A bombastic and scary thriller, the original Resident Evil 4 planted itself as one of the true greats in the pantheon of video games. However, Resident Evil 4 has aged quite poorly; with clunky tank controls and muddy graphics, it could use an update. Thankfully, Capcom has provided the world with an brand new remake. The newly released Resident Evil 4 Remake is a wild, wacky, and terrifying adventure that sets the standard for what remakes should be.

Coming off the incredible Resident Evil 2 remake and the middling Resident Evil 3 Remake, expectations were tempered going into the RE4 Remake. This was one of the most important moments in not just horror, but gaming history. How can Capcom remake it for the better? I don’t know how, but the wizards over in Japan managed to do it. The RE4 remake (which I’ll now refer to as a remake) captures the character of the original while incorporating newer, scarier elements.

Obviously, the biggest improvement between the remake and the original is the incredible work done to the graphics. What was once a somewhat muddy, pixelated environment has been transformed into a gorgeous, lush, and detailed environment. From the initial starting point in the village, the night light shines down through the trees while Leon Kennedy, the titular protagonist, walks through the muddy Spanish roads. It sets a dark, depressing atmosphere and you feel the danger of the environment you are in. Even in the daylight, the villages of the enemies are expertly crafted, with each piece of wood being placed with purpose. The Castle, with its grandiose construction and dirty, derelict dungeons serve as an incredible play space to kill the infected enemies. Each location has been built from the ground up to not just look better than the original, but re-invent it. However, nothing is perfect. While most remakes are gorgeous, there is the occasional muddy texture. The rain effects, while impressive,sometimes distract from the primary image. Those are just small nitpicks however, and the graphics team at Capcom truly surpassed all expectations.

Now onto the important part: the gameplay. Even in 2005, the original RE4 had superb gameplay. The action combat, mainly the shooting and melee, worked extremely smoothly. Each shot had a level of power behind it and the multitude of weapons gave variety to the plague killing experience. I can safely say that the remake surpasses the original in this aspect as well. The gunplay, what once was very stationary, includes a new level of movement, which makes the action more exciting. Along with that, the shots feel more powerful than ever as the enemies now spew blood and ragdoll every time you shoot them. 

Generally, the gameplay loop of the remake expands on the original. While the original relied on a linear form of progression, the new one adds one or two side quests to freshen up the experience. Each weapon has been remodeled to feel more realistic and each one has been given new attachments that can help you pick off enemies with ease. The merchant–an iconic character from the original–returns, but this time, the number of weapons he sells has been expanded to include weapons from some of the other games in the series. Sadly, he does not spout his original line, “Whatcha Buying?” 

Personally, one of my favorite parts of the games was the melee combat. By shooting an enemy in the head or the leg, they become stunned, allowing you to finish them off with a brutal roundhouse kick or suplex. While cheesy in a horror game, it doesn’t matter as the level it adds to the gameplay far surpasses the cringe. 

Now, with that expanded gunplay and melee, what kind of enemies are in the RE4 remake? Well, the enemies range from plague infected villagers and priests to a gigantic fish in a lake! You fight one of your former military allies against two crazy blind ladies wielding chainsaws! You fight a hammer wielding cow man to a 7 foot tall village chief with an insect body! The sheer absurdity and creativity with some of the enemies never fails to impress and each one of them is a joy to fight against. They remain equally scary while still being crazy enough to let out a little laugh.  Ultimately, the RE4 remake transforms the already excellent gameplay into something more exciting, scary, and fun.

Story-wise, the remake follows most of the beats from the original. The basic rundown is that our protagonist, Leon S. Kennedy is tracking down the president’s daughter, Ashley, who has been captured by a cult group in the Spanish countryside. The cult group Leon faces are run by cult leader, Lord Saddler, who has infected the population with Las Plagas: a parasite that turns the villagers and church goers into monsters under Saddler’s control. 

It is extremely corny but that’s why it’s entertaining. The remake tries to tone down the cheese with some more serious scenes and darker moments. But that does not stop it from being still wildly enjoyable. The real standout in RE4’s story is the dialogue. Iconic lines like, “Where’s everybody going? Bingo ” to “First of all, do you got a smoke” are just a taste of the wacky dialogue on display. The remake gets rid of some of the cornier lines like, “No Way, Bro!” but it doesn’t skimp on replacing them with equally iconic lines. RE4’s narrative is so bombastic and absurd that it becomes legendary. It takes itself seriously but also knows when to poke fun at its crazy story. Many may be turned off by its corny dialogue and goofy story, but I embrace it. It rides that fine line between being nonsensical and serious perfectly, creating one of the most special stories in all of video games.

Ultimately, Resident Evil 4 Remake is an achievement in not only survival horror, but also  video games in general. With its bombastic story, refined gameplay, and jaw-dropping graphics, Resident Evil 4 replaces the original as the definitive version of the game. The game borders on perfect and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone. Doesn’t matter if you hate horror or you love every bit of the genre, RE4 remake is built for everybody to enjoy.