Resident Evil 4
A remake of the 2005 classic with modernized gameplay and visuals.
Resident Evil 4 is a survival horror game released by Capcom in 2023. It is a remake of the 2005 title of the same name. The game launched on March 24, 2023, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S, with iOS, iPadOS, and macOS versions arriving on December 20, 2023. Players take on the role of US agent Leon S. Kennedy, who is tasked with rescuing Ashley Graham, the president’s daughter, from a mysterious cult operating in rural Spain.
The remake updates the original’s plot, visuals, characters, and voice cast, while modernizing the gameplay to match the style of *Biohazard* (2017), *Village* (2021), and other recent Resident Evil remakes. The development team expanded Ashley’s character and her relationship with Leon, using Capcom’s RE Engine. Two downloadable content packs were released: *Mercenaries*, a minigame where players fight waves of enemies, and *Separate Ways*, a side story featuring agent Ada Wong.
Resident Evil 4 received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for the Golden Joystick Award for Ultimate Game of the Year and The Game Award for Game of the Year. By April 2025, it had sold over 10 million copies, making it the fastest-selling Resident Evil game until it was surpassed by *Resident Evil Requiem* in 2026.
**Gameplay**
This remake retains the original’s over-the-shoulder third-person shooter perspective while incorporating design elements from the remakes of *Resident Evil 2* (2019) and *Resident Evil 3* (2020). The visuals have been redesigned to create a tenser atmosphere, with new character models and backgrounds. Players can choose from six control schemes, including one styled after the original game. Puzzles occasionally block progress, and in certain sequences, Leon must protect Ashley, who now uses a simpler health system and can be told to stay close or keep her distance.
The inventory system centers on an attaché case, as in the original. A new crafting system lets players create items and ammunition from collected resources. The Merchant returns, offering purchases, upgrades, trades, and side quests that can be completed during the main story. Combat focuses on shooting and reloading, but Leon can now move while using weapons, allowing him to evade attacks and reload on the move. Melee attacks can injure enemies and push them back.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Resident Evil 4
- Developer
- CapcomWith additional work and development support from K2 Inc
- Publisher
- Capcom
- Director
- Yasuhiro Anpo · Kazunori Kadoi
- Producer
- Yoshiaki Hirabayashi
- Designer
- Hidehiro Goda
- Programmer
- Masatoshi Fukazawa
- Artist
- Hirofumi Nakaoka
- Writer
- Matthew Costello
- Composer
- Kota Suzuki · Nozomi Ohmoto
- Series
- Resident Evil
- Engine
- RE Engine
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Resident Evil 4 is a remake of the 2005 game Resident Evil 4, featuring an updated plot, new visuals, characters, cast, and modernized gameplay in line with Biohazard (2017), Village (2021), and other Resident Evil remakes. The team expanded Ashley's characterization and relationship with Leon and used Capcom's RE Engine. Two pieces of downloadable content were released: the minigame Mercenaries, in which players battle waves of enemies, and the side story Separate Ways, in which players control agent Ada Wong.
Gameplay features over-the-shoulder third-person shooter mechanics similar to the original, while drawing design aspects from the remakes of Resident Evil 2 (2019) and Resident Evil 3 (2020). It offers six control schemes, including one styled after the original game. New to the remake, a crafting system enables the player to create items and ammunition using collected resources. The Merchant returns, allowing the player to buy, upgrade, and trade items while providing new side quests. A new parrying mechanic allows Leon to block, counterattack, and kill downed enemies with his knife, which now has a durability meter.
The plot follows Leon S. Kennedy six years after the destruction of Raccoon City in 1998. He is sent to rescue Ashley Graham from a village in rural Spain controlled by the Los Illuminados cult using the parasite Las Plagas. The story involves encounters with Luis Serra, Ada Wong, Major Jack Krauser, and cult leader Osmund Saddler. The Separate Ways DLC follows Ada Wong's parallel journey, adding a grappling hook mechanic and an Internal Retinal Inquiry System (I.R.I.S.) that allows her to see clues invisible to the naked eye.
Reader's Guide
Resident Evil 4 received critical acclaim and was nominated for the Golden Joystick Award for Ultimate Game of the Year and The Game Award for Game of the Year. It had sold over 10 million copies by April 2025, making it the fastest-selling Resident Evil game until being surpassed by Resident Evil Requiem in 2026. The remake modernizes the original's gameplay while preserving its core structure, introducing a parrying mechanic, a knife durability system, and expanded character relationships. The Separate Ways DLC adds a grappling hook and I.R.I.S. system for Ada Wong, offering a different perspective on the story. The game's development was led by Capcom's Division 1 team, with many staff members who worked on the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2. Its commercial success and critical reception solidified it as a major entry in the Resident Evil series during the 2020s.
Did You Know?
- The remake features a new parrying mechanic that allows Leon to block, counterattack, and kill downed enemies with his knife.
- The Separate Ways DLC adds a grappling hook mechanic for Ada Wong, allowing her to reach previously inaccessible locations.
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