There are less than three weeks to go before the eagerly anticipated Resident Evil 4 Remake hits the shelves. March 24 marks the date that the fourth Resident Evil title receives a next-gen update, and survival horror fans from around the world cannot wait to see what Capcom has done with one of the best video games of all time.
The remakes of Resident Evil 1, 2, and 3 went down a storm with fans of the long-running series, but there is some apprehension about a remade version of Resident Evil 4. It is not that fans and gamers do not trust Capcom to come up with the good once again. It is more that the original Resident Evil 4 was a genre-defining title, and sometimes, those games are best left alone. If Capcom has got this remake perfect, it will result in sports betting sites making Resident Evil 4 Remake one of the favorites for the coveted Game of the Year title. However, get it wrong, and an army of Resi fans will be baying for blood.
Why Was the Original Resident Evil 4 So Influential?
The original Resident Evil 4 launched on the Nintendo Gamecub in January 2005 and made it onto the PlayStation 2 by the end of the year. It marked the first time that Capcom moved away from its preferred camera angles for the series, with Resident Evil 4 adopting an over-the-shoulder third-person view, which epic games such as Dead Space, Gears of War, Fallout, Uncharted, and The Last of Us have famously since used.
Development for the original Resident Evil 4 started in 1999. Four versions were put to Capcom, but all were rejected, including the version created by Hideki Kamiya. Kamiya’s take was seen as being too far removed from the series’ roots, but it was a great game in its own right. Kamiya’s Resident Evil 4 became the Devil May Cry series; did you know that?
Resident Evil 4 was more action based than pure survival horror, yet fans lapped it up; as did review sites and the various gaming awards. It went on to sell more than 11.5 million copies, and several publications rate Resident Evil 4 as one of the greatest video games of all time.
What to Expect From the Resident Evil 4 Remake
Capcom has released several trailers for the upcoming remake, and we have to say that the game looks incredible. Capcom has enhanced the visuals, creating a more atmospheric tone while improving the backgrounds and the character designs. Leon Kennedy, the game’s protagonist, along with the other characters in the remake, are now all based on real people, with Leon sporting a likeness to Eduard Badaluta, the actor that serves as the character model for Leon.
Keeping with Leon, players of the original title should be pleased to learn that Leon will have a new arsenal of moves at his disposal, including new blocking mechanics. It will be possible to block chainsaw attacks with his knife, and he can now perform roundhouse kicks to keep the never-ending pack of mind-alter cultists at bay.
The biggest worry that fans of the original have is Capcom revealed it had reworked the story to make it more horror based. The original story won awards, so it is strange that Capcom would risk ruining it, although it has to be said that the long-running developer and publisher did a superb job in revamping the storylines of the previous trio of Resident Evil remakes. Capcom stated that it is expanding the relationship between Leon and Ashley, the President’s daughter, who Leon is sent to rescue, rather than rewriting the entire story.
Anyone who loves survival horror has waited over a decade and a half for a Resi 4 remake. Their wishes will be answered on March 24. Will it be a patch on the original? We do not have long to wait to find out.