Resident Evil 4 Remake Review: Leon’s European Vacation Glow-up

Disclaimer: This article is part of Eneba’s Resident Evil Week. Part nine of the main franchise, Resident Evil Requiem, launches on Feb. 27, and seeing as this also ties into the series’ 30-year history, we’ll be doing the same. Expect more reviews, deep dives, and companion pieces to various popular and forgotten Resident Evil games.

This Resident Evil 4 Remake review tells the tale of a game that actually respects the source material (imagine that) while fixing the things that haven’t aged well. It feels like a high definition upgrade that keeps the soul of the classic but adds a darker, modern edge. It’s nostalgic for old fans and a perfect entry for newcomers, easily sitting among the best survival horror games ever made.

Back in 2005, Resident Evil 4 changed the world. It basically invented the over-the-shoulder camera we see in every action game now.

Because of that massive shadow, Capcom had a lot to prove with this remake. We’re back in the shoes of Leon S. Kennedy here, but he isn’t the rookie from the police station anymore. He’s a hardened agent on a mission to rescue the President’s daughter, Ashley, from a creepy village in Spain.

Why the Resident Evil 4 Remake is an Action-Horror GOAT

If you’re short on time, here’s my condensed Resident Evil 4 Remake review: this is how you do a remake.

The gameplay feels snappy and dangerous, especially with the new parry system. The tone is way more serious now, which makes the horror land much harder. It’s the bigger, smoother, much better-looking redo of one of the most beloved titles in the entire Resident Evil game series.

You get more areas to explore, better side quests, and huge replay value with New Game Plus. It’s a must-play for anyone who likes action or horror, really, and I can definitely say it’s one of the top-tier horror games you can buy right now. Nuff said.

I Survived the Village (And My Knife Broke)

That opening village fight still gives me heart palpitations. In the original, you were mostly standing still. Here, the Ganados are faster and meaner. They’ll flank you or grab you while someone else readies a pitchfork. Thankfully, Leon finally learned how to move while aiming here, which in turn makes the combat feel incredibly natural.

But of course, let’s not forget the knifeplay, which is among the biggest changes in this remake. You can actually parry attacks now! I’m talking about timing a button press to block a literal chainsaw with a combat knife. It’s wild, but the catch is that your knife has durability. 

Sometimes you’ll have to decide if you should parry a blow or save the blade for a stealth kill carefully. The fight with Krauser is a perfect example of this, where a sequence that used to be a bunch of cutscenes became an actual duel – an improvement I thoroughly enjoyed in my playthrough. 

Something I really need to highlight in my Resident Evil 4 Remake review is that the enemy AI is much smarter and will force you to stay on your toes, give accurate commands, and use every tool in your briefcase efficiently to avoid an untimely Ashley knockdown or game over.

Leon’s Bad Day Got a Lot Darker

The original game had a lot of 2000s cheese, but this version feels far more grounded. You can see the weight of the Raccoon City incident on Leon’s face. He feels like a person with real baggage now, which is exactly on point considering everything that happened to him during and post-RE2.

Ashley Graham also got a massive glow-up. She’s more of a partner and less of an “annoying escort mission” target. Her redesign makes her more human and emotionally involved in the nightmare, which made me actually want to protect her and feel terrible whenever she gets downed after I mess up my commands.

I noticed that some of the really goofy stuff from 2005 was toned down to keep the mood consistent. Even the Merchant feels a bit more like a real person, though he still has those iconic lines we love. You lose a tiny bit of the campy charm, but you gain a world that feels terrifying and lived in. It’s a trade I’d make any day for an outstanding survival horror game experience this immersive.

Thou Shalt Get Sidetracked & Love It

An important factor I need to mention in my Resident Evil 4 Remake review is that the map is much bigger and more connected. You aren’t just walking a straight line. The lake area is huge now, and you can even take a boat around to find hidden secrets.

I loved that backtracking actually feels worth it. You’ll find blue notes from the Merchant asking you to hunt down “pest control” or elite enemies, and the rewards are great.

Managing the attaché case is still as engaging as ever, and you can get all sorts of charms for your case from the shooting gallery that give you perks, like cheaper upgrades or more ammo drops. Combining gems to sell treasures for max profit is also still a blast. 

Between the main story, the side quests, and the Mercenaries mode, there is just so much fun stuff to do. So, in a nutshell, for those of you asking: “Is Resident Evil 4 Remake worth it?”, the answer is a massive, resounding YES.

This Game Looks and Sounds Disgusting (As It Should)

As I specify in my Resident Evil Village review, Capcom‘s RE Engine is doing some absolutely crazy work in the recent titles’ visual department. For this game specifically, I found the lighting in the Castle section incredible, with deep shadows that make you truly rely on the strength of your flashlight.

The enemies look grotesque and detailed, which makes the horror feel more personal. It’s definitely one of the best Resident Evil games to look at, though the most recent releases are not that far off.

The sound design is just as good. Every gunshot has a heavy kick, and the ambient noises in the woods kept me spinning around to check my back. Admittedly, I spent way too much time in the photo mode trying to get the perfect shot of a Ganado’s head exploding. It’s a beautiful, miserable world that I found hard to leave.

The voice acting is top-notch, and while some people might find the new Ada Wong voice a bit different, I found it less of an issue compared to the fact that she suffers a bit from underwriting compared to the OG Ada, at least in my possibly nostalgia-tinted opinion.

The visuals and sounds in this game are really, really good, which is something I can say for all things Resident Evil lately. Okay, maybe except for the Resident Evil Netflix series, which is a bit of a mixed bag, but I’d say we’re all good in the video game department so far.

My Overall Verdict on Resident Evil 4 Remake: Leon & RE’s Best Performance (Yet)

I want to end my Resident Evil 4 Remake review with one clear message – they really managed to pull off the impossible with this one. It’s hard to touch a masterpiece like the 2005 original without breaking something, but Capcom cooked and actually made it way better.

I played this on PC, and it runs like a dream, though I’ve heard the PS5 haptics add a nice bit of extra immersion. It’s easily the most fun I’ve had with a horror game in years. Even when I was dying for the tenth time to a buff chainsaw man, I was grinning. It’s really rare to find a game that balances stress and satisfaction this well. 

If you have any love for action horror, you need this in your library. The phrase “gold standard” has probably been beaten to death in other Resident Evil 4 Remake reviews at this point, but despite the risk of sounding cliché, I’d still say this game is a literal gold standard for what a remake should be.

Great for: Players who want the perfect mix of high-stakes action and genuine scares.

Less ideal for: Nostalgic fans who want the exact goofy, campy tone of the original.