![]() While it initially seems limiting to tie parrying to the knife’s durability, it’s a wonderfully nuanced system that works in tandem with its aggressive nature while also yielding a more mechanically rewarding defensive option. The new parry also helps with these close shaves, as Leon can counter almost any melee attack. Being able to simultaneously move and shoot also makes Resident Evil 4 more fluid and hasn’t sucked out the suspense since it has only allowed for more frantic maneuvering and close shaves. It’s not always as instantaneous as it should be since there is some animation prioritization, but it’s substantially less jarring than slowly pausing the game to whip out the shotgun. The quick select feature - which has been a series staple since Resident Evil 5 - finally takes out the annoying menu-based weapon switching from the original. Translating that from the original is no small task, yet Capcom was also able to go above and beyond by adding to that loop in this remake. It’s an array of systems that are remarkable on their own and transcend when put together. With a wide variety of foes, a constant supply of unique scenarios, and extensive weapon upgrade trees, encounters never lose their edge because there are so many different variables at play that delightfully balance player choice and the unpredictable bedlam that keeps it engaging. Ever-present chaos comes from the resources that corpses drop dynamically, what Las Plagas forms pop out, what ammo is in stock, the enemy types that spawn in, and what parts of the arena the player gets funneled to. Fights are always frenetic, nail-biting affairs that test the player’s instinct and reaction times in the midst of all-encompassing chaos. The remake still has that general flow of hurriedly managing an incoming mob and that thrill can’t be understated. Enemy and resource management were still crucial in Resident Evil 4, however, players just had to make decisions even faster and with more skill to overcome the stronger and greater hordes of foes. The original revolutionized the series’ style of horror by injecting more adrenaline into the mix, which maintained the signature amount of tension but dialed up the action and pacing of it. Resident Evil 4’s combat is one of its more persistent legacies and makes for an effective example of the type of smart changes Capcom has broadly made with this remake. The Resident Evil 4 remake, however, is a carefully considered reimagining that more than justifies its existence by keeping the skeleton of the original and thoughtfully improving it without sacrificing the brilliant Las Plagas-ridden heart at the center of it. Those first three made cases for their remakes - ones rooted in their age - but Resident Evil 4 can’t claim to be geriatric when it still suplexes most of its competition into submission. But Resident Evil 4 is the classic that reinvented a whole genre and revitalized a series with a gameplay loop so endlessly rewarding that it still warrants a replay every few years even almost two decades later. Resident Evil 3 was anemic and disappointing yet deserving of a second chance. ![]() Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 were from another time.
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