Despite the clear loyalty to its predecessor, the Resident Evil 4 remake's biggest changes have set the game apart from the original in important ways. Continuing its trend of reboots, Capcom's latest release has transformed the beloved 2005 title into something a bit more digestible for the modern day, and it's been a roaring success with critics giving it high ratings across the board. But Leon's mission hasn't only received a minor facelift; some of the biggest changes in the Resident Evil 4 remake have reimagined the game as whole - and for the better.
Of course, the most obvious change in the RE4 remake is the massive improvement in graphics. Ashley, Leon, Luis, and the rest of the characters have all dropped their nostalgic, polygonal looks and can now be enjoyed in high resolution (as can the environment and world around them). While there is an undeniable magic in the original RE4's low-fidelity appearance, the realistic, gritty visuals of the remake portray a shift in tone, making for a title that takes itself a bit more seriously. This same grounded sentiment can be felt throughout all Resident Evil 4 remake's biggest changes.
10 Inventory Management Is Easier
The days of trying to organize Leon's items like a puzzle are long gone, as the Resident Evil 4 remake changes the inventory considerably. With the addition of an auto-sort option, the game does the hard part for the player - allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the game's events instead of rotating and swapping around collectibles like a game of Tetris. Plus, if the attaché case upgrades from the Merchant aren't enough, and Leon picks up more than he can carry, it's now possible to send some items to storage. This can both free up a significant chunk of inventory space, and free the player's mind of any unwanted stress.
9 Side Quests Add Flavor
Leon is still tasked with collecting Blue Medallions in the Resident Evil 4 remake just as he was in the original, but he now has a variety of other side quests to choose from, too. The Merchant has posted blue notices all across the map, describing short side quests that will provide spinels as rewards (which are crucial for boosting weapons using the all-important Exclusive Upgrade Tickets). From collecting items to killing specific enemies, these 19 additional side quests aren't the most complex ventures, but they do provide a nice change of pace for explorative players nonetheless. With the remake adopting some open-world qualities and letting Leon explore to his heart's content in certain sections, extra assignments from the Merchant are a great way to take advantage of this time.
8 Charms Provide Perks
While the original had Leon taking to the shooting range for mere collectible bottlecaps, the Resident Evil 4 remake changes his reward to something much more worthwhile. Players can now earn attaché case charms, which provide ive gameplay perks when equipped. In particular, the best charms in the RE4 remake are nothing to laugh at. These can give Leon a significant advantage not only in combat but also in his overall journey as he traverses the map.
7 The Merchant Is More Talkative
The Merchant is one of the most memorable characters from RE4, with his repetitive, yet somehow comforting voice lines being one of the few constants in the player's otherwise treacherous journey. Thus, it may come as a shock to some purists that the Resident Evil 4 remake has changed his personality substantially. Instead of continuously asking Leon what he's buying or chuckling a hearty "thank you," the Merchant is seemingly more extroverted now, striking up several conversations as the player shops, sells, or upgrades items. This is indicative of the RE4 remake's shift from over-the-top campiness to a more realistic, immersive atmosphere (although thankfully, the cloaked dealer has retained much of the same humor).
6 Weapons Have More Variety
As they're conversing with the new Merchant, players might also notice that he has a larger variety of weapons available for purchase. Most notably, Leon is now capable of using a Bolt Thrower, a crossbow-esque weapon that's fantastic at conserving ammo, but also capable of doing some serious damage when equipped with mines. This can be particularly useful in the village and island when dealing with hordes of Ganados.
5 No More QTEs
One of the best Resident Evil 4 remake changes is the complete removal of quick-time events, which were nothing short of a nuisance throughout the original. Instead of being able to sit back, relax, and take in cinematic sequences, players of the original game would often remain on edge during cutscenes, thanks to the underlying danger of a random QTE. While there are still some instances in which players will need to mash buttons (namely in combat), they no longer need to worry about a QTE interrupting a cutscene. Thankfully, they're now free to soak in these important moments as they come.
4 Stealth Is Viable
Those who like to lurk in the shadows will be pleased to know that the Resident Evil 4 remake now includes stealth. Sneaky players can come up behind individual enemies and slit their throats with their knife, making for a quiet and satisfying assassin-like kill. Of course, in some cases it's impossible to avoid the outbreak of combat entirely; such is the nature of dealing with hive-minded villagers and cultists. However, stealth takedowns can be an effective way for Leon to save ammo or get out of sticky situations, and thus it's a play style well worth adopting, even for those who like to come in guns blazing.
3 Knife Has Parry And Durability
In that same vein, the Resident Evil 4 remake changes Leon's trusty knife in more than one way. The more exciting change of the two now gives players the option to parry enemy attacks (even those from the chainsaw-wielding villagers, surprisingly enough) with their melee weapon. The downside to parrying or relying too much on Leon's knife in general is that it's now possible for it to break. When this happens, players will need to pay a visit to the Merchant to repair the knife, or they'll have to make do with other melee weapons they find around the map, which are usually less powerful.
2 Ashley Is More Capable
Ashley's updates are the RE4 remake's best changes, and anyone who has played the original game will likely be inclined to agree. In 2005, the president's daughter was more often than not a frustrating aspect of gameplay - having her own health bar to maintain and often getting right in the way of Leon's line of sight, making accidentally causing her death a common occurrence.
Thankfully, the Resident Evil 4 remake changes Ashley to make her much less of a nuisance, and as such, much easier to keep alive. She no longer has a health bar, only an incapacitated state which she can be revived from. Plus, Leon can also tell her to follow him in either Tight or Loose formation, allowing players to control Ashley's positioning somewhat and use it to their advantage.
1 RE4's Story Is Expanded
The biggest changes in the Resident Evil 4 remake, however, are those to the game's overall story. The plot stays faithful to its predecessor's for the most part, but in the instances when it's not, the 2023 title has managed to expand on points that were previously underdeveloped - creating a much darker and well-rounded narrative.
Without spoiling any of the game's new moments, players can expect to learn much more about characters like Luis and Kra, with their backstories being fleshed out significantly. Some events and boss fights have been skipped, and others have been replaced by something even more exciting entirely. Even the Resident Evil 4 remake's ending has received some tweaks to keep things fresh, tying up the game as an altogether unique and invigorating revival of the original.
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