T5W#429-Top 5 Best Things About Resident Evil 4 Remake

Well it only took me the better part of the year and lucky timing on a Prime Day Deal but I finally got my hands on an Xbox Series X and it should surprise no one the first game I got for it.  Yes Dear Readers, IVE FINALLY PLAYED RESIDENT EVIL 4 REMAKE!!!!  Even being fully aware of spoilers and game play vids, getting to play this myself after months of waiting is still such an amazing experience.  RE4R has truly lived up to the hype and far surpassed the original Resident Evil 4, a damn near perfect game made better.  And since Resident Evil always has an open invite to visit the Gundam Anime Corner, it’s time to talk about what I love about this game so much and why I have hardly stopped playing since I got my hands on it.  Ready your Knives, Grapple Guns and Hand Guns, let’s get into the Top 5 Best Things About Resident Evil 4 Remake.

 
#5-Combat Evolved

Continuing in the same vein as the Remakes of Resident Evil 2 &3, RE4R modernizes the combat of the original game, which itself was a reinvention of the fixed camera tank control setup of earlier titles in the series.  You now have more freedom with the camera and, most importantly, the ability to move while aiming…which I’ll admit I hardly use out of old habits.  Leon and Ada also have harder hitting melee attacks when they have to get up close and personal and, oh yeah KNIVES BLOCK CHAINSAWS!!!!!  Granted, there is the drawback of your knife taking too much damage and needing to get repaired or replaced by another slightly weaker model for the time being.  All of these little quirks and more feel like RE4R is continuing in evolving the combat of its Remake predecessors and it feels simply perfected here, which is good because the enemies are a lot more intense than they were before.

 
#4-More to see, More to do

It seems as if Capcom took the criticism over the amount of content cut from RE3 Remake to heart.  RE4 Remake retains all of the set pieces and locations from the original but expands on all of them.  Locations like the Village and surroundings lake area and the Castle can all be explored virtually at ones leisure and as more sections are unlocked, you can backtrack to discover more hidden bits of lore and treasures.  There’s also the added bonus of mini quests from the Merchant that can earn you exclusive currency for super rare items.  Point is, obviously you’ve got a mission to accomplish saving the Presidents Daughter.  But it’s easy to get lost just looking around and every playthrough I’ve done since I started playing has yielded new unknowns to be found. 
 

#3-A Closer Connection to Past (and Future?) Games

While the original RE4 acted as a stand alone affair, the new version leans heavily on the past shown in the other remakes.  Leon still has Racoon City on his mind as he carries with him the knife given to him by Marvin in Resident Evil 2 Remake.  There’s also better attempts to have Leon work out his unfinished issues with Ada rather than just saying “oh hey you’re here” and leaving it at that.  The mission to save Ashley feels like a redemption arc for Leon, who felt he couldn’t save anyone in the city he was supposed to protect six years ago.  Then there’s the inclusion of more Albert Wesker in Ada Wong’s Separate Ways, which itself sets up potential directions for where things could go in this new Remake Universe, making RE4R a true piece of a larger puzzle.
 

#2-Separate Ways

Though it wasn’t included at launch, when Leon told Ada “I think we both know this is where we go our separate ways,” fans knew it was coming.  Late September brought the long awaited Separate Ways Ada Wong Campaign and I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been playing it more than the main campaign.  While Ada’s performance is…something (her VA has gotten a ton of flack and I don’t feel like adding to it), it is so much fun to play as the Spy/Mercenary.  Her grapple gun meele makes her feel almost superhuman and its easy to get distracted by her in any of the outfits she wears during the campaign (including an update on her iconic RE4 Red Dress and her RE2R Red Mini Dress).  There’s a lot more meat to Ada’s story too.  It's not just a replay of Leon’s campaign with Ada, it’s a whole missing chapter that expands on Ada’s relationships with Luis and Wesker in particular.  It blows the original version out of the water and I want more Ada Wong RE campaigns after playing this one.
 

#1-Ashley

Everyone knows Ashley Graham as one of the most annoying and frustrating characters in the franchise and the poster girl for why everyone hates escort missions.  Yeah, she’s not that anymore in RE4R.  Ashley’s been given a total overhaul and I’m not just talking about the cute outfit.  Her character has been aged from a whiney brat to a more mature young woman who grows to become quite the survivor during her time with Leon.  Ashley isnt just waiting to be guarded either.  I got stuck on a couple of puzzles and it was thanks to a quick line from her that I found the solutions, God I could kiss her.  Also, Ashley’s playable section might just be one of the best segments of the game now, especially since it’s the moment where she must face the danger alone and do so as a rightfully nervous but still incredibly brave (and kinda sexy) bad ass.  I totally want her to come back as a Secret Service Agent backing up Leon one day.