Resident Evil 4 Remake Preview – A Build Up of Tension and Terror, Similar to the Original

I remember when Resident Evil 4 was first released, which was why I wanted to own a Gamecube. This purchase may have also been because I’m such a massive fanboy of Leon Kennedy, but I digress. For better or worse, Resident Evil 4 would pave the way for future entries in the series, but it’s undeniably a great game. Considering the many times the game has been ported since its initial release, I thought we wouldn’t see RE4 receive the same treatment. Still, here we are, another round of Leon Kennedy on his adventure to save the president’s daughter.

After playing the opening moments of Resident Evil 4 Remake, I felt a rush of excitement. The experience felt familiar but still brand new. Leon appears to have learned a few new moves that allow him to follow up attacks with melee kicks and stabs. This encourages ammo conservation and gives players more ways to take down enemies. The original RE4 brought in more high-action gameplay moments, and the Remake mimics this, but it doesn’t feel cheap or too easy. You still need to be aware of the enemies on screen and where you shoot.

An excellent example of the different playstyles is highlighted in the various environments you face against enemies. For instance, closed-quarters encounters feel entirely different when facing off against groups of enemies outside. The tension that I felt during each encounter was the same, though.

I was scared I would die in front of Capcom PR, and I couldn’t allow that to happen. As I attempted to show off my knowledge of dodging and QTEs under pressure, the famous chainsaw man appeared and forced me into a full sprint to find cover.

This was the RE4 I remember—the hectic panic of surprise attacks and the constant fear of death. Leon might have a few new actions under his belt, but that doesn’t limit the helplessness that I felt during the encounter. The aiming felt comfortable, and the updated control layout didn’t strike me as confusing or hard to manage, even in my limited time with the game. Item management is a core aspect of the game, and it seems to have returned for the most part. I wasn’t even near being over-encombered, so I’d like to see how I’m forced to manage equipment later in the game.

Resident Evil 4 Remake has a lot to live up to. While the previous games in the series hold nostalgia for our childhood, the original RE4 brought us into a new era of survival horror. It raised the bar for the genre and the overarching narrative of the series. What’s most exciting is how this Remade version of the nightmare feels fresh, even though I’ve been here before. The tense closed-quarters action paired wonderfully with the open environments, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of what this Remake effort has in store.

Resident Evil 4 Remake is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on March 24, 2022.