Resident Evil 4

2005...

I'll never forget it, the year when action was redefined.

Eighteen years later...

Summary

Rookie cop turned federal agent Leon S. Kennedy travels to a rural mountainous region in Spain to rescue the President's daughter Ashley Graham, from sinister cult the Los Illuminados.

Embrace serenity

RE Engine ensures environments and character models look amazing.

Just like Village took multiple cues from RE 4, it appears the Mold is somehow connected.

Darkness forces Leon to whip out flashlight and heavy rain reflects RE 2.

Knife can now parry and crouching can be used to avoid melee attacks and projectiles.

Sneaking up behind regulars guarantees an instant kill and also hurts stronger enemies.

Attache case adds two slots for each D-pad direction.  Typewriter is used for saving, accessing storage and moving weapons.  

Interface can also auto sort, customise and equip charms (dispensed from Shooting Range's vending machines), replacing bottle caps.

Being able to run and shoot has been addressed.

Crafting is streamlined and trading spinels for exclusive goodies is a new addition to Merchant.

QTE's are gone, but we're still required to mash buttons when necessary.

Ashley will always follow Leon and automatically ascend and descend ladders.  Health bar has been removed and if incapacitated, will need reviving.  

She can still be sent to open doors, activate mechanisms and be hidden ahead of an intense action sequence.

As before, not rescuing her in time brings a game over.

Luis is given a larger role and assists during dual El Gigante fight.

Instead of Saddler's tentacle, Krauser ultimately cooks his goose with a knife to back. 

Cosmetic changes include markers and most destructible objects slapped with yellow paint and communications occur in real-time, rather than on a separate screen.

16 chapters vary in length and not split into multiple parts.

Unlike RE3make, the majority of content remains.

Having said that, I missed laser hallway and negotiating traps.

Salazar statue doesn't come alive and rotating head just belches fire.

There are new puzzles to solve, with old situations expanded.

Bestiary is as you were, but new types of Ganado mix shit up.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Las Plagas.

No thanks, bro!

Script is fine during cut scenes, but gameplay is full of terrible one-liners, with cheese lacking charm.

New voice actors do a decent job, but Michael Adamthwaite's Merchant doesn't hold a torch to Paul Mercier (who also voiced Leon in original).

Salazar's design is a joke and Lily Gao's line delivery (reprising role as Ada from Welcome to Raccoon City) is lifeless.  

Sally Cahill did a much better job.

Krauser's 'the bitch in the red dress', Luis admiring Ashley's 'ballistics' and Baby Eagle suggesting 'overtime' are forced omissions in this day and age.

Taking aim at Merchant is cancelled.

No matter how many times he's shot, Luis won't kill Leon.

The only secret death retained is Leon arranging for Del Lago to devour him.

Aside from some minor design differences, boss encounters are lazy.

Also, U-3 is given the finger.

As per original, game seriously loses its way on island.

Goof

Intro has Leon specifically recall 30 September 1998.

Footage of Raccoon City nuked in RE 3 is shown.

Firstly, he wasn't there and more importantly, event occurred on October 1.

Verdict 8/10

Impressive yes, but classic original remains untouchable, justifying why Code: Veronica should've been remade instead.