by summary
- We chat with producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi to learn more about the combat and enemies in the upcoming Resident Evil 4 .
- Play new Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw demo today on Xbox Series X|S for an updated fight ahead of the March 24 launch.
- Resident Evil 4 is now available for digital pre-order on the Xbox Store in both countries Standard Or Deluxe Edition.
At the beginning of this year, we marked Resident Evil 4 as one of the most anticipated games to launch in 2023 – and for good reason! This remake takes on the monumental challenge of not only continuing the two great recent remakes, Resident Evil 2 AND Resident Evil 3but with the goal of reclaiming everything the original survival horror classic provided when it was first released in 2005.
Recently, we were able to watch some pre-release gameplay footage Resident Evil 4 in action and we couldn’t help but notice that the fight felt a bit faster than we remember. Ducks, dodges and quick melee counters (and of course roundhouse kicks) seemed to hit at a faster pace. Of course, it has it’s been a minute since we last played the original. To better understand what combat looks like in the upcoming game, we were thrilled to be able to chat Resident Evil 4 Producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi to learn more.
“First of all, speeding up combat wasn’t one of our goals – our main goal was to remake the game while respecting the pace and content of the original,” explains Yoshiaki. “I think you’ll find it RE4The balance between horror and action – and elements that give you a short break – is similar to the original.”
“Our overall goal was to remake the game while respecting the pace and content of the original.”
Yoshiaki mentioned that all of these combat elements were reconstructed, including the control scheme, to make the remake more modern, similar to games being made today. “Combat is more flexible than faster,” he says.
This remake’s movement flexibility is due to the changes made to the controls. To keep the pace of the game, the development team adjusted the enemy behavior and environment level design to match. The ability to pair, for example, was a feature that was born out of these trial-and-error adjustments.
“We asked ourselves how we could recreate Krauser’s knife fight so that it would take place in actual gameplay,” he says. “From that point on, we realized that pairing fit well with the game’s overall systems, and we’ve implemented it throughout [the game] … You can find yourself in a situation where the combat is heavily focused on using the knife, so if you have some parrying mastery this will be very useful, and the time it takes to successfully parry will vary depending on the difficulty the game is set to.”
Not only the knife can enter Resident Evil 4 be used for attacking and parrying, but can also be used as another attack to hit downed enemies – and for a stealth kill if you can sneak up on an enemy from behind without them noticing.
“Stealth, while not mandatory in the game, is an important element that expands the variety of available strategies. However, this is only one possible option,” continues Yoshiaki. “I hope as you play this game you just remember that it’s there for you and that you’ll use it when you think it’s a good idea.”
“Stealth, while not mandatory in the game, is an important element that expands the variety of available strategies.“
In addition to the knife, there will also be several new weapons that Leon will be able to wield this time around, including a bolt thrower (which fires bolts, of course), which will have some similarities to the mine thrower from the original game. “You can use the bolt thrower to attack without noise, and if you retrieve the bolts fired, you can use them again. Also, explosives can be attached to the bolts,” explains Yoshiaki.
The team also studied how enemies react and respond to Leon. For example, allowing Leon to move even while weapon ready will now lead to more flexibility in how players can attack enemies. Speaking of which, the enemies have also been adjusted to respond to some of the new ways players control Leon, using his numerical strength in more ways than in the original game.
One example that illustrates this in action was at the point of the game when Leon was escorting Ashley. Cornered in the ancient chapel, numerous fanatics armed with scythes and medieval-looking flails rushed in to quickly surround him. Dodging and avoiding (and running away from) enemies, he quickly reloaded and fired the pistol – until he ran out of ammo. Had it not been for a few quick roundhouse kicks and a knife parry, Leon would have been finished.
We also looked at some ways to hamstring and slow down these enemies. In one instance, a zealot captured Ashley and began running away with her. With a quick shot to the back of his leg, he fell to his knees, dropped Ashley and left him open to a suplex wrestling move (because why not?).
“Enemy vulnerabilities played a big part in the original, and we kept that for the remake,” says Yoshiaki. “Defeating enemies from afar with long-range weapons such as firearms, and defeating enemies with close-range attacks after targeting certain points are (still) possible.”
The development team hasn’t radically changed any animation in the way enemies are eliminated, so all your favorite clumsy enemies will fall to the ground just as you remember. Instead, the focus was on maintaining the variety and attack methods that can be used to destroy them. What about a personal favourite? Yoshiaki was eager to share.
“Enemy vulnerabilities played a big part in the original and we kept that for the remake.“
“Personally, I like to mainly use the pistol to target enemy body parts no matter how close the enemy is, and once they’re stunned continue with a melee attack to kill them – I hope you find a playstyle that suits your preference and I have hope you enjoy modern controls, deep strategies and fighting even more powerful enemies!”
The best part is that we can start trying out new strategies today before launch Resident Evil 4 later this month with a new demo now available to Xbox Series X|S players. You can pick it up here.
To look for Resident Evil 4 coming to Xbox Series X|S on March 23, 2023. You can pre-order it today from the Xbox store at one of the Standard Or Deluxe Edition.
Resident Evil 4 Deluxe Edition
©CAPCOM CO., LTD.
$69.99
Bonus Content: – Briefcase: “Gold” – Pouch: “Classic” – Cosmetic: “Pistol Ammo” – Cosmetic: “Green Herb” The Deluxe Edition includes the main game and an additional DLC pack which includes the following items: – Leon and Ashley Costumes : “Casual” – Leon and Ashley Costumes: “Romantic” – Leon Costume and Filter: “Hero” – Leon Costume and Filter: “Villain” – Leon Accessories: “Sunglasses (Sports)” – Deluxe Weapon: “Sentinel Nine” – Deluxe Weapon: “Skull Shaker” – “Original Version”. Soundtrack Replacement – Treasure Map: Expansion Survival is just the beginning. Six years have passed since the biological catastrophe in Raccoon City. Agent Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors of the incident, was sent to rescue the president’s kidnapped daughter. He follows her to an isolated European village where something terrible is happening to the inhabitants. The curtain rises in this story of daring rescue and grueling horror where life and death, terror and catharsis intersect. Featuring modernized gameplay, reimagined storytelling, and incredibly detailed graphics, Resident Evil 4 marks the rebirth of the industry juggernaut. Relive the nightmare that revolutionized survival horror.
Resident Evil 4
CAPCOM CO., LTD.
$59.99
Bonus content: – Briefcase: “Golden” – Amulet: “Pistol Ammo” Note: This product is also available as part of a bundle. Be careful to avoid double purchases. Survival is just the beginning. Six years have passed since the biological catastrophe in Raccoon City. Agent Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors of the incident, was sent to rescue the president’s kidnapped daughter. He follows her to an isolated European village where something terrible is happening to the inhabitants. The curtain rises in this story of daring rescue and grueling horror where life and death, terror and catharsis intersect. Featuring modernized gameplay, reimagined storytelling, and incredibly detailed graphics, Resident Evil 4 marks the rebirth of the industry juggernaut. Relive the nightmare that revolutionized survival horror.
Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw demo
CAPCOM CO., LTD.
Survival is just the beginning. Get a taste of Resident Evil 4, a remake of the original game released in 2005. This demo contains a specially tuned version of the opening sequence of the game and can be played repeatedly indefinitely. With modernized gameplay, a reworked story, and incredibly detailed graphics, you can relive the nightmare of survival horror all over again.
