Capcom
Resident Evil 4: what’s different between the remake and the original?
The Resident Evil 4 remake is finally here, and there are a lot of changes that could be considered small, but are way more impactful than one may think.
The Resident Evil 4 remake is a dream come true, although fans of the original title will find quite a few changes that turn it into a unique experience. Here we’ll tell you some of the biggest differences you can find in the remake with respect to the original.
What’s changed in Resident Evil 4 since the original game?
Just as it happened with both previous RE Engine remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, the Resident Evil 4 remake brings with it its own list of changes and updates to gameplay and mechanics of the original game released in 2005. These are some of the ones you can see in it:
- First of all: the graphics have been entirely overhauled. Resident Evil 4 makes use of the RE Engine, Capcom’s in-house engine that debuted with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard in 2017.
- Even though the story follows the same key plot points (Leon travels to a Spanish village to rescue Ashley Graham, daughter of the President of the US), there are new scenes that expand the plot and try to tie together loose ends that were present in the original. For example, Luis Sera accompanies Leon during a much longer time in the remake than in the original, and there’s additional scenes with Ada Wong.
- Resident Evil 4 Remake does not include the aditional Ada Wong campaign, Separate Ways, which was originally introduced in the PS2 version of the game. In that version and the following re-releases, the additional campaign was unlocked by finishing the story at least once.
- The remake doesn’t come with Mercenaries Mode at launch; it’ll be added for free further down the line. The original and its re-releases included it as an unlockable after finishing the game at least once.
- The new Resident Evil 4 has stealth mechanics. Leon can crouch and sneak around, even being able to take down enemies with his knife to clear out the way without calling too much attention to himself.
- There are new enemy types and bosses.
- There are new collectible figurines in the game, called “Clockwork Castellans”.
- There’s a new type of secondary mission, called “Merchant Requests”.
- Spinels are no longer treasures, instead, they’ve become a special currency you can use to buy items in the Merchant’s special store.
- Leon can kill Las Plagas with his knife before they can transform enemies.
- There’s a Storage Chest like in classic Resident Evil games, but it’s not an actual object in the game. It’s a separate menu accessible from the Typewriters where you save the game that allows you to store items if you’ve run out of space in your inventory.