A remake of Resident Evil 4 has been a project fans have long dreamed of and, on some level, dreaded. Obviously, the prospect of a new Resident Evil 4 is an exciting thing, but how do you improve on one of the best games of all time? One that still feels relatively fresh and playable 20 years later? Well, Capcom is giving it the ol’ college try, as the Resident Evil 4 remake launches in March.
As with all Capcom’s recent REmakes, they’re rebuilding Resident Evil 4 from the ground up, but they seem to be remaining fairly faithful to the tone and spirit of the original. How is the game changing and will fans still have room in their inventory for this reimagining? Here’s everything you need to know about the Resident Evil 4 remake…
Setting and Story
Wait, you don’t know what happens in Resident Evil 4? Well, for the few of you just emerging from caves after 20 years, RE4 breaks from the usual Raccoon City/Umbrella saga, instead focusing on Leon Kennedy as he embarks on a mission to save the U.S. President’s daughter Ashley from a mysterious cult that’s overrun a small Spanish village. The village’s residents are infected by a mind-controlling parasite known as Las Plagas, which has the potential to be weaponized. As such, a couple of ghosts from Leon’s past – ex-special-forces comrade Jack Krauser and his mysterious on-and-off love interest Ada Wong – are also in the village pursuing ulterior interests.
Capcom has said they’re aiming to modernize Resident Evil 4’s story with a bit more character drama. It’s also rumored some side characters, like Ada Wong, will have bigger roles. That said, for the most part, expect Capcom to stick to familiar plot beats.
How is the Resident Evil 4 staying the same?
Capcom isn’t looking to fix what isn’t broke with Resident Evil 4. The game once again takes the form of an over-the-shoulder third-person shooter, with Leon having to deal with large mobs of possessed enemies. The game’s bombastic action-movie feel looks to be largely intact, with Leon spin-kicking enemies and parrying chainsaw attacks while dropping one-liners. Even quirky characters, like the little tyrant Ramon Salazar, and less popular sections, such as the later Island chapters, are making the cut. It seems like Capcom is trying its best to avoid a repeat of the Resident Evil 3 remake, which was criticized for cutting content. It’s all going into the pot this time.
How is the game changing?
Of course, this is still a remake, so things are changing. In addition to the obvious huge upgrade in visual quality and the aforementioned increased focus on character development, Capcom is opening up Resident Evil 4’s level design somewhat. Stealth will be more of an option this time around, with added paths through stages to accommodate sneaky types. New sidequests issued by the Merchant will encourage greater exploration of these redesigned levels. Ashley will also be more of a full-fledged partner to Leon this time around, helping him overcome obstacles and fight back against enemies, although you’ll still have to look out for her (she’s not invincible like Ellie in The Last of Us).
Zeroing in on game mechanics, the big change is that the quick-time events that were such a big part of the original Resident Evil 4 experience are now mostly gone. They’ve been replaced with a new parry system, which will give players more control over how they react to things. Yes, the infamous Krauser knife fight is still in the game, but it will now be designed around this parry system (and can catch a glimpse of the fight via the latest RE4 remake trailer, below).
What are the PC requirements?
Thanks to the well-optimized RE Engine, the PC requirements for Resident Evil 4 aren’t too demanding (they’re essentially identical to RE Village).
Minimum
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 1200 / Intel Core i5-7500
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 560 with 4GB VRAM / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB VRAM
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Additional Notes: Estimated performance 1080p/60fps.
Recommended
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 / Intel Core i7 8700
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5700 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Additional Notes: Estimated performance: 1080p/60fps
Ray Tracing Requirements
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 required to support ray tracing.
Will there be a VR version?
Yes, Capcom has announced they’ve begun development on a VR mode for Resident Evil 4, but it won’t be available at launch.
Is The Mercenaries coming back?
Yes, Mercenaries mode is returning, but like VR, it won’t be available at launch.
Price and Special Editions
The standard edition of Resident Evil 4 will set you back $60. A $70 Deluxe Edition is also available, which includes a variety of additional cosmetics and bonus items.
Resident Evil 4 Deluxe Edition contents:
Attaché Case: ‘Gold’
Attaché Case: ‘Classic’
Charm: ‘Handgun Ammo’
Charm: ‘Green Herb’
Leon & Ashley Costumes: ‘Casual’
Leon & Ashley Costumes: ‘Romantic’
Leon Costume & Filter: ‘Hero’
Leon Costume & Filter: ‘Villain’
Leon Accessory: ‘Sunglasses (Sporty)’
Deluxe Weapon: ‘Sentinel Nine’
Deluxe Weapon: ‘Skull Shaker’
Mini Soundtrack
‘Original Ver.’ Soundtrack Swap
Treasure Map: Expansion
Platforms of Release Date
Resident Evil 4 launches on PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5 on March 24.
Can I try before I buy?
Resident Evil 4 will be getting a time-limited demo sometime before launch, but Capcom hasn’t specified a release date for it yet.
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