Much like Leon S Kennedy, Capcom was never in for an easy ride with this one. There are games so forward-thinking and complete that they shape entire corners of our industry. In Resident Evil 4’s case, every third-person game since has worn its love for Capcom’s masterpiece on its over-the-shoulder sleeves: Gears of War, Dead Space and The Last of Us run because Capcom showed them how to walk. This is a remake of a game that remade a genre.
Capcom almost managed it and, for the longest time, you’ll think it did. The opening is outstanding, streamlining the original route into the village in order to get you into the first big set piece: a knock-down drag-out village brawl that, almost immediately, takes place with the constant sound of a chainsaw revving as its malicious owner chases Leon everywhere.
I played on Hardcore difficulty, which is recommended for those who’ve completed the original game, and the name fits. I must have died in, Capcom has rediscovered the joy of killing players brutally.
