Even though Resident Evil 4 Remake has the same characters and story as the original, there are enough changes to make it worth playing.
Resident Evil 4 Remake is a good example of how hard it can be to make a remake of a game. If you don’t make enough changes, there won’t be enough new content for players to want to buy the game. If you change too much, you might lose friends. In general, Capcom’s remakes of the first three Resident Evil games got this mix right, and Resident Evil 4 is no exception.
So, what has changed? We’ve pointed out some of the biggest differences between the 2005 version and the 2023 remake. If you’re not sure whether or not to go back to the base of Los Illuminados, check out the tips below.
A New Look
One of the best-looking games of 2005 was Resident Evil 4. Even though it still looks good, its images can’t compare to those of the Remake. Every place has a lot of detail, from the Village, which is full of parasites, to the Castle Salazar rooms, which are falling apart.
Most of the figures have also changed the way they look. Even though they are all easily recognized, almost everyone has a new outfit. Ashley looks great in her classic jacket and ruffled scarf, in particular.
No Health Bar For Ashley
The main goal of the game is to keep Ashley living, which was hard to do in the first game. She had her own health bar that was different from Leon’s. If she got hurt, players had to give her one of the few healing items they had. Worst of all, if Leon accidentally shot Ashley, even if it just hit her arm, she would die right away.
Ashley is safer in the Remake, but it’s still not easy to keep her safe. The cultists will still try to take her, but they are better about it now. One will grab Ashley while the others swarm Leon to keep him busy. Ashley falls to the ground if she takes damage. If she gets hurt again before Leon gets there to help her, she will die. This is true for both damage from enemies and damage from Leon, but Ashley is much better than she was in the first game at hiding and staying out of the way of fire.
Less Gruesome Deaths
Even though it might not seem that way after seeing Leon get his head cut off, chainsawed, stabbed, or otherwise forced out of his body, the deaths in the Remake are actually less graphic than in the original. The violence in the 2005 version was very graphic, but the Remake has just a little less of it.
In particular, players no longer have to look at Leon’s faceless head after Novistador acid melts it off. Everything else in the Remake isn’t as shocking as that one shot.
A Better Story
The stories in Resident Evil have never stood up to close inspection, but that was never the point. The series has always been campy horror that tries to be Very Serious when everyone knows it’s not. Still, the Resident Evil 4 Remake fills in a lot of plot holes from the original and gives a lot more information about where the Plagas came from, the background of the area, and even Luis’ past.
The new version of Krauser’s story is much better. In the original, Leon’s previous commander just shows up out of nowhere and doesn’t say who he is. The fact that he called Leon “comrade” in the English version doesn’t help. This is meant to show that they were in the military together, but it makes it sound like they have some kind of connection to the Soviet Union. In the remake, Leon’s friendship with Krauser is set up sooner, and Krauser calls Leon “rookie” instead. The story still doesn’t do what it set out to do, which was to help Leon grow as a person, but at least it makes a little more sense now.
Bear Traps Don’t Deal Damage
In both versions of Resident Evil 4, if Leon rushes through a new area, he could walk right into one of the dozens of bear traps that the cultists have set up. If you get caught in a trap, it takes a few seconds to get out, leaving Leon wide open to strikes.
Even though it’s still bad to get stuck in a bear trap when there are no enemies around, knowing that bear traps no longer hurt should make it a little easier. Bear traps are not one of the things in this game that will quickly use up all of your eggs and Green Herbs. Even though it doesn’t make sense, we’re not upset!
More Side Quests
In the first game, the Merchant gave out a few tasks by leaving notes around the Village. These were rare, but most of the time it was worth going after them for some extra benefits. This time, there are a lot of extra goals and a trade-in system that lets players pick what they want as a reward.
When you finish a Merchant Request, like getting Blue Medallions or hunting rats or fighting elite minibosses, you get Spinels, which are special gems that can be traded straight to the Merchant for unique items. Some guns and upgrades can only be gotten this way.
The New-And-Improved Shooting Gallery
If you get tired of fighting bad bugs and bloodthirsty cultists, the Merchant has a shooting gallery with a pirate theme where you can blow off steam. Each chapter has a number of tasks that teach you how to use the guns in Flappy Bird game. You can even earn tokens that you can trade in for Charms.
In some of the Merchant’s hideouts in the original game, there was a target range. The new fairground-style minigame, on the other hand, is a thing of beauty. Don’t worry about how he set up four similar attractions without the cult noticing. This is just one of the strange things that make Resident Evil such a fun game.
Ammo Crafting
In Resident Evil, players have always been able to mix herbs of different colors to make new healing items. In later games, you can also make your own weapons, and Resident Evil 4 Remake also has this feature. Players can make the ammo they need on the spot by combining Gunpowder and Resources. This is much better than running around smashing barrels and hope the right type of ammo drops.
Gunpowder and resources are still rare enough that you’ll have to think carefully about what you make, but the added flexibility makes it less likely that you’ll be locked out of a fight because you don’t have enough bullets for the best gun for the job.
New And Revamped Enemies
In Resident Evil 4 Remake, most of the enemies from the first game are back. From the singing Ganados to the crazy Garradors and creepy Regeneradors, veteran players have a lot to look forward to as they fight their way through the cult’s lair. Without giving anything away, a few of the original monsters have picked up some new skills in the last eighteen years…
There are also new enemies and better AI, so even the most skilled players will face tasks they didn’t expect.
Your Knife Can Break
Ah, the knife. It’s a staple of speed runs and the last tool you use when you’re out of bullets. It would be a shame if something bad happened to Leon’s most valuable tool.
Leon’s knife now has a Durability rating, which goes down every time you hit, block, or do a finishing move. When the knife’s Durability reaches 0, it breaks and can’t be used again until the Merchant fixes it for you. In the meantime, you can use smaller knives, but they do less damage and break after a few uses.
Resident Evil has always been about making the most of what you have. Now, even your trusty knife needs to be used carefully, or else you won’t have any defenses when you need them the most. Longtime players might find it strange that their knife breaks during the first village fight in the Remake.
