Resident Evil 4 Remake Review: A masterpiece reimagined

Resident Evil 4 Remake is the third iteration in Capcom's series of hugely successful Resident Evil remakes. The original RE4 revolutionized the survival-horror genre by introducing the immersive, over-the-shoulder perspective in lieu of the fixed camera angles that the series was known for. Despite being different, the game sold like hotcakes, and it was only a matter of time before RE4 would finally get a remake for the new generation of consoles and players in the same vein as RE2 and RE3. They say that the third time's the charm, but circumstances were flipped in this instance. Many players wondered if Capcom could respectfully iterate on RE4 in any meaningful way—as it did for RE2 and RE3—given how much more beloved Resident Evil 4 is. As it turns out, RE4 Remake is the best Resident Evil remake yet, surpassing its predecessor in both quality and execution.

Gameplay

When the first fight started, I immediately noticed the gameplay differences from the original Resident Evil 4. The combat feels much more action-packed, with the addition of hand-to-hand combat. Leon can now parry and evade enemy attacks, not just slash at the opponents with his knife. There was even a boss fight in the game that tested my hand-to-hand technique, which was a welcome change from the standard shoot-the-weak-spot routine.

The enemies react realistically to being wounded, which aligns with lore; they're not just simple zombies that feel no pain. Shooting Ganados in their legs to immobilize them feels realistic and offers tactical advantages. RE4 Remake constantly made me use those advantages by mixing up different kinds of enemies, like cultists with helmets. Each fight felt like a new experience, and I always had to think on my feet during combat.

Puzzles introduce a welcome change of pace from the constant shooting and fighting for dear life. Indeed, the Resident Evil series is known for puzzles, and this iteration doesn't shy away from utilizing this traditional element. I regularly encountered easy but fun puzzles, from placing correct lithographic tables to unlock the doors in the castle to re-arranging the different-colored patterns to align the stained glass image in a church.

Score: 5/5

Graphics

The graphics are the stand-out, next-gen feature in Resident Evil 4 Remake. The moment the first cinematic of Leon riding in a car with two police officers began, I was impressed by the sheer amount of detail in the scene. The texture of his leather jacket, the life-like faces of the cops, and Leon's hair—I could see incredible detail everywhere I looked. The impressions of talent and care I felt went into this project after witnessing the first scene were reaffirmed the more I played.

During my first playthrough, I was blown away by the aesthetics of the locales and how each one had a unique atmosphere and tone. Both the isolated, rural farmlands of the village and the medieval castle feel distinct, yet they belong in the shared world. This was a throughline as I explored and fought my way through more of the island, trudging through the secret lab, coal mines, and even a military base where Ganados were the soldiers.

The effects are also next-level and deeply immersed me into the game. When I entered the village church, I walked through the thick mist covering the floor, which only enhanced the spooky feeling and kept me on my toes the entire time. The developers were careful not to overuse the effects, though, relying on them just enough to put a thoughtful accent on certain scenes.

Score: 5/5

Sound

The sound complements the atmosphere of Resident Evil 4 Remake nicely. The developers use sound to cleverly emphasize the feeling of dread, with spooky chanting and animals snarling, and to foreshadow the coming fights.

An occasional loud bang and armor clanks in the darkness made the scare effect even creepier when I played as Ashely during a particular story sequence. I had to solve puzzles in a castle library, with Las Plagas in knight-plate armors skulking about. Since she couldn't fight, the game left me weaponless and afraid in the dark, forcing me to listen to the enemy's movements to avoid them.

Score: 4.5/5

Controls

Resident Evil 4 Remake controls like a dream. Having played the game on PlayStation 5, I can confirm that it feels excellent on the controller and is very well-optimized. It didn't take me long to get used to the button layout. The game even offers several presets if you don't like the current one, so the customization is there for those who need it.

Moving with Leon feels very responsive, unlike the original RE4. I found the combat very organic, and while the ability to move and shoot felt novel for RE4 at first, it was noticeably more useful once mastered. Coordinating with two analog sticks allowed me to move and shoot simultaneously, maneuvering around the combat area while shooting at the enemies to prevent them from overrunning me.

RE4 Remake allows the player to assign weapons to directional buttons and select them with the D-pad on the go, which makes the action flow smoothly. Spending all my shotgun ammo, I often switched to the pistol to keep the Ganados away instead of scrambling through the inventory menu options—another welcome change.

Score: 5/5

Verdict – Visually stunning survival-horror masterpiece with phenomenal gameplay

Resident Evil 4 Remake is another hit in the series of Capcom's reboots that gave me hours of mindless fun. Combat feels better than the predecessors and plays out differently on each difficulty level, adding further layers to the game and more replayability. Hunting for treasures and exploring the map with stunning visuals kept me returning for more (trust me, it's sheer eye-candy). Capcom outdid themselves with this remake, and I can't wait to see which Resident Evil is next in line to get a makeover.

A free copy of the game was provided to PGG by the publisher for review purposes.