'Resident Evil RE:4' Clear Review!　Not only is it a faithful recreation of the original, but it also offers intense body art + knife action and item management twitchy survival!

Resident Evil RE:4 ("RE4") will be released on March 24, 2023 for PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/PC. This title is a remake based on the survival horror "Resident Evil 4," which was originally released for the GameCube in 2005. Not only can players enjoy the overwhelming graphics and textures that take advantage of the current consoles' performance, but also the best parts of the original, including the action and exploration elements, have been remade and rearranged.

In this issue, we present a review of the PS5 version of this title after clearing it. In addition to the differences and similarities with the original, we will explain the appeal of "RE4," including our impressions of various new elements added from the remake version.

An ideal remake that faithfully reproduces the original while adding a modern twist

The original "Resident Evil 4" was a survival horror game released 18 years ago in 2005. The game features Leon S. Kennedy as the protagonist, who has grown up after the events of "Resident Evil 2," and the fixed viewpoint that had been used until then has been changed to a "behind view," which follows the protagonist from behind. The game also greatly enhanced the action aspect with the addition of physical techniques, and is still highly acclaimed in Japan and abroad as a masterpiece that showed a new "Resident Evil.

The first thing that impressed me when I played "RE4" was the expression of shadows. Even when exploring the same area, the game depicts in detail not only the areas clearly illuminated by flashlights and bonfires, but also the areas where only the outlines of the shadows are vaguely visible due to the attenuated light source, giving the game a very realistic feel. The sense of realism you get when you play the game is a world of difference.

Comparing the original story and the first part of the story in "RE4," the difference in shadows is clear. In the original story, the shadows are almost even in the early afternoon, and there are many areas where the light and dark are distinctly different. On the other hand, in "RE4," it is just before dawn, and the roofs are white through the trees, or the shadows are completely dark, as if painted in black, due to the blind spots of lamps.

The strength of the shadows was particularly evident in the scenes where the players had to rely on flashlights and other lights to advance. When you are in total darkness with no way to see ahead, your sense of distance becomes confused, and when you are attacked by enemies and run away frantically, you lose track of where you are and often end up in a panic. With the enhanced shadows, the horror elements of this film exceed those of the original.

In addition to the shadows, another thing that impressed me was the high level of reproduction of the original work. Looking back on "RE4," I would say that 90% of the film reproduced the original work in terms of experience. As for the storyline, the main plot of Leon's journey to a strange European village to save the president's daughter remains the same. There are some small differences in the development of the story, but it basically converges to the same ending as the original "Resident Evil 4. The story begins in a village, then moves to an old castle, then to an isolated island, and so on.

In terms of gameplay elements, the terrain, items, and minor details of each map have been thoroughly recreated. The village that Leon visits in Chapter 1, as well as the farm behind it, have been mostly recreated with the same terrain, and the treasures that, when shot, fall into sewage and become "(smelly)" are also unchanged. There is also an instant death event where a monster eats you if you fire several times at the pier facing the lake, and there is a story where you flop down on a throne, although it is in a different location. Those who are familiar with the original story will enjoy the nostalgia of the recreated elements and the arrangement of them.

However, the game is also designed to be easy to play, with the original requiring two special items for certain scenes being reduced to one, and "quick-time events" requiring button operations during events being incorporated into normal combat. The game was not just a remake, but was optimized for the modern age when it was reconstructed.

Although I have written about the high level of reproduction, there is no problem if you start "Resident Evil 4" from this title without playing the original. The storyline is the same, even if the details are different, and "RE4" itself is a remake, not a sequel, so it is enjoyable enough even if you have no knowledge of the previous work. The remade and rearranged parts are just minor details that you can grin if you know them, so knowing them is a plus, but not a minus. In fact, I personally envy the fact that this is the first time I can experience "Resident Evil 4," which is expressed using dramatically improved technology and performance.

More severe and intense action with the addition of parry to body art.

The behind-the-scenes view of this title allows players to freely aim their weapons. Enemies shot in the head or legs will flinch, and as you approach, you can pursue them using a body technique called "melee. Melee" seems to be a generic term for a variety of body techniques, and the term is also used to refer to the roundhouse kicks, backdrops, and special attacks by some bosses.

Depending on the difficulty level chosen at the start of the game and the situation at the time, the number of shots that will make an enemy duck will vary randomly, but the basic combo in this game is to scare the opponent with a shot and then follow up with a body art. A single villager can be defeated, and even if two or three attack at once, the body techniques can be used to eliminate them all at once. Not only does this give you a sense of unity, as if your own playing style is linked to Leon's skill as an agent, but it also gives you the exhilarating feeling of kicking the crap out of enemies.

The presence of a knife is also indispensable in this work's combat. Even if you slash an enemy's face or leg with it, you can connect it to your body art just as if you had fired a gun. In the original "Resident Evil 4," the knife was one of the most powerful weapons, but in "RE4," the knife has inherited most of its strengths and can now activate "parry" by holding it at the right moment in response to an opponent's attack. Parry is a technique to parry an enemy's attack, and if successful, it is a useful technique that allows the user to avoid taking damage. It can also be used to attack a fallen enemy or to "stealth kill" an enemy who is unaware of your presence.

With the increased use of knives, attacking, defending, and counterattacking can be done smoothly, and the tempo of combat is very good. On April 7, 2023, "The Mercenaries" will be released, in which players will be able to earn scores by defeating enemies. The Mercenaries" is scheduled to be released on April 7, 2023, so players who plan to play the game may want to familiarize themselves with the combat in "RE4" even more.

Resource management is also more exciting with the introduction of endurance values and new items.

In addition to shooting, "RE4" also features the use of body techniques and knives, which allow players to take down more enemies. The style of defeating all enemies as they appear and advancing was also in the original work, but in this work, durability values have been set for knives, adding the survival element of severe item management as well as ammunition.

In the original work, knives could be used without limitation, so they were meant to be a last resort when ammunition ran out. However, as you become accustomed to the game, you will find that you can defeat zombies and bosses using only a knife and body techniques, and before you know it, your stockpile of ammunition will be depleted. While it was fun to overwhelm the enemy, I felt that the survival element was somewhat diminished.

In "RE4," knives now have a durability value. The gauge representing the durability value gradually decreases when the knife is used to attack an enemy or to break free from restraints, and when it reaches zero, the knife is broken. As already mentioned, the knife in this work is a useful tool that can be used for both attack and defense, but it comes at a price.

The player must now expend either the knife's durability or its ammunition when attacking an enemy or connecting a combo with a physical technique, forcing the player to constantly make choices about item management. I felt that the player's decision to further strengthen the knife while setting up a durability value was exquisite and set up a weakness without canceling out the strength of the knife.

If you make a deal with the arms merchants who buy and sell equipment at various locations, you can repair only the knives that you have had since the beginning of the game. However, repairing knives requires money, so item management is essential here as well. Body armor, which can be acquired as the story progresses, also consumes durability values, so the balance is more severe than with the aforementioned knives. It was a new experience not found in the original story to have to worry about the balance between acquiring and modifying new weapons and the amount of money allocated for the purchase of first-aid spray, a recovery item.

Another element that adds a sense of urgency to item management is the crafting of ammunition. By combining certain items such as "gun powder" and "Material S," which can be obtained on the road or from arms dealers, players can freely create bullets for handguns, shotguns, sniper rifles, and other weapons.

At first glance, this may seem like just an easy way to get around ammunition, but in this work, the "Gun Powder" and "Material S" needed for such crafting must be stored in an attache case. This is different from worrying about the durability value of knives or how much ammunition you have left, but it also allows you to enjoy the strategy of how to make the most of the space.

If you have ammunition to spare, it is tempting to save materials to make up for any shortages, but if left unchecked, the attaché case will fill up in no time. However, if you make ammunition easily to make space, you will not be able to make other ammunition for a while. The ammunition that you didn't make may cause your firepower to be insufficient, and your opponent, who you couldn't defeat, may counterattack, and the game may be over. This kind of tense struggle between risk and reward is enjoyable. The game is difficult in that limited resources and space must be utilized, but the sense of tension and accomplishment that comes from using them to get through one dilemma after another is unique to "RE4.

While the main story is voluminous, there are also many elements to challenge yourself and complete laps around the game.

It took me about 16 hours to complete the game on the "STANDARD" difficulty level. In my experience, the content of the game was as rich as that of the original "Resident Evil 4. In addition, the game has four difficulty levels: "ASSISTED" for beginners, "HARDCORE" for those who have completed the original game, and "PROFESSIONAL" for those who seek extreme difficulty. The volume of the game is as large as a small RPG, as you can enjoy the main story at least four times just by circling each of the four levels.

In HARDCORE and higher difficulty levels, the enemies not only become more aggressive, but they are also less likely to flinch from your attacks. In addition, the layout and answers to some of the riddles also change. Because not only the combat but also the gimmick aspect of the game has changed, you can go around the game with a fresh mind and not feel too much of a sense of work. Furthermore, as is often the case in games with riddles, if you know the answers, you can skip the entire clue-collecting section, so you can have fun looking for places where you can take shortcuts in "RE4" as well.

In addition, clearing certain difficulty levels with a high rating will give you access to special costumes and weapons. You can use the perks to play unopposed against ASSISTED enemies, or you can use the perks alone to challenge PROFESSIONAL, for example, or you can use the perks to play in a bind. If you are not good at games, you can start with ASSISTED and gradually become accustomed to the game.

While the knife durability and ammunition crafting functions make the survival elements of the game even better than the original, the story and the terrain of each map are faithfully reproduced from the original story, with some rearrangements, making "RE4" a perfect balance of the good points of the original story and modern upgrades. The level of completion is extremely high, and we recommend this title not only to fans of the original "Resident Evil 4" but also to newcomers to the series.

（Text by Yoshiyoshi Natsumashi)