RESIDENT EVIL 4 REMAKE REVIEW

im js mass posting a bunch of my reviews i wrote when i first finish games... this was a while ago!! i might write up a review for re5 soon because im finishing it today after school :p 

again!! disclaimer!! this is a lot of glazing!!!!! i wrote this when i had just finished it so i was still riding the high of finishing it lolol 

also i havent played seperate ways yet, when i finish it that'll be a seperate blog post. spoiler warning in the blacked out parts! just try to ignore them lol

characters: 9/10 - we dont get much time with the handful of characters there are, but theyre super likeable, especially compared to the original (for context in the original, luis was a creep and ashley was super annoying, whiny and 2 dimensional.) even though they didnt retcon luis' death, they changed it and made it far more interesting. i love how ashley's character develops and her dynamic with leon too. in sewer segment, she states that she wouldve hated it before all of this, and shes pretty selfless too as shown in the scene where she offered for leon to get rid of the las plagas inside him instead of helping her. luis is funny and hes helpful to the plot and he actually makes an emotional impact! also the way leon holds ashley's hand when shes in pain during the surgery scene is soo sweet. 

plot: 8/10 - theres only so much you can do with the plot of a game thats a remake. the original plot to re4 was only written in two weeks, but the remake seems to flesh it out more. luis dies far later on in the story and it really shows in how much better their character is. the plot is straightforward, but its not necessarily a bad thing, its just not much to write home about. 

visuals: 9/10 - the graphics are STUNNING. theres som any stylistic choices while also having the "triple A game realism", leon's hallucinations when the las plagas hits are so unnerving and yet so gorgeous at the same time. the concept art in this game is so pretty and they translated it really well into 3d. enemy designs are AMAZING. the bosses for salazar, krauser, saddler and mendez are SO good and really encapsulate the sheer eldritch horror of the parasite that all fit thematically yet are all so diferent. also all the primary characters are just all really hot icl LMFAO

gameplay: 10/10 - OOHHH MY LORD THIS GAME WAS SO FUN!!! they leaned a lot more into the action with this installment and its absolutely amazing. the knife parry concept is so well executed, especially in the first krauser fight. the guns all feel unique and good and really makes you think on what guns are good for what situations. all of ashley's gimmicks were fun too, being able to tell her to stick close to leon or fall back depending on whether or not youre trying to run through a herd of enemies of kill them all, and being able to boost her up to unlock areas of the map or tell her to hide? super good use of her character! it doesnt make her feel like dead weight or anything. plus her gameplay segment was super different and forced the player to adapt, even if it was scary as hell. this game is still horror, but the higher involvement of the action elements makes the fun a lot more enjoyable than just walking simulator with the occasional few gunshots.   

ending: 8/10 - not phenomenal, but still good nonetheless! i love the ending credits showing the history of the village and how the plagas ended up with a cult, as well as the teaser for a re5 remake and seperate ways dlc. it wrapped things up well. 

music: 7/10 - super well done! the songs arent anything i would listen to usually but they all fit the enviroment. the boss music is hype as hell but also keeps that unneverving feeling you would hear in the enviromental sequences.  theyre nothing particular to write home about though.

overall rating: 9/10 

comments: we're really in a resident evil rennaisance ever since re7, and re4 is probably one of the best installments of resident evil of all time, or just straight up horror games of all time. im happy that storytelling and character are still given a lot of attention in a genre where the aim is just to scare the player. i personally didnt find re4 as a whole too scary, but there were definitely sequences that made me jump a bit or set me off. i believe more in the enjoyment of the game over anything and i personally enjoy having fun rather than being scared. iirc the game is pretty pricey? but i got it a while ago on discount, i think its pretty worth the 20-30 hour total game time, especially with the side content. the seperate ways dlc is about 4h long iirc, but i cant wait to get it and play it eventually!