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The upcoming Resident Evil 4 Remake looks to remain incredibly faithful to the original game, but will also be making some serious changes to the title's gameplay. Capcom's recent Resident Evil remakes have been highly praised for both honoring the beloved series' older entries and reimagining each installment for a modern audience.

The upcoming RE4 remake will apparently reimagine the Resident Evil 4 story, and it will also give the game a tenser and scarier tone to better match up with the franchise's previous two remakes. The title's basic premise will remain the same, with veteran zombie killer Leon S. Kennedy venturing through a creepy town in rural Spain to rescue the president's daughter. However, the remake will put a spin on these events to make the adventure more atmospheric than it was originally depicted. Check out the game in action via Game Informer on YouTube below:

The changes in Resident Evil 4's remake don't stop at mere set dressing, either, with various gameplay adjustments making this new title substantially different from the 2005 version of Leon's journey.

Related: Resident Evil 4 Remake: Every Special Edition & What They Include

How Resident Evil 4 Remake Changes Combat

Leon fighting a man with a chainsaw in a screenshot from the Resident Evil 4 Remake

The Resident Evil 4 remake makes substantial changes to the third-person shooter combat system introduced in the original version of the game. Like the recent remakes of RE2 and RE3, the game will make Leon much more mobile by allowing him to keep moving while aiming his weapons. This mobility extends beyond moving and shooting, too, with Resident Evil 4 gameplay trailers showing Leon quickly vaulting over low cover and leaping from rooftops to escape pursuers.

The Resident Evil 4 remake's combat system seems to stay faithful to the original's melee combat, letting Leon take advantage of openings and create space between him and his Ganados pursuers. Gameplay footage shows Leon push away enemies who grab him, which can set up an easy headshot, and dazed foes can be sent flying with an epic roundhouse kick.

Players will also be able to parry enemy attacks with Leon's knife, with the knife even clashing with a chainsaw in one particularly hilarious moment. According to Game Informer (via IGN), when it comes to melee combat one of the biggest changes to gameplay in Resident Evil 4 involves Leon's knife. While the knife was originally an item Leon had equipped at all times, knives in Resident Evil 4 remake will break and have to be stored and replaced over time.

It has also been reported that Resident Evil 4's quick-time events won't be present in the RE4 remake, but it is unclear what is considered a quick-time event and what isn't, since footage shared in the Game Informer video above includes a moment where players must button-mash to break free of an enemy's grip. It seems more likely that quick-time events in RE4 remake will be reduced, but not entirely absent.

How Resident Evil 4 Remake Changes Trading

The merchant in Resident Evil 4 remake with his coat held open

The friendly Merchant is one of the most iconic parts of the original Resident Evil 4, and the remake is set to significantly change item management. Like in the original version of RE4, players will be able to go to the Merchant to purchase supplies and weapon upgrades or sell special treasures found throughout the game. This will still be the case in the remake, but a special new currency has also been added. According to IGN, players will be able "trade jewels with the merchant in exchange for items such as yellow herbs, treasure maps, and weapon attachments."

Related: Every Resident Evil 4 Remake Character Compared To The Original

Crafting items is reportedly a bigger part of the experience in the Resident Evil 4 remake, which will help emphasize the survival aspect of the survival horror title. Rather than making the Resident Evil 4 remake merchant the primary source of supplies, players will need to search the game's locations more thoroughly and craft their own supplies to give them a leg up in battle. While a rudimentary form of crafting existed in RE4 with the "Combine Herb" options, players will be able to craft their own health items and ammunition in the remake.

How Resident Evil 4 Remake Changes Ganados

Leon grappling with a Ganado with a broken neck in the Resident Evil 4 remake

RE4's Ganados make unique Resident Evil monsters due to their surprising intelligence, which will be further reflected in their behavior in the upcoming remake. The infected villagers are faster and more aggressive in the remake, which will force players to make full use of Leon's newfound agility. The Ganados will also fight more tactically, with unarmed enemies grabbing Leon and holding him so foes with weapons can deliver a deadly blow.

It seems that foes can also use the environment, with the iconic chainsaw-wielding Ganado carving through a staircase to corner Leon in an alley. This could just be a one-time set piece and not something players will need to worry about throughout the entire game, but the Ganados' intelligence makes them unique Resident Evil monsters and that alone should help encounters feel fresh compared to the two previous Resident Evil remakes.

How Resident Evil 4 Remake Changes Gameplay

Leon crouching in the middle of the road in the Resident Evil 4 remake

The Resident Evil 4 remake will also feature a stealth mechanic. The October 2022 Resident Evil gameplay showcase (below) sees Leon briefly crouch down and duck behind a wall, letting him avoid an encounter with a Ganados as it shambled down the hallway. This mechanic is a brand-new addition to Resident Evil 4, and it will likely help players get the jump on enemies or avoid combat entirely in some areas.

Given the title's renewed focus on horror and resource management, slipping past enemies and saving ammunition may be an essential part of the experience on higher difficulties. According to Game Informer, another big change to Resident Evil 4's gameplay will be how the player interacts with Ashley during these combat situations. Originally, Resident Evil 4's Ashley had her own health bar which could be increased separately from Leon's, but the RE4 Remake changes this. IGN states:

Resident Evil 4 Remake also changes Ashley Graham, who no longer has a health bar, but if she takes too much damage, she will be in a "downed state" and need to be revived. If she is hit when in a "downed state," she will die. A Capcom representative said that the developers want to make Ashley "feel more like a natural companion and less like a second health bar to babysit," confirming that she can perform things such as sending her through a crawlspace to open a door that's locked on the other side.

The final major gameplay change in Resident Evil 4 remake involves the addition of an entirely new feature: side quests. Now, players will be able to partake in missions like hunting down one particular enemy or solving a puzzle by locating "blue flyers" throughout Resident Evil 4. It's unclear how many of these side quests there are, but any additional content to extend gameplay time is always nice to have.

More: Resident Evil 4's Bosses, Ranked By How Ridiculous They Are

Sources: Game Informer/YouTube, IGN, PlayStation/YouTube, Capcom/YouTube

  • RE4 Remake Poster
    Resident Evil 4 Remake
    Released:
    2023-03-24
    Developer:
    Capcom Division 1
    Franchise:
    Resident Evil
    Genre:
    Survival Horror, Action
    Platform:
    Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam, Xbox Series X/S
    Publisher:
    Capcom
    ESRB:
    M
    Summary:
    Resident Evil 4 Remake is a reimagining of the original classic released on the Nintendo GameCube in 2005. A survivor of the Racoon City incident, Leon S. Kennedy, has been conscripted to serve as a member of the President of the United States Secret Service. However, with Umbrella disassembled, a new threat emerges - a cult known as the Los Illuminados, led by Osmund Saddler. Saddler has kidnapped the President's daughter, Ashley Graham, and Leon has been dispatched to her last known location - a remote region deep in the heart of Spain. Carrying a heavy heart over his failure to stop Raccoon city from being wiped off of the face of the Earth, Leon looks to redeem himself by saving Ashley and putting a stop to this new threat. Resident Evil 4 Remake will follow in a similar vein as the Resident Evil 2 & 3 remakes, with overhauled graphics and the evolved third-person action/horror gameplay the series has become known for.
    Prequel:
    Resident Evil 3
    Sequel:
    Resident Evil 5
    Legendary Edition Available:
    Resident Evil 4: Deluxe Edition
    How Long To Beat:
    15 hours