The Resident Evil 4 remake is on its way. After a recent data leak from Capcom, company documents showed that a remake of the game is planned for release in 2022. Despite Resident Evil 4’s status as one of the most beloved games in its franchise, the news of this remake has been met with some controversy.
For those who don’t know, the original Resident Evil 4 was an action-horror game released back in 2005. In the game, players would take control of Leon Kennedy in a plot about fighting a Spanish cult, rescuing the president’s daughter, and finding a way to kill a mysterious parasite.
For a game as well-received as Resident Evil 4, it’s hard to imagine that fans would object to a remake. However, there are two major complaints against remaking the game.
The first, is that Resident Evil 4 is perfectly playable on every modern system. Despite showing its age in terms of controls and graphics, Resident Evil 4 is a perfectly accessible experience that new gamers and veteran gamers alike can enjoy. On top of that, Resident Evil 4 is available on every major gaming system (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, PC).
The second complaint comes from fans who are afraid of Capcom removing content from the game. Like the last two Resident Evil remakes, content was cut in favor of more realistic graphics. As Resident Evil 4 is an extensive game (even by modern standards), it’s bound to be trimmed down in some way.
The case against remaking Resident Evil 4 brings up a wider question of when and why old games should be remade. The most common argument for remaking games comes down to this:
“Old classics should be reinvented so that younger players who would typically be alienated by the old graphics and archaic gameplay can enjoy an old gem in a way that’s fresh.”
Of course, there are other reasons for remaking games (usually involving profit), but the main case for remakes is accessibility. Unfortunately, accessibility is often equated to “good graphics”.
This is why many game companies lazily release “HD” or “Remastered” versions of old games without adding any new content or features. While this makes the games more available, these updated versions are barely worth the price tag. On the other hand, good remakes add content and make the game more true to its original vision.
The original Resident Evil remake from 2002 is a good example of this. Both the 1996 and 2002 versions of Resident Evil are survival-horror games that have players take on the role of a police officer trying to survive a mansion full of mutated monsters.
Back in 1996, the original Resident Evil was considered one of the scariest games ever made. Today, the game is laughable for its awkward mix of CG and live-action cutscenes and its low-budget voice acting. The 2002 version fixed all of this.
The blocky character models were replaced with HD characters that strikes a perfect balance between realism and detail. Rather than the puke-colored walls and B-movie atmosphere of the original game, the 2002 version had almost photorealistic backgrounds combined with advanced lighting that still looks good almost twenty years later.
However, the really impressive thing about the Resident Evil remake was the re-addition of cut content from the original plans for the game. Enemies like Lisa Trevor and the Crimson Heads made their debut in the 2002 version, but despite this, no areas from the original game were removed.
The design philosophy behind the Resident Evil remake was not just to modernize graphics and controls but to improve and add unto the original experience.
The Resident Evil franchise is experiencing something of a renaissance recently with the release of Resident Evil 7, the two remakes, and an eighth mainline game in development.
It’s a possibility that Capcom might push out the Resident Evil 4 remake as an unfinished cash grab. Like many others, I’m a big fan of the original Resident Evil 4, and I hope that the remake will be good.
If the Resident Evil 4 remake can follow this ideal by adding new enemies, locations, weapons, etc., then it has a good chance of succeeding. If the remake angers fans by cutting out content, it could be a low point in the long, successful horror franchise.
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