This is going to be a brief one. After years of hearing about Resident Evil 4 as a genre defining title—not simply for survival horror but all third person shooters—expectations were set high for the remake, and it did not disappoint. What more can I really add to twenty years of praise? It echoes all the things that have been great about recent Resi games and brings the camp and charm in full.
There is just something inherently satisfying about the gameplay loop of Resident Evil that fulfills the tension of a horror game while fueling a power fantasy that any monster can be overcome. The level design mixes tight corridors with semi-open spaces that you can really learn every corner of. Your power growth isn’t just weapon enhancements, but the knowledge you are gathering of the world and the gameplay elements. Each puzzle another opportunity to feel smart. Each fight another opportunity to prove mastery. It is just a really smart game design.
Capcom has perfected the pairing of narrative camp and charm with the grim tone of the world that just offers a really accomplished product overall. The characters can be goofy caricatures (one-liners and all) in this dire scenario because at no point does the sincerity of the presentation wear thin.
Resident Evil 4—like near every other Resi game I have played—is one of the strongest titles in the genre. Even when this series wavers, the games are always able to hold onto their charm to compensate. Resident Evil 4 is no misstep though, it brings a genre definer to a modern audience who can still embrace it as an all-timer.
There is just something inherently satisfying about the gameplay loop of Resident Evil that fulfills the tension of a horror game while fueling a power fantasy that any monster can be overcome. The level design mixes tight corridors with semi-open spaces that you can really learn every corner of. Your power growth isn’t just weapon enhancements, but the knowledge you are gathering of the world and the gameplay elements. Each puzzle another opportunity to feel smart. Each fight another opportunity to prove mastery. It is just a really smart game design.
Capcom has perfected the pairing of narrative camp and charm with the grim tone of the world that just offers a really accomplished product overall. The characters can be goofy caricatures (one-liners and all) in this dire scenario because at no point does the sincerity of the presentation wear thin.
Resident Evil 4—like near every other Resi game I have played—is one of the strongest titles in the genre. Even when this series wavers, the games are always able to hold onto their charm to compensate. Resident Evil 4 is no misstep though, it brings a genre definer to a modern audience who can still embrace it as an all-timer.