Resident Evil 4 Remake - What We Know So Far

It's an amazing time to be a "Resident Evil" fan. The remake of "Resident Evil 2" was released in 2019, followed by the "Resident Evil 3" remake in 2020, and finally the brand new "Resident Evil: Village" was released in 2021, marking three straight years of monster-killing excitment. While there aren't plans to release a full new game this year and "Resident Evil 9" could take years to make, fans were ecstatic to learn of the upcoming "Resident Evil 4" remake.

Thanks to a few exciting info leaks from actors and plenty of rumors, many fans were simply wondering when the remake would be announced, rather than if it would ever arrive. At this point, fans thankfully have a but more information regarding the remake of what many consider to be not only one of the best games in the series, but one of the most influential titles in history of the industry.

Leon Kennedy and Ashley Graham will have to endure all manner of terrors on March 24, 2023. It seems this will also mark the breaking point for the "Resident Evil" series in regards to last-gen and current-gen consoles. Capcom has confirmed that the game will release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S — with no mention of the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. 

While that may be unfortunate news for those who continue to struggle with actually acquiring the latest consoles, it's likely something we'll start seeing more as time goes on. If you decide to purchase the PlayStation 5 version of the "Resident Evil 4" remake, you can expect some PlayStation VR2 functionality as well.

During Sony's State of Play presentation in June 2022, fans received plenty of teasing glimpses at the new look for the fan favorite world of "Resident Evil 4" in the remake's official reveal trailer. But other than some brief looks at the game's highly-detailed environmental work, there wasn't much to go on. Thankfully, the second trailer for the game showed much more what players can look forward to in the revamped game's story.

Much like the original title, "Resident Evil 4 Remake" will see players assume the role of Leon Kennedy as he attempts to rescue the daughter of the United States President. The second trailer intoduces  plenty of returning and remodeled faces such as said daughter Ashley Graham, antagonist Ramon Salazar, secret agent Ada Wong, the enigmatic Luis Sera, and the chainsaw-swinging Dr. Salvador. 

Most of the trailer focuses on the game's first village encounter. An extended look at the game's gameplay during Capcom's "Resident Evil" Showcase followed suit, showing how Leon fights off the hordes of villagers. Capcom seems to be saving most of the game's later content for players to discover on their own, but the story trailer still managed to offer a peek at the towering El Gigante and Ashley Graham's possible fate of becoming controlled by the game's menacing cult.

Fans of the original "Resident Evil 4" will be happy to see that the third-person, over-the-shoulder camera is making a return for this game, just as it did for the remakes of "Resident Evil 2" and "Resident Evil 3." Additionally, the game is still very much a survival horror experience that will require players to scour environments for ammunition, healing herbs, and more — all while avoiding a terrifying death, of course.

The remake isn't afraid to add new things, however. Some parts of the environment have a new degree of interactivity, and Leon now has the ability to crouch and do some light sneaking around. This allows players to get the drop on enemies or simply avoid them. Perhaps best of all, it seems as though Leon can now deflect Dr. Salvador's chainsaw attack, which was a death sentence in the original version of "Resident Evil 4."

None of these new additions seem to be taking away from the gameplay experience that many will be familiar with, as Capcom's showcase also displayed just how easy it is for Leon to be overwhelmed by a slowly encroaching mass of enemies. "Resident Evil 4" looks like it's still an intense experience for new and old players alike.