Resident Evil 4 is often tipped as the best entry in the entire Resident Evil series. It’s amalgamation of survival horror gameplay established in preceding titles with a more action-orientated flavour meant the game continually usurped expectations. Resident Evil 4’s impending remake looks to be much darker and horrifying in tone, but from what we’ve seen in the game’s reveal trailers and gameplay footage Capcom look to be sticking close to the source material in terms of narrative and action set pieces, so it seems likely the most memorable bits from the original will appear in some form in the remake.
Enter the Village
Any notion that Resident Evil 4 Remake isn’t an action-orientated survival horror will be dispelled once Leon enters the game’s decrepit village in the game’s prologue. Swarmed by pitchfork-armed villagers, the locals seemingly in bloodthirsty trance, Leon must swiftly learn to defend himself from the violent onslaught with limited ammo and scarce resources. This moment is anything but sluggish; instead, this hectic intro sequence serves as a warning to players – prepare to fight your way out of trouble.
Visit the Merchant
The Duke, the local salesman in Resident Evil Village, cites Resident Evil 4’s merchant as an old friend. It’s easy to see why – in a locale stuffed with violent Ganado, RE4’s merchant is friendly and hospitable, delivering a host of flattering quips and one-liners whilst offering a wide selection of weapons and wares from his backpack and coat. Fans are excited at the merchant’s return, for he’s a mysterious character with a host of theories as to his identity. Is he truly infected by the Plaga? Is he a double agent for Umbrella, working to keep Leon alive? Is he Luis Sera’s grandfather? The merchant is an enigma which can’t be solved.
Encounter the Chainsaw Man
Cheesy characters and schlocky dialogue should be enough to clue anyone into the fact Resident Evil 4 is actually a ‘so bad it’s good’ B-movie horror, but for any doubters the chilling buzz of chainsaw whirs and sights of lurching bag-headed maniacs will do it. In an obvious homage to 1970s cult horror The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Leon – during the action-packed opening village sequence –finds himself face-to-bag-face with the chainsaw wielding mad man. This dude soaks up bullets too, making this preliminary bombardment of bloodthirsty villagers even more exhilarating.
Encounter a Regenerator
These Plaga-infested corpses straight-up refuse to die. Instead, they edge menacingly towards Leon in what will be one of the most frightening encounters in Resident Evil 4 Remake. Intense and extremely difficult to kill, these greyscale monstrosities are impervious to bullets. Should Leon blow the head right off one, then it’ll grow – or regenerate – straight back. Instead, the infrared scope on the sniper rifle will reveal the parasite, and thus the weak spots, lurking within.
Del Lago Boss Fight
Taking to the water in a tiny, ramshackle boat will be a highlight in Resident Evil 4 Remake. The OG boss battle is admittedly a tad repetitive, with Leon endlessly chucking spears at the back of the gargantuan water monster until it eventually sinks. It’ll be interesting to see how Capcom update this encounter’s design for RE4 Remake as there’s potential here to really ramp up the thrill.
El Gigante Boss Fight
El Gigante won’t be the most complex of Resident Evil 4 Remake’s boss battles, but it’ll certainly be up there as one of its most entertaining. This humungous troll-type creature stomps around a makeshift battle arena, swinging trees and punching fists into the Earth. The best bit of this encounter hopefully will be the howl of the returning dog whom, should Leon free from the bear trap at the game’s immediate start, will reappear to distract El Gigante for just long enough for Leon to spray the boss full of lead.
Find an RPG and Wallop Enemies
It’s a running gag in Resident Evil titles that rocket launchers are supremely overpowered; they’re essentially a tool to one-shot past an encounter, a golden ticket to skip a boss. The trade off? They’re expensive, take up tons of room in player’s inventory, and are good for one-time use only, but it’s going to be super satisfying to unload an RPG into Verdugo’s face in RE4 Remake.
Jack Krauser Knife Fight
Looking like it’ll be one of the most significant updates in Resident Evil 4 Remake, Leon’s first encounter with one-time comrade Krauser was a cinematic, quick time event heavy brawl in the original game but now it’ll reportedly be a fully fleshed out boss battle. Gone are the QTE’s and instead replaced by RE4 Remake’s new parry system, meaning battling Krauser with knives only is set to be even more epic.
Find all the eggs
Eggs will continue to serve an important purpose in Resident Evil 4 Remake – sustenance and weaponry although, golden and rotten eggs aside, chucking eggs are mere tools for distraction. Lobbing them at lurching villagers serves only to stun them momentarily. Still, it’s going to be pure nostalgia seeking out chickens and killing snakes to find eggs. Maybe Capcom will implement some of the nefarious egg farming exploits of the original game too, you know, for old times’ sake.
U-3 Boss Fight
‘It’… just what is this abomination? Leon’s encounter with U-3 in Resident Evil 4 is bloodcurdlingly claustrophobic. Here’s hoping the tension is relived in RE4 Remake, as the U-3 fight has it all – tricky puzzles, cramped environments, chases, bullets, explosions, and one of the most petrifying monster designs in the entire Resident Evil series. Seriously, it’s going to be glorious to be up close and personal with U-3 again, and it’ll be interesting to see how Capcom adjust the encounter now they’re dropping quick time events.
Encounter Verdugo
Salazar’s right hand is summoned to execute Leon during the atmospheric sewer section in Resident Evil 4. Now, slaying Verdugo is optional; players can opt to evade his clutches long enough for the lift, and eventual escape, to arrive. However, Verdugo represents the typical ‘stalker’-type character modern Resident Evil games are known for, so it’s hugely exciting to hear rumours Verdugo will be a more prominent character in Resident Evil 4 Remake as this suggests he’ll be that creepy, unkillable foe sent to stalk players throughout large swathes of the game.
Survive the Cabin Fight
Action set pieces will be aplenty in RE4 Remake. We’ve already seen glimpses of the memorable mine cart ride in the Remake’s trailers, but Leon and Luis’s cabin defence from an onslaught of crazed villagers is up there with the game’s best action sequences too. The fight is tight, tense, and suffocating, with the cabin seemingly surrounded by charging zombified villagers. It’s super easy to be quickly overwhelmed too, so here’s hoping the merchant has plenty of grenades in stock before Leon reaches the cabin.
Let Ganado Blow Themselves Up with Dynamite
Getting caught in a Ganado’s dynamite blast spells instant doom for Leon. However, if dynamite is supremely powerful against Leon, then it’s deadly for their fellow Ganado too, so, with a bit of experience players can lure dynamite Ganado’s to wiping out waves of their so-called allies, or just to simply blow themselves up. Either way, Leon saves vital ammo.
Escorting Ashley in a suit of armour
Yes, Ashley is back but hopefully she won’t be as annoying as last time. We’re already expecting Ashley’s role to be somewhat darker in RE4 Remake; maybe she’ll prove more capable this time around too? Either way, here’s hoping Capcom don’t eschew the schlocky comedy elements in RE4 Remake altogether, such as Leon’s humorous 1930’s gangster outfit that’s unlockable for subsequent playthroughs. If Leon’s adorning this costume, then Ashley wears a ridiculous suit of armour, although it’s not just fun and games as this suit gives Ashley strength to repel damage and make her too heavy to carry away.
Jet Ski Escape
In many ways, Resident Evil 4’s climactic jet ski escape is the perfect way to end a game stuffed with cheesy one-liners and Hollywood set pieces. With RE4 Remake’s darker aesthetic and toned-down comedy, will the jet ski escape still feature? Well, to get this far and not reward players with this ridiculously cool, over-the-top escape sequence, with Leon and Ashley riding off into the sunset after a night of terror, would be a disaster.
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