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Resident Evil 4

This game was the flagship pièce de résistance of the Resident Evil series, and its been rebuilt into an absolute contender and at this moment front runner for Game Of The Year 2023.
Resident Evil 4 Game Cover
97%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay
Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, monetization
96% User Score Based on 93,494 reviews
Critic Score 99%Based on 6 reviews

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Resident Evil 4 Game Cover

About Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4 is a single player shooter game with horror and violence themes. It was developed by CAPCOM Co., Ltd. and was released on August 30, 2016. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Buy Resident Evil 4 on PS4. Changing the course of the Resident Evil series, Resident Evil 4 takes place after the destruction of Umbrella Corporation.

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Resident Evil 4 screenshot
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Reviews

96%Audience ScoreBased on 93,494 reviews
story3.4k positive mentions
grinding235 negative mentions
  • Smooth and responsive gameplay with satisfying combat mechanics, including an engaging knife parry system adding strategic depth.
  • Stunning, photorealistic graphics and immersive atmosphere enhanced by detailed environments, realistic lighting, and high-quality sound design.
  • Deeper character development and improved storytelling that add emotional weight and make the narrative more engaging compared to the original.
  • Combat can feel clunky and frustrating due to inconsistent mechanics, enemy AI issues, and problematic escort segments.
  • Some players dislike the darker, more serious tone that replaces the original's campy charm, along with certain design and story changes.
  • Aggressive microtransactions and post-launch paid content detract from the single-player experience and frustrate players, combined with a grind-heavy gameplay loop.

  • story

    9,198 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    37% positive mentions, 60% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions

    The story in the Resident Evil 4 remake is praised for being engaging, more serious, and emotionally impactful compared to the original, with deeper character development—especially for Luis and Ashley—and improved pacing. While it retains the core narrative of Leon’s mission to rescue the president’s daughter, it adds meaningful expansions and a compelling DLC from Ada’s perspective, enriching the overall experience. Some find the tone darker and less campy than the original, which may divide fans, but the storytelling is generally regarded as a strong modernization that complements the polished gameplay and visuals.

    • “The story receives a meaningful upgrade as well, grounding the narrative with deeper character development, more realistic dialogue, and expanded roles for supporting characters like Ashley Graham and Luis Serra.”
    • “Absolutely loved the story and then following it up with Ada's DLC just really tied everything together.”
    • “The story is the best of the RE series for me so far.”
    • “The story is awful and the enemies are either dull and lifeless or come across like pantomime villains, which kills any sense of immersion you expect from a survival horror game.”
    • “The story exists in this no man's land where all the bravado was sucked out in an attempt to be more prestigious but still not trying to elevate the story beyond a Saturday morning cartoon and paying surface level lip service to the original's camp.”
    • “First of all, storywise, well, RE4 original is already completely dumb but they managed to make this one even dumber and also managed to make the only badass character 'Krauser' a degenerate Kevin, all the characters feel dumb, Leon's dialogues are first grade level ('nighty night knights'... seriously?) all the changes they made storywise are a catastrophe, Luis looks like an 80s porn star, no sorry, a failed 80s porn star.”

  • gameplay

    8,420 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    40% positive mentions, 57% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions

    The gameplay of the Resident Evil 4 remake is widely praised for its smooth, responsive controls and satisfying combat mechanics, notably the addition of the knife parry system which adds strategic depth and freshness to encounters. It successfully modernizes the iconic over-the-shoulder shooting and action while retaining the core survival horror elements, offering a balanced mix of tension, exploration, and adrenaline-pumping combat. Though some find certain mechanics like knife durability and enemy AI challenging or frustrating, the overall gameplay experience is addictive, engaging, and considered by many as an improvement over the original.

    • “The improved gameplay, impressive visuals, enhanced character development, and immersive atmosphere create a highly polished experience from beginning to end.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly smooth, the combat is satisfying, and the knife parry system makes every encounter more intense and rewarding.”
    • “By flawlessly blending modernized gameplay mechanics with a darker, more cinematic tone, the resident evil 4 remake honors its legacy while standing on its own as an exceptional, high-stakes action-horror experience.”
    • “The combat and mechanics feel clunky and dated.”
    • “The 'stagger' mechanic is really inconsistent and ruins the gameplay.”
    • “Ashley is still so annoying even with some new mechanics for her.”

  • graphics

    5,557 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    55% positive mentions, 44% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The graphics of the Resident Evil 4 remake are widely praised for their stunning, photorealistic quality and attention to detail, significantly enhancing the eerie, immersive atmosphere of the game. Powered by Capcom's RE Engine, the visuals feature richly detailed environments, realistic lighting, and character models that bring new life to the classic settings while maintaining the essence of the original. Despite some performance issues on lower-end hardware and occasional graphical bugs, the game offers a highly optimized and scalable experience, supported by comprehensive graphics options that allow players to tailor the visual fidelity without compromising smooth gameplay.

    • “The graphics are absolutely stunning, and the expanded story is genuinely interesting, keeping you hooked.”
    • “Resident evil 4 remake brilliantly reimagines the classic: stunning visuals, tense atmosphere, and incredibly satisfying combat.”
    • “The visuals are stunning, with richly detailed environments, realistic lighting, and character models that breathe new life into Leon, Ashley, and even the nightmarish Ganados.”
    • “My biggest criticism is the lack of full Nvidia DLSS support for RTX graphics cards.”
    • “The one thing that I actually disliked about the otherwise exceptional visual presentation is water which unfortunately looks bad by default regardless of any graphical settings.”
    • “Despite several improvements, especially in the area of controls, graphics, movement and knife mechanics, the remake suffers from severe censorship and cut content.”

  • optimization

    2,046 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    36% positive mentions, 51% neutral mentions, 13% negative mentions

    The game is generally praised for its excellent optimization and smooth, stable performance across a wide range of hardware, including mid-tier and older PCs, and even on handheld devices like the Steam Deck. However, several users reported severe performance degradation and stuttering due to the addition of a controversial new DRM ("enigma protector") introduced years after release, which significantly reduced frame rates and broke mod compatibility; this DRM was later removed, restoring performance. Overall, apart from the DRM-related issues and some isolated stutter during specific in-game sections (e.g., rainy village), the optimization is considered top-notch and a highlight of the remake.

    • “The game runs incredibly well, with performance never being a concern.”
    • “Absolutely a wonderful adventure and maybe the best Resident Evil game so far — absolutely better than the original, very nice story, enemies, graphics, atmosphere, optimization, and no bugs.”
    • “Capcom optimized the game wonderfully: I played on the highest graphics settings (the game looks stunning) and it ran flawlessly without a single hiccup throughout my playthrough.”
    • “Insanely good game at its very core, but the optimization is horrible; need to use guides and lifehacks to deal with it.”
    • “Abysmal optimization, not worth the money; I expected a lot more from a company and a title this big.”
    • “The biggest problem with this game is that performance is very inconsistent.”

  • atmosphere

    1,693 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    48% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions

    The "Resident Evil 4" remake delivers a richly detailed, darker, and more immersive atmosphere than the original, enhanced by stunning visuals, refined lighting, and top-tier sound design that keeps players tense and engaged. While some fans feel the remake sacrifices the original's campy charm and unique tone, most praise its eerie environments, oppressive mood, and seamless blend of horror and action, making it a masterful reimagining with intense, unforgettable ambiance.

    • “The atmosphere is massive, which is largely thanks to the magnificent graphics of the RE engine, the fantastic art direction, and the phenomenal soundscape.”
    • “The atmosphere is absolutely incredible — from the moment I stepped into that creepy village, I felt constant tension.”
    • “The environments—from eerie villages to massive castles—are beautifully detailed and packed with atmosphere.”
    • “The iconic atmosphere has been replaced with generic darkness, ambient sound and soundtrack is almost nonexistent, and to make things worse everything is covered in yellow paint.”
    • “The atmosphere is there but breaks down in many places once you realize you are in a scripted zombie playground fighting your way towards the next map piece.”
    • “This game is not scary in the sense of jumpscares and things like that, it's scary because of the atmosphere, so if you like that then buy this game.”

  • replayability

    1,151 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    55% positive mentions, 43% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions

    Resident Evil 4 Remake offers exceptional replayability, praised for its engaging combat, diverse weapon options, multiple difficulty settings, extensive unlockables, and additional modes like Mercenaries and DLC content. Players highlight its long-lasting appeal with varied challenges, customization, mod support, and rewarding new game plus features, making it arguably one of the most replayable games in the franchise and genre. While a few note minor frustrations, overall the game is celebrated for encouraging repeated playthroughs and providing fresh experiences each time.

    • “Endless replayability: between the arcade-style mercenaries mode, unlockable professional difficulties, and bonus infinite-ammo weapons, it's a game built to be replayed over and over.”
    • “The replayability is insane — every run feels fresh with different weapons, challenges, unlockables, and strategies.”
    • “The sheer amount of content in this game makes it replayable long after you've completed the story for the first time.”
    • “For sure there is replayability but I find myself wanting to finish this as fast as possible and never come back.”
    • “Speed and mastery—things that made the original so replayable—are often discouraged here.”
    • “In the end, while the remake succeeds in presentation and modern design, it loses some of what made the original special: a sense of control, balance, and replayability.”

  • music

    1,121 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    37% positive mentions, 60% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions

    The music in the Resident Evil 4 remake is generally praised for its quality, atmospheric tension, and dynamic adaptation to gameplay, especially during boss fights and intense moments. While some find the new orchestral soundtrack less memorable or impactful compared to the original, the option to purchase and switch to the classic soundtrack is appreciated by longtime fans, though its paywalled availability is a common point of criticism. Overall, the soundtrack and sound design effectively enhance the game’s horror and action elements, contributing significantly to immersion despite some mixed feelings about the new compositions.

    • “The soundtrack strikes a masterful balance between eerie silence and aggressive combat themes, perfectly underscoring the tension in every chapter and making your heart race even during familiar scenes.”
    • “The soundtrack is brilliant, combining classic elements from the original game with new tracks that add more depth and emotion to the overall experience.”
    • “The music, the sound cues, weapon effects, voice acting, everything is superb.”
    • “The iconic atmosphere has been replaced with generic darkness; ambient sound and soundtrack are almost nonexistent, and to make things worse, everything is covered in yellow paint.”
    • “The remake has instead relegated those ambient moments to when you save and when you shop with the merchant, the combat music being replaced by the most generic soundtracks you can listen to.”
    • “Capcom got greedy before release and put original sound effects and music behind a paywall, which is crazy work and I will never forget that.”

  • humor

    677 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    99% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The humor in the Resident Evil 4 remake is notably more restrained and serious compared to the original, with many iconic cheesy and campy one-liners removed or toned down. While Leon retains some funny quips that serve as coping mechanisms for his character, the overall comedic charm and light-hearted banter, especially between characters like Leon, Salazar, and Ashley, is diminished. Nevertheless, moments of humor remain through character interactions and the amusing merchant, providing a balanced blend of tension, action, and occasional levity without undermining the darker tone.

    • “The mini game parts were fun, felt like playing an arcade game, and the dialogue from the characters all felt interesting as to what was happening, the villagers even, "donde esta el forestero?" made me laugh a lot more than it should have.”
    • “Most of Leon's from the original are in there such as the infamous bingo line near the start which brings some enjoyable humor into the experience.”
    • “Leon is a fun protagonist, his one-liners are hilarious, and he's the stereotypical action hero archetype that this game needed.”
    • “He talks all the time and 90% of his lines are not funny or just plain annoying.”
    • “Instead of being an assumed insurrectional cult, they have been turned into a bunch of unfunny morally superior lunatics who talk too much just to lecture Leon during boss fights with poorly reused biblical vocabulary.”
    • “I also found out that in chapter 15 before the end of the chapter if the brute opens the door on you you actually are sent over the fence and if you walk you go out of the map... I watched about this bug when the game was released, thought they fixed it, guess what, they didn't hahaha (not funny at all).”

  • grinding

    395 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    1% positive mentions, 40% neutral mentions, 59% negative mentions

    Grinding in this game is a mixed experience: while some players find the extensive aura farming, repeated boss fights, and escort missions tedious and overly time-consuming, others appreciate the challenges and replayability it offers, especially when pursuing achievements. The slow-paced combat, frequent backtracking, and certain gameplay mechanics can feel frustrating or monotonous, but improvements and streamlined sections from the original help alleviate some of the grind's harshness. Overall, grinding is a significant part of the experience—it may feel excessive or boring to some, yet rewarding and engaging to others who enjoy a substantial time investment.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Time for grinding will be required.”
    • “You'll be grinding a lot.”
    • “I was unfortunately let down to learn that they not only didn't improve upon any of the original aspects that limited the game but make them worse using the same copy and paste remake builds of the prior 2 and 3. It creates a very slow and clunky playstyle, whereas the original based a lot of the combat encounters on your positioning and aiming. The remake throws all of that away by adding very poor RNG elements and frustrating stun mechanics to artificially punish the player. This makes every enemy a bullet sponge and the combat tedious to the point that by the end of the game I dreaded every enemy encounter. The worst offense ruining balance is Ashley herself. Once a very easy to manage NPC, she is now constantly squirming and moving, getting into trouble, and forcing you to fight an army while trying to protect her.”
    • “Achievements are a bit tedious, since you essentially have to play the main story like 6 or 7 times if you don't want to go crazy, but even then, it was fun to play.”
    • “The game is long, so gameplay can get tedious and repetitive if you play too much at once.”

  • stability

    321 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    49% positive mentions, 5% neutral mentions, 46% negative mentions

    The game generally runs great with smooth performance and good optimization across a range of hardware, including mid-range PCs and the Steam Deck. However, some users report occasional glitches, bugs, and crashes—especially in specific sections or during boss fights—and certain updates introduced stuttering and freezes that have since been improved. Overall, while minor issues persist for some, the stability is solid for most players, with many experiencing bug-free and enjoyable gameplay.

    • “By far best story game of 2023 I have played for 10 hours and still no glitches found; the storyline and the interesting fights are the cherry on top. I have only 8 GB of VRAM but it runs very smoothly on ultra settings.”
    • “The game runs great now that Enigma DRM is gone.”
    • “Game runs very smooth, no glitches, no visual artifacts, no crashes, no stuttering.”
    • “Just a buggy, unplayable mess.”
    • “Due to the VR version being buggy, I could not throw any grenade or flashbang (explosive darts, my beloved), I could only do the slow slash with the knife, I couldn't see the map, I couldn't interact with turrets or raise up the lantern in the section with Ashley (nightmares), I couldn't use any scopes at all (so yes, I had to become quite creative with the regenerators), I had constant buffer issues (I had to open the inventory every other minute to avoid getting killed while reconnecting to the game).”
    • “The game constantly stutters and freezes in gameplay and cutscenes, massive FPS drops randomly.”

  • emotional

    320 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    99% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    Resident Evil 4 Remake delivers a deeply emotional experience with enhanced character development, particularly for Leon, Ashley, and Luis, whose story arcs evoke strong attachments and heartfelt moments. The improved dialogue, cinematic presentation, and nuanced relationships add significant emotional weight that resonates with both new players and longtime fans, often eliciting tears and nostalgia. While some critics note moments of subdued performances and pacing issues, the overall emotional engagement is widely praised as a successful evolution of the original's narrative.

    • “Luis went from a forgettable side character in RE4 (2006) to a personal favorite character in the game, and his ending was very emotional.”
    • “The story and characters have a lot more emotional weight to them, particularly in the relationship between the two leads of Leon and Ashley, as well as the much improved and more present character of Luis Serra.”
    • “From the achievements titled after many of the iconic corny one-liners in the OG to the shooting range bonus time theme which will make you shed a tear of nostalgia, RE4R is a beautifully-crafted love letter to all the 2005 fans, with even more replayability than the OG — all while being perfectly suitable for newcomers.”
    • “With a much more boring story and villains in an aim to be more serious, stunlocks, having to backtrack for some treasure thanks to the drawer and key system that just pads the game, pace breakers that force you to slow down and move through a crack or crank something, and that awful forced walking segment at the end. Crappy realistic movement and lighting works to the game's detriment during combat, even having to wait for Leon to take his gun out every time you knife someone on the ground. This game has overarching issues that the original didn't.”
    • “Good but overrated. There are better Resident Evil games. Nice gameplay but boring story.”
    • “I feel like this one has a mix of boring storyline and enemies which are literal crap. Also, there is no survival involved compared to the other two games.”

  • character development

    243 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    37% positive mentions, 60% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions

    The remake of Resident Evil 4 features significantly enhanced character development, offering deeper, more nuanced arcs for key figures like Leon, Ashley, and Luis, making them more relatable and engaging than in the original. The updated designs and refined dialogue contribute to a grounded, immersive narrative that strengthens emotional connections without sacrificing the iconic elements fans love. While some purists dislike certain design changes, the overall consensus praises the richer character portrayals as a major improvement.

    • “The story receives a meaningful upgrade as well, grounding the narrative with deeper character development, more realistic dialogue, and expanded roles for supporting characters like Ashley Graham and Luis Serra.”
    • “Leon’s journey through the infected village is just as thrilling as ever, with improved storytelling and character development that gives more weight to the plot.”
    • “The character development for Leon, Ashley, Luis, and Krauser is much more in depth than the original which really helps to flesh them out more.”
    • “The whole story doesn't make a cut, the whole remake doesn't even connect to the original, they change everything, characters wear full clothes, ugly face model, voice actors are garbage, even the character design for Albert and Ada are terrible (they've become less attractive and smaller).”
    • “The villains are also a step backwards as they get the job done but they are not as memorable as the original and how is it possible that Salazar has less character development in this remake than he did in the original is something that baffles me beyond belief.”
    • “They shouldn't have removed the codec calls between Leon and those two; half the character development they had was from those calls.”

  • monetization

    227 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    4% positive mentions, 59% neutral mentions, 37% negative mentions

    The game's monetization has been widely criticized for aggressive and predatory microtransactions, including pay-to-win weapon upgrades and content locked behind DLC or paid purchases, which feel out of place in a single-player remake. Many reviews highlight that these microtransactions were added post-launch to avoid early backlash, leaving a sour aftertaste despite the game's overall quality. This approach undermines the experience and is seen by many as a cynical cash grab that detracts from an otherwise well-crafted remake.

    • “As for the microtransactions, the game is more forgiving than the original, especially when unlocking things, so you don't need them like in other games where they purposely nerf your progress.”
    • “Fair microtransactions/DLCs.”
    • “The tacked-on microtransactions are pointless but fortunately enough they don't interfere with the game.”
    • “Capcom being capcom can't get enough of swindling every nickel and dime out of the consumer, introducing microtransactions that give you advantages after the review period is over in a singleplayer game!”
    • “Snuck bad microtransactions into the game after all the reviews dropped and they got the first batch of sales.”
    • “The grinding and extortionate merchant prices frustrate people who are impulsive or impatient, coercing them into buying microtransactions.”
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Critic Reviews

99%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews
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Play Times

21h Median play time
61h Average play time
10-80h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 209 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Resident Evil 4 is a shooter game with horror and violence themes. Common tags for Resident Evil 4 include trading and mature.

Resident Evil 4 is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 61 hours playing Resident Evil 4.

Resident Evil 4 was released on August 30, 2016.

Resident Evil 4 was developed by CAPCOM Co., Ltd..

Resident Evil 4 has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked Resident Evil 4 for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Resident Evil 4 is a single player game.

Similar games include Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 2, The Evil Within, Resident Evil Village, RESIDENT EVIL 7 Biohazard and others.