Rumors and leaks of aResident Evil 4 Remakecurrently point to a potential release date in the year 2022. According to the rumors, the original director ofResident Evil 4, Shinji Mikami, rejected an offer to lead this new project, but offered advice on the direction it should go.
If VGC’s information proves true, M-Two will be leading the development ofResident Evil 4 Remake. It is worth noting that M-Two assisted Capcom with development inResident Evil 3 Remake.
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IfResident Evil 4 Remakefollows the tradition of its original counterpart,Resident Evil 4would certainly be more action-oriented than the Resident Evil 2 and evenResident Evil 3remake’s, the latter of which took on a more action-oriented approach than the former.
The Original Resident Evil 4 Set the Bar
WhenResident Evil 4first released on Gamecube in 2005, it not only transformed theResident Evilseries into a third-person action game with horror elements, butResident Evil 4set the barfor quality game design and technological achievement for action-gaming at the time.
Suffice to say,Resident Evil 4has definitely shown its age. Given thatResident Evil 4was both a unique detour for theResident Evilseries, as well as one of the best overall action games of that era, aResident Evil 4 Remakecertainly has some big shoes to fill if it is to ignite the necessary nostalgia, while also creating something refreshingly new.
Firstly, graphical overhauls are to be expected, and ifM-Two is leading the development ofResident Evil 4 Remake, it is possible they may also be using the same game engine that was used inResident Evil 2 RemakeandResident Evil 3 Remake, as well as other Capcom games. Though the originalResident Evil 4is more action-packed than the smooth and precise controls offered by those two recentResident Evilremakes, the new engine could certainly accommodate and scale it in order to ensure it can still keep up in a more action-driven environment.
More or Less Action?
Given that there were already some framerate issues withResident Evil 3 Remakeon consoles, the higher number of enemies and action on the screen inResident Evil 4may require next-generation console technology to fully bring it to fruition.Resident Evil4’s tank-like controls certainly have not aged well to most, and are more than in need of updating, which a new engine or the currentResident Evilengine can accommodate fully.
It is also possible that Capcom could tune-down the action in comparison to the original, and create an experience more akin to the Resident Evil 3 Remake, or a unique experience that truly attempts to mend the survival horror and action genres in innovative ways. This could certainly put to rest the historical controversy among some die-hardResident Evilfans over whether or notResident Evil 4took the series in the right direction or not, or whetherResident Evil 4could still be considered a survival-horror game.
Also, given recentrevelations from Capcom’sResident Evil 3design team, the Nemesis villain has been confirmed to have some degree of relation to the Las Plagas parasites inResident Evil 4, which mutated nearby villagers and comprised the majority of the game’s monstrosities.
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This revelation not only ties a potentialResident Evil 4 Remakecloser into the fabric of Resident Evil’s universe and timeline, butResident Evil 4 Remakecould also provide a lot of possible background information and insights into the creation of the Nemesis inResident Evil 3,specifically the mysterious parasite that helped create the Nemesis in Umbrella’s European facilities. The origins of thisNemesis parasite will hopefully be addressed inResident Evil 4 Remake.
There are also some other possibilities in the directionResident Evil 4may take, given the direction of the recent twoResident Evilremakes. For example, it has been speculated that spiders were cut from both games because Capcom wanted the series to take on a more realistic approach. If being more realistic is the trajectory Capcom wants to maintain in developing more Resident Evil remakes, including its fourth game, there are some obvious stand-out features inResident Evil 4which defied the franchise’s more realistic traditions previously, and were more akin to third-person action games at the time.
More or less realistic?
For example, the mysterious Weapons Merchant inResident Evil 4, who happens to pop up at various intervals inResident Evil 4to help the player buy, sell and upgrade equipment, just seems out of place inResident Evil’smore realistic oracle. Whether the merchant and currency system will be in aResident Evil 4 Remakewill be an interesting beacon point to keep an eye on overthe direction ofResident Evil 4 Remake.
Furthermore, whether plenty of ammo will conveniently drop out of random enemies' pockets to be picked up by the player is also an unusual inclusion in aResident Evilgame in its context, though it is very common in third-person action-games in general, when they are not attempting to simulate any layer of realism compatible to a survival-horror game. Capcom could experiment with more contemporary trends in addressing enemy-drops, such as looting the bodies, specifically their pockets.
Final Direction?
It all depends on whether Capcom decides to double-down on makingResident Evil 4 Remakea more pure action-gamein following on the elements that made the original unique to the series, or whether Capcom wants to create a more hybrid experience between action and realistic survival horror. The hybrid experience may be the more likely trajectory, given that in the past, technology made it difficult to capture the realism and fast-paced action-oriented experience in one.
Regardless of which direction Capcom chooses in its design trajectory for a possibleResident Evil 4 Remake, it will certainly have much to live up to, givenResident Evil 4is considered among the best theResident Evilseries has to offer, which is no small feat. Simply re-envisioningResident Evil 4or upgrading its core hallmarks along the framework ofResident Evil 2 RemakeandResident Evil 3 Remakewill not be enough. Given whatResident Evil 4accomplished and was remembered for originally, Capcom will either need to set the bar for action gaming, set a new trajectory for survival horror, or both, depending on its chosen direction.
