Resident Evil 4 (REmake)

BrawlMan

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had to nitpick I'd say I'm still not a fan of the knife durability. Considering the knife is now also used for parries I get why it's there and why they felt an unbreakable knife would trivialise too much of the combat, it's just awkward having to maintain your only melee weapon. I also can't really make sense of the addition of stealth. For the most part neither the enemy AI nor the level design feel like they've been made with it in mind. It never really feels like a viable way to approach most encounters.
Get the Primal Knife. You can unlock it by destroying all 16 of the Salazar figures. Then you can buy it in the unlock shop. Then have the merchant upgrade it. Upgrade it until you can get the infinite durability upgrade. If you don't have an upgrade ticket, it'll cost you about 100,000 pasetas. As for stealth, it works, but it's not the best stuff you'll ever see. Evil Within 2 has better stealth than this. That said, a majority of the encounter you can completely stealth, if you're good enough or have all the enemy layouts recognized.


Now that they've successfully remade all the classic mainline RE games, it'll be exciting to see how they're planning to approach the weaker numbered entries and whether they'll be able to turn around the lukewarm reception of 5 and the flop that was 6.
Resident Evil 5 was actually the best selling game in the franchise when it released in 2009. It held that title until 6. RE6 made a couple million more, but sales immediately started to drop off due to word of mouth. Most people would fondly back on RE5, and most of the appreciation came in around the mid 2010s. If you are playing single-player, it's an issue, but if you're doing co-op, it's a great game. Recently this year the game has a new update on modern consoles and PC, where it removes a lot of the bad QTEs for cutscenes.

 
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I just found out there's a DLC code for people that pre-ordered through GameStop. I have one on my receipt and it gives you a handgun ammo charm and the golden attaché case (you get more money drops). There is no other means to get this DLC, unless Capcom decides to added to the digital stores. I wish devs would stop doing this. Capcom did a similar thing with RE3R with Jill's classic costume, but that did eventually get put on digital stores. Here's hoping they do the same.
 
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CriticalGaming

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So I finally picked this up to play before Diablo 4's launch. It's good, but I remember the game being more fun, not in terms of my personal fun, but more quirky and smart assery coming from Leon and his interactions with people. But either im misremembering or Leon's smartass-ness is underplayed this time around.

Also the game is still at it's best when Ashley isn't a part of it. Sorry to say but having to protect her still sucks and are the lowest points in the game as a whole. I find it hard pressed to think of an escort mission in any game that was fun, at least in which the escort needed protecting. Bioshock Infinite is one giant escort quest but Elizabeth can't be harmed by the enemies so it's not the same thing.
 
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But either im misremembering or Leon's smartass-ness is underplayed this time around.
It's still there, but just not as playful as the original when it came to Leon making jokes.

Also the game is still at it's best when Ashley isn't a part of it. Sorry to say but having to protect her still sucks and are the lowest points in the game as a whole.
Still better here than how it was in the original. Once you know how Ashley works, and what you're supposed to do, it's actually pretty good. I rarely ever had her die on me. I would just keep the command to almost always have her behind me. The only time I tell her to back off, is when I know there's a range attack that's going to hurt her, or I'm better off having her far away from me, so I can aim and kill the monsters faster.

. I find it hard pressed to think of an escort mission in any game that was fun, at least in which the escort needed protecting.
Ico.
 
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CriticalGaming

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It's still there, but just not as playful as the original when it came to Leon making jokes.
But that was a big part of RE4's charm. I really like the wisecracking hero, which when well written is wonderful and a trope that's not nearly used enough if you ask me. Downplaying it removes charm and fun from the game actively.

Once you know how Ashley works, and what you're supposed to do, it's actually pretty good. I rarely ever had her die on me. I was just keep the command to almost always have her behind me
Having a strategy to make a mechanic less annoying doesn't forgive the fact that the mechanic is annoying in the first place.
 

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But that was a big part of RE4's charm. I really like the wisecracking hero, which when well written is wonderful and a trope that's not nearly used enough if you ask me. Downplaying it removes charm and fun from the game actively.
You forgot this is a different Leon. This is remake Leon from RE2 Remake, not the original. If it makes you feel any better, he's got more cheerful ones a quarter way into the castle. Besides, as I've already reiterated, the original Leon was basically turned into a Dante clone of sorts. Ironic, because people playfully made fun of Dante back then and called him white haired Leon. The humor is still there, but Leon is just slightly darker and drier about it. He still has goofy or dorky lines. I won't spoil it with you.


Having a strategy to make a mechanic less annoying doesn't forgive the fact that the mechanic is annoying in the first place.
Keep in mind, I wasn't a big fan of the originals escort style missions either. Still don't like them now. I get what you mean and you have your opinion, but I don't see it as big as a deal compared to the original, or way worse escort missions back in the PS2 and 360 days. It helps that Ashley is more likable here, and is actually useful, compared to her original counterpart. R. Ashley is more useful than most escort characters or missions from the PS2 days. Remake Ashley is no Atreus or Elizabeth, but she happily goes into my little Pantheon of likable companions/escort characters. There are some minor annoyances with her, but overall: a fantastic improvement. You don't even need to heal her anymore. If she's knocked down, just press R3 or Right Stick to pick her back up. It's basically two hits and she's dead. Some things will kill her in one hit on Professional difficulty, though it's rare.
 
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In between my come downs on FF16 I decided to finished my hardcore playthrough of RE4make. And it leaves me sad.

On one hand there are things I like, the bonus missions from the merchant, the smoothness of the gameplay, the removal of QTE's (which got put into FF16 ironically enough), it's a beautiful game to play.

On the other hand I don't like how dry the game has become. Famous one liners are either not there, or there but delivered in kind of a lazy way. The bingo line is delivered extremely poorly for example with none of the smug-campy attitude that Leon used to have. Or the line about Ashley's Ballistics being completely gone. I know we are in this new age where you can't say anything remotely sexual about a woman, but part of the charm of Re4 originally was the b-movie cheesy camp of it and the Remake removes the vast majority of that. Leon and Salazar no longer bicker via the radio, Ashley doesn't want to do overtime with Leon and thinks she's capable of being a special agent. Ada is just flat, and I now see why people are upset about her voice actress because she delivers all her lines like she'd rather be doing anything else in that moment. The performance is terrible, actually applies to a lot of the game and is more the director's fault that the VA's themselves.

The end result and my ending verdict is that mechanically and gameplay wise RE4make is perfect and even some of the situational changes fix plot holes the original had without taking away the stakes. However the story and the performances have been redone in such a flat way that the Remake comes across feelings soulless. RE4 originally had a sense of knowing it was a video game and having fun with that premise. RE4make takes itself too seriously and it ultimately hurts the experience for people who've played and enjoyed the original.
 

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On the other hand I don't like how dry the game has become. Famous one liners are either not there, or there but delivered in kind of a lazy way.
I have no idea where you're coming from on that one. Different maybe, but not lazy.

The bingo line is delivered extremely poorly for example with none of the smug-campy attitude that Leon used to have.
Okay that is definitely untrue. It's not the exact same style as the original, but it's still there. A reminder that this is a different Leon, but still familiar in certain ways. Not the one that basically became across between Bruce Campbell and Dante.

Or the line about Ashley's Ballistics being completely gone. I know we are in this new age where you can't say anything remotely sexual about a woman, but part of the charm of Re4 originally was the b-movie cheesy camp of it and the Remake removes the vast majority of that.
The ballistics line I was never offended by, but at the same time, I don't miss it. You always have the original working just go to YouTube if you want to hear it. What they replace it with works well enough, and shows Ashley ain't taking crap from anybody. Like I told you before, the theme is more so serious and semi-grounded a la action films from the early 2000s. Instead of a 2000s game acting like a b rated action movie from the 80s and 90s.


Ada is just flat, and I now see why people are upset about her voice actress because she delivers all her lines like she'd rather be doing anything else in that moment. The performance is terrible, actually applies to a lot of the game and is more the director's fault that the VA's themselves.
As for Ada, she's fine and it's clearly supposed to be more cold and less flirty. Remember it just takes place after 2 remake, not 2 original. Besides, she was acting out of character in the original fourth game. They turned her into Trish.


The end result and my ending verdict is that mechanically and gameplay wise RE4make is perfect and even some of the situational changes fix plot holes the original had without taking away the stakes. However the story and the performances have been redone in such a flat way that the Remake comes across feelings soulless. RE4 originally had a sense of knowing it was a video game and having fun with that premise. RE4make takes itself too seriously and it ultimately hurts the experience for people who've played and enjoyed the original.
Big disagreement there. While a bit more serious, the game still has fun with itself and doesn't take itself too seriously. Have you seen the merchant mini game? Even outside of that, it still knows how to have fun with itself in certain many ways. A game like Last of Us Part 2 takes itself too seriously. RE4R does not. And once again, it ain't even close to "soulless". Capcom clearly gave it their all, and more than respect the original.
 
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The end result and my ending verdict is that mechanically and gameplay wise RE4make is perfect and even some of the situational changes fix plot holes the original had without taking away the stakes. However the story and the performances have been redone in such a flat way that the Remake comes across feelings soulless. RE4 originally had a sense of knowing it was a video game and having fun with that premise. RE4make takes itself too seriously and it ultimately hurts the experience for people who've played and enjoyed the original.
As a person who's played and enjoyed the original, well, I made a bunch of posts about this further up the thread, so I'll give you the fast version: the fact that it has a different soul to the original does not make it 'soulless' as people claim. Furthermore, trying to recreate the original 'so bad it's good' feel following games like RE7 or RE2make which managed to have genuinely good writing, acting and production values isn't just turning back the clock to make a loud minority happy, it wouldn't even make those people happy because it'd be obviously fake.

But if you really think the original story is so much better that it's a deal-breaker, the original game's still available to buy everywhere for, like, a third of the price.

I don't mean any of this to insult you personally, for the record. People have opinions, I'm just offering my own as a counterpoint.
 
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CriticalGaming

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As a person who's played and enjoyed the original, well, I made a bunch of posts about this further up the thread, so I'll give you the fast version: the fact that it has a different soul to the original does not make it 'soulless' as people claim. Furthermore, trying to recreate the original 'so bad it's good' feel following games like RE7 or RE2make which managed to have genuinely good writing, acting and production values isn't just turning back the clock to make a loud minority happy, it wouldn't even make those people happy because it'd be obviously fake.

But if you really think the original story is so much better that it's a deal-breaker, the original game's still available to buy everywhere for, like, a third of the price.

I don't mean any of this to insult you personally, for the record. People have opinions, I'm just offering my own as a counterpoint.
The remake isnt a bad game nor is it a bad experience, but to me it is an example for how modern writing is forced to take itself too seriously and be very very safe. Cant make a sex joke, cant make women too helpless otherwise they might need a man to help them. It just a part of the bigger problem in modern writing as a whole. Re4make suffers to a lesser degree but it does suffer and while it isnt souless i dont think it hold onto the spirit of the original. Something was lost in the translation imo.
 

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The remake isnt a bad game nor is it a bad experience, but to me it is an example for how modern writing is forced to take itself too seriously and be very very safe. Cant make a sex joke, cant make women too helpless otherwise they might need a man to help them. It just a part of the bigger problem in modern writing as a whole. Re4make suffers to a lesser degree but it does suffer and while it isnt souless i dont think it hold onto the spirit of the original. Something was lost in the translation imo.
I call bullshit on being "too safe". It's called being different with some maturity, without acting like a smug asshole (Naughty Dog, Ninja Theory, David Cage, etc.)! While Ashley is more proactive and helpful, she isn't a 100% action girl, "ain't need no man", main character. They both help each other by a huge margin. Most RE fans actually appreciate the update.

You and I have been playing completely different games. A lot of the jokes works, or are just regular good. There's even a few hidden ones, if you bring Ashely back with you in certain areas or sections.


Another thing, early to late 2000s edgy humor nor violence/sex ain't prefect either, nor the end all to be all. There's a good reason why a lot of mid 2000s Internet/Internet Gamer humor does not hold up well, or aged poorly due to the changing of times and growing the fuck up. There's a great reason why many South Park clones never made it pass their pilot episode or barely got a season in. There's an excellent reason why many games from the 360 era are stuck on the consoles they debuted on. They either had an immature view of actual maturity, or tried to up the gore, sex, tits, and violence in the most shallowest way possible. They take themselves way more seriously, than RE4R ever has. At least it knows when to laugh and have plenty of fun in gameplay, or in the story/cut-scenes. Also, the only RE game to takes itself too seriously, and suffer for it, will always be RE6. Even RE5 has some levity or funny moments, despite being a bit more somber.
 
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The remake isnt a bad game nor is it a bad experience, but to me it is an example for how modern writing is forced to take itself too seriously and be very very safe. Cant make a sex joke, cant make women too helpless otherwise they might need a man to help them. It just a part of the bigger problem in modern writing as a whole. Re4make suffers to a lesser degree but it does suffer and while it isnt souless i dont think it hold onto the spirit of the original. Something was lost in the translation imo.
'Safe' would've been trying to recreate the original game's tone and feel to appease the people who wanted nothing changed about the original except the controls. Changing a major part of the game to more closely align to modern standards, in today's remake culture, is arguably the risk.
 
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Another thing, early to late 2000s edgy humor nor violence/sex ain't prefect either, nor the end all to be all. There's a good reason why a lot of mid 2000s Internet/Internet Gamer humor does not hold up well, or aged poorly due to the changing of times and growing the fuck up.
Being campy and fun has nothing to do with being "grown up" or not. There is nothing wrong with having cheesy humor and simply allowing things to be fun and not so serious. Again it's a product of today's age where your options of humor are limited and you have to be very careful of what and how you make fun of something, it's one of the reasons why Borderlands 3 fucking sucked. Look at most modern works, films, Tv shows, games, they've lost their ability to be fun because there is a fear of accidentally offending someone, and of course you have to include "the message" whatever that message happens to be at the time.

Nevermind the humor, nevermind the cheesy shit from the original game. There is a level of heart that i don't feel in this game. I don't think the voice acting is very good, I don't think the writing captures the same spirit, and it pulled me out of what is ultimately a very good game to play.

If you like the Re4make then more power to you, we disagree to certain levels on that. But hey there are people who didn't like the FF7 remake so I'm just on the other side of the same argument this time. No big deal.
 

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Being campy and fun has nothing to do with being "grown up" or not. There is nothing wrong with having cheesy humor and simply allowing things to be fun and not so serious. Again it's a product of today's age where your options of humor are limited and you have to be very careful of what and how you make fun of something, it's one of the reasons why Borderlands 3 fucking sucked. Look at most modern works, films, Tv shows, games, they've lost their ability to be fun because there is a fear of accidentally offending someone, and of course you have to include "the message" whatever that message happens to be at the time.
For the record, I wasn't even referring to RE4 original in this case. I never said there was nothing wrong with being fun and can't be either. I was referring to other games and media that couldn't pull off with re4 original did. And even so, I'm not afraid to admit that some stuff in that game has not aged well. Clearing up that confusion now. For the record, not every modern show, movie , nor game has a message. You only pick on what's popular and don't look hard enough. Should everything have a message? No. But at the same time, I'm not going to rag on a piece of media for trying or at least putting some type of effort into it and succeeding. And even if it feels in certain regards, as long as it's not trying to "please everyone" nor be wishy-washy with its message, I won't be too harsh.

Your problem is that you're blinded by nostalgia. I do specific certain stuff from the past, but not everything was perfect, nor would I want things to be exactly the same as they were in the 90s early or 2000s. It's called growing up, moving on, and letting the younger generation decide for themselves and help guide them.

Nevermind the humor, nevermind the cheesy shit from the original game. There is a level of heart that i don't feel in this game. I don't think the voice acting is very good, I don't think the writing captures the same spirit, and it pulled me out of what is ultimately a very good game to play.
And that's where we disagree. The voice acting is great. They're going for different things. Both games work for what they're doing. Do I prefer the voice acting and remake? Yes, I do. Everybody play their part and did nothing wrong. There is spirit, you just want everything to nearly be the same as it was in the original. It's the conversation I had with some of the other users beforehand. Or how some of them said that there didn't need to be a remake. You don't like it that's fine all, but it's pretty obvious there's nostalgia googles and you're just looking for the same thing all over again without much change.
If you like the Re4make then more power to you, we disagree to certain levels on that. But hey there are people who didn't like the FF7 remake so I'm just on the other side of the same argument this time. No big deal.
You disliking isn't the main issue. My main issue is the whole "soulless or no soul" argument. It holds no weight and I keep seeing this from people who are ragging on RE4 Remake constantly, because I didn't give them exactly what they wanted. I know there's a difference between you and those with a really big axe to grind, but it's something I despise and I wish the naysayers would stop with.
 
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Being campy and fun has nothing to do with being "grown up" or not. There is nothing wrong with having cheesy humor and simply allowing things to be fun and not so serious. Again it's a product of today's age where your options of humor are limited and you have to be very careful of what and how you make fun of something, it's one of the reasons why Borderlands 3 fucking sucked. Look at most modern works, films, Tv shows, games, they've lost their ability to be fun because there is a fear of accidentally offending someone, and of course you have to include "the message" whatever that message happens to be at the time.

Nevermind the humor, nevermind the cheesy shit from the original game. There is a level of heart that i don't feel in this game. I don't think the voice acting is very good, I don't think the writing captures the same spirit, and it pulled me out of what is ultimately a very good game to play.

If you like the Re4make then more power to you, we disagree to certain levels on that. But hey there are people who didn't like the FF7 remake so I'm just on the other side of the same argument this time. No big deal.
I had the same issues with the RE2 Remake (and I never played the original). The story/characters were so stock/generic and rather bland, it needed to not be played so straight to be fun.
 
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