Resident Evil 4 (2023) Review: A Horror Classic Mutated to Monstrous Potency

gadgets.ndtv.com:

With 2005's Resident Evil 4, Capcom redefined gaming by popularising an over-the-shoulder perspective, which became a mainstay in third-person shooters for the years to follow. The shift from static camera angles to a free-flowing one was a risky gamble, heralding a big departure for the RE franchise, which could've easily ended in disaster. However, fans embraced those action-heavy changes and it paid off superbly, selling 12.3 million copies across its numerous versions. Fast forward to the present, and Capcom has another mighty task on its hands. How do you reimagine a classic that's widely regarded as one of the greatest and near-perfect video games of all time? The pressure was certainly on for Capcom's development team, as the vocal minority continued arguing that a remake was unnecessary. Having personally cherished their recent Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remakes, I had enough faith in their ability to pull off Resident Evil 4 in a similar, exhilarating fashion, and my faith has paid off.

Six years after the fallout at Raccoon City, we're once again put in control of the brooding pretty boy special agent Leon S. Kennedy, as he straps on his work boots and pistol, and heads to Spain on a rescue mission. The target is ‘Baby Eagle' aka Ashley Graham, the US President's daughter, who's been abducted and held hostage in a rural, ghoulish village. The Resident Evil 4 remake largely retains the same plot beats as the original, while beefing up the lore and its sinister tone to a new degree. All pathways scream a folkloric horror aesthetic now, be it ravens pecking at rotting carcasses, beast skulls and boney charms hoisted aloft, or the ominous cultists chanting nearby. Upon further inspection, we learn that