I've been delaying writing this review for a few hours because I was busy playing through it again. I want to be critical and say that it doesn't need to exist (which it doesn't, really), or say that it's a 9/10 due to some aspects that are lesser than the original, but nah, fuck it. It's still RE4, and it's still great.
I guess I'll start with my short list of complaints, which are more like nitpicks, really. The RE2make style aiming is a great way to mimic the classic tank controls, but it does feel a bit restrictive at times, leading to more than a few scenarios of getting hit when you didn't need to, due to having to stand near-perfectly still to aim. I do wish there was some kind of recipe for making a "knife repair kit" on the fly, because while I absolutely love the new knife system, it can be a bit strict on just how much you can use it if you're not careful. Granted, I think this is a deliberate choice, but it's just so fun to use that it's hard not to. Uhm... a couple rooms were removed that I liked from the original? Does kind of bum me out, but not nearly enough for it to matter. Legitimately, maybe my biggest and most wholehearted complaint for this remake is that suplexes no longer explode cultists' heads. Your kicks still explode heads, why not your suplexes???
Nah, I can't do this anymore. Making a remake, as much as some overly critical gamers might disagree with me, is not easy. You change too much, you have people saying it's not the same game. You change too little, you have even more people wondering why it was made. With such a delicate balance in mind, remaking a game like Resident Evil 4 should be like walking a razor's edge; questionable and moderately concerning to everyone watching, even your biggest fans. Capcom, being Capcom, decided to start breakdancing on the razor. Not only do they perfectly understand what made the original so beloved and able to withstand the test of time, they were brave enough to change things up to keep it fresh and prevent it from being a 1:1 remake. Certain sequences are redone, boss fights are added onto while still retaining their original feel, and even the characters have had a good level of polish to them, while still keeping great care to not deviate from their original versions. They didn't make a game that held hands and appealed only to new players, and they didn't make a game mired in nostalgia and self-references that appealed to veterans, they made a game that anyone can pick up and feel like it was their first time playing RE4.
It's always been very hard for me to describe why RE4 works, why it's such a great game, and unfortunately that difficulty has stuck with me, but throughout my entire time playing this, I was constantly shocked at how little I was thinking "the original did this better" or "I don't like this change". Hell, most of the times I did think that were for a line delivery that was less cheesy than I had wished, which of course makes sense for the REmakes; the perfect balance of serious and cheese. Leon is grittier and less goofier here, but still knows how to show off and crack some great action movie one-liners. Salazar is played a bit more straight, but is still just as absurd and sneering as his original. Granted, I do miss hearing "MEESTAR KENNEDYYYYYY", but the new version is certainly not a bad replacement. It's more realistic, sure, but not soulless in the slightest. The exact same sentiment stands for the visuals, as well. I feel like too many critical gamers have the belief that photorealism = soullessness, and while I get why such a belief exists, I can't think of a worse game to apply it to than this. It is still just as stylized as the original, with characters all looking incredibly distinct and memorable; not even characters, your guns all look really unique, the different areas do, even basic props still have a very video game-y feel to them while looking fantastic doing so.
Yeah, man, I don't know what else to write here. I've been up all night playing this, and this is just my scribbled out rambling thoughts so I can get back to playing it more. I will leave on a very important thought: I do not think this is better than the original. Similarly, I don't think it's worse, either. I think they are both exceptional action-horror games that have their own great strengths and minor weaknesses. I will probably end up coming back to this version more simply for the gameplay, but that's not necessarily a reflection on quality. The original's level design is still unbeatable, but the new gameplay additions in this version give it an undeniable edge for me. Point is, I don't think we need to hate on one version to praise another. The original is still available to play (unlike RE2 and 3...), and I think this is a fine modern counterpart to it, rather than a full-on replacement. We can like both! Hopefully, that sentiment will begin to ring true in some of this game's detractors. An excellent remake that stands toe-to-toe with the original in nearly every front, and one I'm going to be spending a lot of time with for a very long while.
I guess I'll start with my short list of complaints, which are more like nitpicks, really. The RE2make style aiming is a great way to mimic the classic tank controls, but it does feel a bit restrictive at times, leading to more than a few scenarios of getting hit when you didn't need to, due to having to stand near-perfectly still to aim. I do wish there was some kind of recipe for making a "knife repair kit" on the fly, because while I absolutely love the new knife system, it can be a bit strict on just how much you can use it if you're not careful. Granted, I think this is a deliberate choice, but it's just so fun to use that it's hard not to. Uhm... a couple rooms were removed that I liked from the original? Does kind of bum me out, but not nearly enough for it to matter. Legitimately, maybe my biggest and most wholehearted complaint for this remake is that suplexes no longer explode cultists' heads. Your kicks still explode heads, why not your suplexes???
Nah, I can't do this anymore. Making a remake, as much as some overly critical gamers might disagree with me, is not easy. You change too much, you have people saying it's not the same game. You change too little, you have even more people wondering why it was made. With such a delicate balance in mind, remaking a game like Resident Evil 4 should be like walking a razor's edge; questionable and moderately concerning to everyone watching, even your biggest fans. Capcom, being Capcom, decided to start breakdancing on the razor. Not only do they perfectly understand what made the original so beloved and able to withstand the test of time, they were brave enough to change things up to keep it fresh and prevent it from being a 1:1 remake. Certain sequences are redone, boss fights are added onto while still retaining their original feel, and even the characters have had a good level of polish to them, while still keeping great care to not deviate from their original versions. They didn't make a game that held hands and appealed only to new players, and they didn't make a game mired in nostalgia and self-references that appealed to veterans, they made a game that anyone can pick up and feel like it was their first time playing RE4.
It's always been very hard for me to describe why RE4 works, why it's such a great game, and unfortunately that difficulty has stuck with me, but throughout my entire time playing this, I was constantly shocked at how little I was thinking "the original did this better" or "I don't like this change". Hell, most of the times I did think that were for a line delivery that was less cheesy than I had wished, which of course makes sense for the REmakes; the perfect balance of serious and cheese. Leon is grittier and less goofier here, but still knows how to show off and crack some great action movie one-liners. Salazar is played a bit more straight, but is still just as absurd and sneering as his original. Granted, I do miss hearing "MEESTAR KENNEDYYYYYY", but the new version is certainly not a bad replacement. It's more realistic, sure, but not soulless in the slightest. The exact same sentiment stands for the visuals, as well. I feel like too many critical gamers have the belief that photorealism = soullessness, and while I get why such a belief exists, I can't think of a worse game to apply it to than this. It is still just as stylized as the original, with characters all looking incredibly distinct and memorable; not even characters, your guns all look really unique, the different areas do, even basic props still have a very video game-y feel to them while looking fantastic doing so.
Yeah, man, I don't know what else to write here. I've been up all night playing this, and this is just my scribbled out rambling thoughts so I can get back to playing it more. I will leave on a very important thought: I do not think this is better than the original. Similarly, I don't think it's worse, either. I think they are both exceptional action-horror games that have their own great strengths and minor weaknesses. I will probably end up coming back to this version more simply for the gameplay, but that's not necessarily a reflection on quality. The original's level design is still unbeatable, but the new gameplay additions in this version give it an undeniable edge for me. Point is, I don't think we need to hate on one version to praise another. The original is still available to play (unlike RE2 and 3...), and I think this is a fine modern counterpart to it, rather than a full-on replacement. We can like both! Hopefully, that sentiment will begin to ring true in some of this game's detractors. An excellent remake that stands toe-to-toe with the original in nearly every front, and one I'm going to be spending a lot of time with for a very long while.