Resident Evil 4 needs no introduction in the gaming world. The original game is certified as one of the most influential video games of all time, responsible for reinventing the Resident Evil formula and was a masterclass in survival horror and action. Remaking Resident Evil 4 was never going to be an easy task but Capcom have proven, time and time again, that it's perfectly capable. The remake of Resident Evil 4 is another homerun remake - a masterpiece made better where it matters the most.

The story of Resident Evil 4 picks up some time after the events of Raccoon City and Resident Evil 2. Leon S. Kennedy has received special forces training and is tasked by the president to rescue his daughter, Ashley Graham, who has been taken by a group of cultists to a desolate Spanish region. Leon must rescue Ashley and unravel a greater threat than zombies at the dangerous location.





*Note: Due to strict review guidelines from Capcom, this review is completely spoiler-free and won't mention many story and gameplay-related details.

The story of Resident Evil 4 remains untouched in the remake, for the most part. The few story changes it does make work to its benefit, further exploring some side characters from the original while fleshing out the overall narrative - often in interesting directions which I won't spoil. However, it's perfectly faithful to the original while giving it one or two unique spins that were very welcomed and unexpected.

Familiar gameplay mechanics have also carried over from the original but have been given huge improvements in the remake. Leon can now move while he aims and also crouch for optional stealthy approaches to tackling enemies. The stealth was a neat addition though I didn't find myself using it too often since enemy AI could detect you pretty quickly. That said, enemies seem to respond much more aggressively and are much smarter this time, often rushing you if you reload or coordinating attacks in mobs to overwhelm you.



The remake shifts its focus back to more survival horror elements than the original, which favoured an action-heavy style. The scares are a lot more prevalent and effective with genuine moments of tension. One new section in the late game caught me by surprise and gave me that same creeping anxiety I felt during Resident Evil 7 or the Beneviento house in Resident Evil Village. If there's one thing that the remake does incredibly well, it's bring the horror aspects to the forefront over the action.

The scares are a lot more prevalent and effective with genuine moments of tension.

You still have an arsenal of weapons that can be bought and upgraded at everyone's favourite merchant, each packing a punch. Snipers for long-range, handguns and shotguns for close range and the trusty magnum rounds big damage, among others. Headshots still take top priority as it can stagger enemies, giving Leon a quick window to run in for a roundhouse kick. Melee hits also drop enemies so you can insta-kill them with a knife to the neck. Your combat knife has more usage this time as it can parry oncoming attacks and even stop a lethal chainsaw attack, but needs to be maintained and repaired constantly.



All these little gameplay improvements add up to give the Resident Evil 4 remake so much more gameplay options than the original, which is exactly what you want from an updated version. Some of those may have been brought over from the Resident Evil 2 remake, though it feels like Capcom has slowly honed its craft in the remake department, culminating in what is honestly the franchise's finest remake to date.

Every key location from the original is also present in the remake, now with some expanded sections, puzzles and new enemies (as well as re-positioned older enemies) to mix things up. Despite playing the original at least a dozen times by now, I still found myself caught by surprise and lost in some of the remake's fleshed out labyrinthian hallways, cave networks and forts. Some newly integrated puzzles are also head-scratchers and took a bit more brain-power to solve than I anticipated. Some even utilise the environment in clever ways, which forces you to pay attention to your surroundings at all times.



When it comes to Ashley, most fans already know how daunting it is to protect and escort her in the original. Thankfully, the remake does give Ashley a few more options to avoid capture. A command can order Ashley to either stick close behind you or hang back while you deal with enemies, while she seems a bit more instrumental in solving some puzzles this time around. Enemies can still sweep in and capture her or she can sustain damage, but it's not nearly as troublesome as the original thanks to better controls and smarter AI.

Capcom has slowly honed its craft in the remake department, culminating in what is honestly the franchise's finest remake to date.

Leon and Ashley's relationship has been given some attention in the remake. It's more fleshed out and feels like it naturally develops instead of the awkward, off-handed "flirting" from before. Other side characters also have bigger roles to play but I won't mention how since that's something for you to find out.



The Resident Evil 4 remake also boasts an amazing presentation. The visuals, especially the dense fog, storms and dimly lit chambers and lighting, all look superb. Capcom's proprietary RE Engine is one of the industry's best engines and the company flexes that throughout the remake, right down to its fantastic facial animations. Some voice acting does feel a bit stiff, and it arguably lacks the campy energy and charm that the original's voice work brought, but it wasn't a major issue. On that note, the remake goes for less camp and more of a serious tone but Leon is still equipped with his usual one-liners.

Over on the technical front, the Resident Evil 4 remake runs smoothly on PS5 with barely any hiccups. The campaign took me just over 15 hours to complete and I rarely ran into framerate dips or bugs. It makes excellent use of the DualSense's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Since the gameplay is deliberately slower, you feel the impact of every weapon and shotgun blast. Leon's fellow agent Hunnigan also converses with him through the controller's speaker which is a nice touch, as do most radio transmissions in the game.



Capcom have done the impossible and made a remake that not only stands toe-to-toe with the original, but outshines it in plenty of areas too. The Resident Evil 4 remake is an extraordinary reimagining that honours its counterpart while giving it a more impactful coating of horror and suspense. Before it was announced, I asked if Resident Evil 4 even needed a remake. Now I'm singing a different tune. There's now two ways to play some of the best video games of all time.



*PS5 Review code provided by Capcom