It's a shame that this removes so many iconic moments from the original game, but it's all in service of creating a very different atmosphere. Even so, with a much darker tone, this game captures the gameplay feel of resident evil 4 so well, whilst in some ways improving on it with numerous QOL improvements and new mechanics like the great knife parry system.

I found myself driven to explore every nook and cranny of every area of the game, and it gives you a good couple of decently-sized areas to explore that become fully open to go around between several major plot beats. There's never a dull moment or confusion on what needs to be done, there's always something to do and something on your mind.

This is an outstanding achievement that only just falls short of the original; if only because that game was so forward thinking it reshaped entire sections of the industry. This won't have the same impact that game had, but it is one of the best third person shooters you'll play this year, or will have played in a long time.