Up until Resident Evil 4 gets a remake, no new console generation feels completely right. The Capcom classic has been ported to every Sony home system since the PS2 version in 2005; at this point, you can’t have one without the other. Expectations are now very different from previous iterations due to the developer’s recent remake efforts with Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3. Capcom has recreated Resident Evil 4 into one of the greatest video games ever while keeping a lot of the elements that made the survival horror phenomenon a masterpiece all those years ago. It’s a truly exceptional, unique experience worth savoring with fresh material, features, and regions.

By improving and extending almost everything that was there before, the remake maintains fidelity. It follows a pretty similar series of events from the village to the castle and ends on the island. Most of the events that stand out in your memory are present, and some even occur in a different order than you’re used to. Although some compromises have been made, particularly on the island, Resident Evil 4 is still present and correct.

And while the audience will definitely enjoy these amazing scenes, it’s what happens in between that makes the PS5 remake so much better overall.When you move from one plot beat to the next, so much more occurs. Particularly the village and castle are now enormous, open spaces with hidden secrets and optional quests. There are more puzzles to solve, many larger areas to explore, and a great deal more story to learn. The plots are much more fully developed, and some characters get more time on screen. With longtime fans receiving a necessary replay and beginners receiving a genuinely definitive version, the PS2 original is virtually rendered useless.

Fighting has also undergone significant improvements; it is clear that Capcom truly went all out in this area for the sake of style. A brand-new parry mechanic, along with the remake’s furious shooting sequences and flashy melee moves, creates a system that will make you feel like a total badass. Leon’s trademark kicks, swings, and suplexes are back, but this time they’re combined with deadly knife cuts that position opponents for fatal headshots. Because of the time window’s relative generosity, it’s worthwhile to spend money on upgrades to expand your arsenal of Ganado killers.

Resident Evil 4 has always been a bit more action-oriented than its predecessors, and the remake keeps this distinction by adding nasty, gory combat to its rewarding parries and punch-ups.One-shot kills from the end of a shotgun or magnum feel heavy and nasty thanks to the adjustable triggers of the DualSense controller for the PS5. On the other hand, TMP (a submachine gun) sprays feel lighter but more rickety when the trigger vibrates under your fingertip.

The experience is enhanced just as much by haptic feedback. While Leon explores the Spanish village, the PS5 pad quietly rumbles in time with his pitter-pattering steps. The controller then provides resistance in the form of vibrations that give you the impression that you are struggling to keep balance while the former cop wades through water, which is when it really shines. It works, giving the PS5 version a strong argument for being chosen above other editions.

The updates don’t stop there; you may now move and shoot simultaneously or freely crouch to use some stealth. The revised control scheme offers even more versatility. Resident Evil 4 finally plays like a contemporary video game once more, matching—and in some cases surpassing—what Capcom’s prior remakes have felt and controlled like.

Most of the time, it appears to be one as well. Every setting, structure, character, and adversary has undergone a thorough redesign to shine in 4K on the PS5. The rescue mission is a much more difficult task, with an even more ominous mood because much of the game now occurs at night. You’ll doubt whether saving the president’s daughter is truly worth it all when slick tentacles shoot out of a Las Plagas-consumed Ganado or the evil Novistadors hide and wait for an attack.

But the only place you might run across a technical bug is in the village. On a few rare occasions, when the game was running with the Day One patch, we noticed a little portion of texture off in the distance. We didn’t run into any issues in the castle or on the island, but they do seem to be a problem in the opening stretch of the title. These are very much blink and you’ll miss it moments. But, there are no further issues, so it is a very tiny blip.

The evocative music that goes along with the lavish graphics makes the evening sequences even more tense. The Ganados who live in the village can be heard from a distance, but the sounds of the monks singing their holy songs can be heard all over the castle. Turning a corner alone adds risk because even one enemy’s suspicions can put the entire region on high alert. Resident Evil 4 has a soundtrack that will send chills down your spine and sound cues that work well with its beautiful graphics.

All of this, though, wouldn’t matter if Capcom somehow managed to lose the essence of the PS2 classic in the process of creating this PS5 masterpiece. Even with improved fighting, more content options, and better graphics and audio, Resident Evil 4 is still fundamentally the same game we’ve enjoyed for 18 years. It still has its soul, which is what makes it so incredibly unique. Everything just feels perfect as soon as you step out of the police car in the beginning, when safety is assumed. Despite the fact that some locations are brand new to the remake, they immediately give the impression of being there forever. Everything fits together well, and it’s amazing to see a classic developed in a way that just seems so natural.

Leon begins to feel that the village is a strange, unwelcoming home, as there are more things to see and do there. Some structures aren’t accessible until later, while simple side tasks give you a reason to go back to places you’ve already been. It’s interesting to watch how the village has grown, especially with the well-known shopkeeper along for the ride.

The same can be true about the castle and island, both of which contain numerous notable incidents and scenes that you will likely remember. Although the latter environment has experienced a few more cuts than the other two, what is still there feels more unified. No longer can you quickly transition from a horror game to a full-fledged third-person shooter.

Repeat playthroughs will always be a complete pleasure because each region looks and feels so unique. Your first journey will last for more than 20 hours, and while subsequent journeys will significantly shorten that playtime, there is so much replayability that Capcom excels at it. Resident Evil 4 is a game that you might still be playing months from now due to its innovative ways to play, fresh material that can only be found in New Game+, and trophies. We anticipate that this incredibly remarkable reproduction will accomplish the same feat as the original, which remained relevant for 18 years.

Conclusion
Resident Evil 4 is still a classic today, almost 20 years after it first came out. Capcom has authentically remade it by adding new content, great action, and eye-catching graphics to a real classic game. Resident Evil 4 already had the necessary elements to be regarded as one of the all-time greatest video games, but with improved surroundings and outstanding action, it now firmly establishes itself as such in 2023. A truly exceptional experience that will live long in the memories of devoted followers while winning over a brand-new generation of admirers, this is Resident Evil at its ultimate peak.

Pro:

A fantastic game that was improved
Such fresh storylines, lore, and material
Amazing combat
Beautiful pictures
Ambiance audio
Good support for DualSense controllers
A lot of replay value

Cons:

A few very minor graphics errors