check my calendar and make sure that it's not October because Halloween has come very early for horror game fans that's because of releases like the Dead Space remake that happened earlier this year and now the incredibly superb Resident Evil 4 remake hi everybody I'm Giovanni colantonio I'm the gaming section lead over at Digital Trends and I'm here with my review of Resident Evil 4. the new version not the old one there's another one though this time we're not just getting another port to a new platform this is a full-on remake of the Nintendo GameCube classic but before I talk about that I actually want to go back and talk about this year's Dead Space remake first because there's some important context there now like a lot of you I really adored the recent Dead Space remake that came out this year it looks beautiful it plays beautiful it does a great job at modernizing a horror classic but at the same time it did leave me just a tiny bit underwhelmed that's because nothing about the Dead Space remake actually changed my relationship to Dead Space if that makes sense if I hadn't played it I would have had the exact same feelings on dead space as I did having not played it my feelings on the series kind of remain unchanged that's given me a lot of time to ask the question what should a video game remake actually do should they just be totally faithful one-to-one copies of the games that we loved or is there space to do something more with them to reinvent them and make us think about stories in a totally different way and I'm glad this Resident Evil 4 remake is out now because it gives a really good case for why doing that reinvention approach might actually be the way to go for video games going forward the important thing to know about this remake is that it is not a one-to-one version of the Resident Evil 4 that you grew up and played as a kid it's actually way more radical than marketing has let on certain story beats have been totally changed characters are way deeper set pieces are different locations are different obviously it looks a lot better the combat is incredibly different it's because Capcom isn't just trying to redo Resident Evil 4 and make a quick Buck they're actually taking a lot of time to think about what Resident Evil 4 means in 2023. let's talk about a couple of ways that it does that I'll focus on two things in particular the first is its story a Muslim welcome to my castle Mr Kennedy who the hell are you the core story here is pretty much the same as it was in the original you have Leon S Kennedy who's a government agent who's tasked with tracking down the president's daughter that takes him to this remote rural Spanish village that's filled with villagers that have been infested with parasites and want to kill him they're basically zombies but they're not zombies they're kind of zombies it's it's it we'll just call them zombies the original game did have an emphasis on story but it was also kind of silly it was a little bit of a Saturday morning cartoon and that's something that's been very beloved about it over the years its characters were a little paper thin Leon was kind of just a lovable himbo dummy and Ashley was kind of just an annoying companion but this time that's been really changed the story is a lot different because there's more to it I won't get into specific details because part of the joy of this is discovering that for yourself but needless to say characters have real arcs this time they're not just one dimensional we get to see a lot more of characters like Leon and Ashley and they both get True full arcs the way that I would describe this change is that this version is less like a cartoon and it's more like a modern action movie and if you've played a lot of recent video games you know that that's something that's kind of trendy right now a lot of games are trying to mimic Hollywood and make big action set pieces and that's kind of what Resident Evil 4 does here and it doesn't really success successfully this is a thrilling game that takes all of the amazing set pieces from the original and does them even bigger and better in some cases now this might rub some people the wrong way I think there are people who really really love the goofy tone of the original and while this one is still gleefully silly it is more modern and serious in some sense but the thing is if you love that goofy version of Resident Evil 4 that already exists you can go play it you can dust off your GameCube you can get it on PC you can you can even play it on the Oculus quest in VR that version is never going away and it still plays great what Capcom is doing here is offering a truly new version of Resident Evil 4 that feels like it fits into 2023 the goal here is making it feel like a modern game and that takes me to another standout feature in this remake which is its combat system in the original Resident Evil 4 Combat was probably a little stiffer than you remember Leon would actually have to stand still to fire his gun and that could make the combat feel a little start and stop in this that's been totally changed he can now move while shooting and that's just one of these small changes that alone makes things feel faster and more action-packed but in addition to that he can do a lot more with his knife this time which is a wonderful change he can backstab enemies and kill them in one go kind of like you could do in Wolfenstein or The Last of Us you can use your knife to Parry enemy attacks even blocking a chainsaw which seems insanely impossible but I'm here for it I even ran into a situation where I managed to deflect a flying ax out of midair which made me feel very cool and that's kind of what the game is going for it's trying to make you feel like more of an action hero the original Resident Evil 4 did do that but by today's standards it doesn't really feel up to par with a lot of today's games with approach to combat the Remake is trying to take something that felt really Innovative and new at the time and make it feel Innovative and new again I can already imagine that we're going to see a lot of wild YouTube videos where people just make the most out of this combat system kind of like we saw when the last of us two came out and The Last of Us is the game that I actually really want to focus on here because I think it highlights what this project does so well let me take you back in time if you never played the original Resident Evil 4 when it came out on GameCube it was a huge moment in the 2000s that's because it was a major departure for the Resident Evil series at the time which up to that point had just been kind of slow survival horror games this was a full-on action game that was a lot faster and more fun and goofier by comparison and it was incredibly influential because of that not only did it change the trajectory of the Resident Evil series but you could say that it built the framework for the action horror genre you don't really get dead space without Resident Evil 4. I'd even go a step further it kind of set the template for what would become the narrative third-person action adventure game you kind of don't get the last of us without Resident Evil 4. and here's the thing about remaking a game as important as that if you were to do a one-to-one recreation of everything you loved about the original Resident Evil 4 right now you wouldn't really get its influence that's because parts of it are kind of dated by today's standards that's not a knock against it gaming has just evolved so much in that time and a lot of that has come from building off of what Resident Evil 4 did well and so what Capcom does here that's really brilliant is they don't just remake Resident Evil 4 and give everybody a nice Nostalgia trip instead they're re-examining it through the lens of the 20 years worth of games that came out of Resident Evil 4. what does it mean to make Resident Evil 4 in a world post The Last of Us that's kind of the question that we get at here and getting to see that is kind of incredible if you love video game history you really get to see the straight line between something like Resident Evil 4 and the last of us when you're looking at a really really modern version of the former it makes you appreciate why the original Resident Evil 4 was so ahead of its time I mean so much of the stuff that works here is just stuff that was in the original game how weird it was how well the story is paced some really memorable set pieces and enemy types that part of it has remained unchanged but what has changed is those modern language touches the things that make its combat feel new and fast and Slick the things that make its story feel more nuanced like we get from today's games that should be something that excites fans of the original game you aren't just going to get the exact same game that you've played a hundred times here instead you are going to get something that makes you think about it differently that makes you reflect on what it did well that makes you reflect on how it change the games that came after it it is an incredible historical project just as much as it is a preservation of Resident Evil 4. and if you come to it from that approach I think you'll really adore what this game does you have to put your Nostalgia to the side you have to be willing to accept what it's doing and all the changes that it's making and the way that it's modernizing in ways that maybe aren't going to feel like they're true to the original at the end of the day they kind of are true to the original it's just true to the original looking at it 20 years later that's what that game might have looked like if it had been made today that makes for an incredibly thoughtful revisit that honors the Legacy and past of Resident Evil 4 while also placing it in the present and thinking about the future I think that you'll see a lot of aspects of this game carried over into Resident Evil games going forward and honestly maybe even at a more broad level within the video game industry it's teaching us how remakes can be different how they can add to an experience how they can change our relationship to it how they can make us think about why these games are important and why we still love them why they're are enduring Classics because of all that this version of Resident Evil 4 is honestly just as good as the original was when it first came out it's once again a groundbreaking project that's every bit as fun and inventive and weird as it was when it came out on the GameCube except this time you get to experience it in the context of all the games that came after it and that makes for a really special experience I'm not going to say another word here because honestly I kind of want you to experience it for yourself but I'm curious as to what you think what makes a really good video game remake what do you want to see in something like Resident Evil 4 what do you look for when you revisit a game let us know in the comments below all I'll say is that I hope you see in this version of Resident Evil 4 what I see in it because I think that this is a great path forward for the video game industry if we're gonna keep remaking games that honestly hold up pretty well and probably don't need to be remade I think this is the exact way that you do it make me think about it differently make me feel something new about it chop my head off with a chainsaw again I'm here for it foreign\n"