Resident Evil 4 Remake launches later this month, but reviews for Capcom's remake are already starting to appear online.
Continuing in the tradition of earlier remakes like Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, Resident Evil 4 Remake aims to take a pre-existing game from the survival horror series and bring it up to date for modern audiences, complete with improved visuals and other refinements. But has it been successful?
Well, from the reviews we've seen so far, things are looking extremely promising, with 5s and 10s pretty much across the board. Below, we've rounded up some of the reviews we've come across so far, and what they have to say about the upcoming release.
Push Square's Liam Croft awarded the game a perfect score (10/10), summing up his thoughts on the remake with the following:
"Nearly 20 years later, Resident Evil 4 is just as much of a masterpiece today as it was in 2005. Capcom has faithfully remade a genuine classic by bringing it into the modern age and kitting it out with new content, tremendous combat, and striking visuals. What was there before was already enough to consider Resident Evil 4 one of the best games of all time, but now it earns that title in 2023 off the back of better environments and sublime action. This is Resident Evil at its absolute pinnacle; an utterly outstanding experience that will live long in the hearts of longtime fans while inducting a whole new generation of supporters."
PJ O'Reilly for Pure Xbox similarly awarded the Xbox version a 10 out of 10, applauding its jaw-dropping visuals and revamped combat, writing:
"Resident Evil 4 Remake is a resounding success, taking the 2005 survival horror classic and revamping, reworking and retooling it into a most modern and thrilling action extravaganza. You can feel the care and attention to detail in every aspect of how Capcom has handled this remake. Combat has been improved and expanded without destroying the all-important feel of how Leon does battle, iconic boss fights and locations look and feel better than ever and carefully considered additions to areas allow for more exploration between confrontations without ruining the tight and taut flow of the adventure. It all looks and sounds incredible, performs perfectly and makes for a glorious return to the top for an all-time action great. Welcome back, stranger."
In an unscored review for Eurogamer, Aoife Wilson gave the highly-anticipated remake a recommendation and wrote:
"Remaking one of the most influential games of the last twenty years is no small feat, yet Capcom has pulled it off here. Leon is just as dryly sassy, Ada is a smoke show, Ashley is considerably less annoying than in the original (even if her fashion sense has suffered horribly), and the baddies are all given their time to shine and then erupt in a mass of entrails and extra limbs. Oh and the regenerators? Still utterly terrifying. There are a few sequences that fall flat, particularly late game, but overall this is as good as remakes get. Even if the bingo reference is slightly lost on new generations."
On VG247, Kelsey Rainor presented it with a 5 out of 5, stating the following about the remake in their review:
"If you want the old game, the narrative is similar enough to cater to you. The story, combat, and characters in Resident Evil 4 Remake have been cultivated and cropped to their prime, and what we’re left with is one hell of an adventure, albeit a less facetious one."
IGN's Tristan Ogilvie gave it a 10 out of 10, highlighting the newfound freedom of movement and writing:
"Whether you're a fan of the original or a newcomer with a hankering for some action-heavy horror of the highest quality, Resident Evil 4 is like a parasite-riddled Spaniard: a total no-brainer. Its combat is friction-free but no less stress-inducing thanks to its ferocious cast of creatures, its story rapidly shuttles through a series of action scenes that are diverse in structure but uniformly unwavering in intensity, and its world is rich in detail and full of fun and often snarling surprises."
Gamespot's Kurt Indovina also gave it 10 out of 10 and praised the quality of life improvements:
"Capcom has masterfully created a new version of a beloved game and continues to blaze a trail with its Resident Evil remakes. Like the Resident Evil 2 remake before it, the studio has used advancements in technology and design to modernize an iconic survival-horror and action game by placing emphasis on capturing the spirit of the original, and respectfully evoking the same sense of atmosphere and tone that the original developers aspired to."
Resident Evil 4 Remake is set to release for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Steam) on March 24th. Will you be picking it up? Let us know in the comments!