As one would expect from a horror franchise that’s lasted for 27 years, theResident Evilseries is home to a plethora of wonderfully horrifying monsters. Standard flesh-eating zombies aside,Resident Evilhas a slew of other iconic series monster mainstays, from the instantly recognizable Licker, to the hulkingMr. X and Nemesis, to the insect-loving Marguerite Baker. But one of the most terrifyingResident Evilmonsters could be about to get a whole lot scarier withResident Evil 4 Remakeright around the corner.
Releasing on March 24,Resident Evil 4 Remaketakes the beloved 2005 original and gives it far more than just a fresh coat of paint. From a reworked story to new side missions and dialogue to new forms of infected, theResident Evil 4 Remakeis going above and beyond to ensure that this experience is the perfect blend of old and new. And with this remake changing up so much of the original, it seems likely thatResident Evil 4’s scariest monstershave been finely tuned to deliver even more screams than their 2005 counterparts.
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The Resident Evil 4 Remake Can Take Regenerators to the Next Level
Generally speaking, it’s widely considered thatResident Evil 4’s second half - its island section - isn’t nearly as strong as its first castle half. The pacing ofResident Evil 4’s first half is a lot better, the scares are well built-up, there’s slightly less linearity in terms of level design, and the maniacal villains are abundant. That being said,Resident Evil 4’s island sectionisn’t without its moments, and one of those is discovering the hidden laboratory, where one of the most terrifying monsters in all of gaming is lying in wait.
On their way torescue Ashley inResident Evil 4, players find themselves walking the cramped corridors of some kind of secret laboratory on this secluded island. Behind a pane of glass, players can see some kind of pitch-black monster lying on a stretcher, with no truly discernible features. Upon reaching their objective in the room, this monster springs to life, and slowly hulks its way toward the player. The player soon finds out that these monsters, the Regenerators, can regrow their limbs, and the only way to escape is to try and run past them.
Eventually, the player discovers that they can use the thermal scope of a sniper to locate and destroyResident Evil’s Las Plagas parasiteskeeping the Regenerators alive, and after shooting all of them, they explode into a satisfying array of blood and bits. Though the Regenerators are slow, they hit very hard, and this grave underlying threat underpins some ofResident Evil 4’s most memorable interactions. The audio design of the Regenerators is a core reason behind their memorability, with their otherworldly grumbles and groans sending chills down the spines of countless players. The visual design of these monsters is also iconic, with them having some of the most simple yet effective designs in the entire franchise. All that’s needed to terrify a player at first glance is long claws, a tall stature, and a wide, toothy grin.
TheResident Evil 4 Remakehas the perfect opportunity to make these already-iconic monsters even more renowned, just likeResident Evil 2 Remakedid with Mr. X, though not nearly as much work needs to go into the Regenerators. The overall design of the Regenerators, both audio and visual, is practically incredible, and all theResident Evil 4 Remakeneeds to do is bring those technical features to the modern day, making them both sound and look more realistic. It also seems likely that the Regenerators might behave a little differently in the remake to better fit with some gameplay changes. For instance, they might move a little faster than in the original to match Leon’s newfound ability to move while aiming.
Resident Evil 4 Remakereleases on June 11, 2025, for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
