The Resident Evil 4 remake will be released in a few months, and should avoid the mistakes made by Capcom's last remake attempt, Resident Evil 3. The game needs to pass through development intact, and that means keeping the suplexes and roundhouse kicks, the ability to collect hidden treasures, and the various crucial elements that made Resident Evil 4 a masterpiece in the first place. Fans have waited so long for a remake of Resident Evil 4 that anything less than the entire game redone from start to finish runs the chance of leaving players disappointed. Anyone who played the original has a personal favorite moment in the game and expects it to be there running on the RE Engine.

When Capcom announced a Resident Evil 3 remake, fans were expecting the same dedication given to the Resident Evil 2 remake that inspired Village's design but were let down when it was discovered that several large sections were either shrunk down or cut out entirely. Along with cuts to the game, fans responded negatively to the Nemesis redesign, believing the change took away his terrifying presence. Nemesis felt more like a re-skinned Mr. X than the unstoppable killing machine that chased players throughout the original title. The game also lacked equivalents for the Western Custom M37 and Magnum weapons from the original game.

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Capcom needs to be careful about leaving the content of Resident Evil 4 alone to avoid the same mistakes made with Resident Evil 3's remake. Development of RE3 was originally coordinated through two different teams within Capcom, but the RE2 remake team needed to move onto another title, leaving the remaining team responsible. Resident Evil 3's hidden Nightmare Mode helped the game sell copies and gain generally positive reviews, despite leaving so much out that it felt more like a longer DLC. The team removed most of the unlockable costumes and key features, like the branching path system, a mechanic which forced players to make game-altering decisions at certain points within the original Resident Evil 3. Entire characters, like Barry Burton, and even enemies were cut, which were significant design changes that pushed away from what made Resident Evil 3 such a memorable entry in the franchise.

Capcom Can Avoid The Mistakes Made By Resident Evil 3

The removal of the Cemetery, Factory, and Clock Tower locations dealt the largest blow to the RE3 remake's reputation as one of the scariest Resident Evil games among critics. The Cemetery showed zombies rising from the grave and included a fight with the Grave Digger, a giant worm boss that was completely removed. The factory was taken out in favor of creating an entirely different ending - players still charge up the rail gun, although it's much easier and leaves out many of the additional puzzles the factory provided. The Clock Tower was the most crucial piece to be removed from the remake , however, which added several hours to the game and provided a necessary break from Nemesis with several puzzles and smaller enemies to deal with.

The Clock Tower felt like a revisit to the Spencer Mansion, providing fans who played the original classic Resident Evil a delightful treat. It's hard to imagine Resident Evil 4 without the Castle or fighting Krauser for the first time. It would be devastating to cut anything from Resident Evil 4, but it remains to be seen whether Capcom learned a lesson and gives Resident Evil 4's remake the full treatment it deserves.