Resident Evil 4 Separate Ways Offers More Than Enough Reasons to Return to One of 2023’s Best Games

Resident Evil 4’s remake took me back to one of my favorite survival horror titles with all new visuals and story adjustments. The experience was largely preserved. Even with a few changed lines to the narrative, we still have the same corny Leon we know and love. However, one missing inclusion was the extra content unlocked after completing the game, a mode called Separate Ways that followed the sly and mysterious Ada Wong, who was sent to the village on a mission from Wesker.

As I’m sure this extra content was made to beef up the numerous ports Resident Evil 4 would receive after its Gamecube debut, 2023’s remake seems to want to tie in the events more closely and really hone in on the story events to prepare fans for future plot points. Even though her moments with Leon are brief, Ada is a complex character with ulterior motives and a wealth of skills. After experiencing some of the gameplay, it’s clear Capcom is attempting to do right by the supporting character and flesh out this DLC so fans of the remake can have an excuse to jump back into this masterful release.

Resident Evil 4 Separate Ways is an attempt to showcase what Ada Wong was up to while Leon was running around getting into trouble. This time around, she is equipped with a grappling hook that the developers have incorporated into traversal and combat. Her movement is quiet as she moves like a shadow across the levels, but she can also take out groups of enemies trying to surround her.

The best way to manage enemy groups revolves around staggering them and then following up with a melee attack. This is similar to Leon’s gameplay, but Ada’s speed makes it appear like she is much more capable of handling these dog piles. Still, button prompts seem to litter the screen during encounters which may boil them down to proper timing instead of hectic aiming and shooting.

I’m curious to see how they balance this speed with the tension that Resident Evil fans desire. Ada’s moveset and her confidence in the situations just make the experience come off as more action-oriented and more like a mini-game than an actual canon story DLC. We’ve seen where this series goes, though, and that vision is more clearly defined during these encounters.

Regardless, I’m excited to see how they’ve approached this updated narrative. Ada is a much more appealing character to me in these remakes. I mean, I’ve always had a crush on her, but now I want to get to know her.

Even though Resident Evil 4 Separate Ways takes advantage of previous levels. I do believe that the added grappling system will provide players with a unique experience through these environments to make them feel new. I would enjoy getting to access new areas that expand on the set pieces along with answers to the many lingering questions I have able the working relationship between Ada and Wesker.

There’s quite a bit to unpack in this DLC update, but this is more than enough reason to return to one of my favorite games of 2023.

Resident Evil 4 Separate Ways is releasing on September 21, 2023.