Resident Evil 4 Remake PS5 Preview. Capcom‘s highly anticipated revamp of Resident Evil 4 is almost upon us, and to whet our appetites ahead of launch, the publisher dropped off some fresh gameplay so we could cobble together some new impressions of Leon S. Kennedy’s claret-spewing trip to rural Europe. And suffice to say, Resi 4 has never looked better.
Resident Evil 4 Remake PS5 Hands-Off Preview
Our hands-off gameplay kicks off with Leon in the village section of the game, although it’s now nightfall. If the remake follows the original timeline, this takes place following the boss battle with Del Lago in the lake. Once again, the Los Ganados are out in force, and Leon make ample use of his roundhouse kick after stunning them with a well-placed shot to the head or leg, reconfirming the satisfying combat loop of the original is very much still the beating heart of the experience.
This time around though we’re treated to the Plagas infection rearing its head, which attack with blade-like appendages as they writhe around from the neck of their host. This makes your foes much tougher to deal with, especially in groups – better whip out a Flash grenade for a quick kill!
The Los Ganados also demonstrate that they’re not just capable of wielding rudimentary farming tools either; some of them lob explosives at you while staying back and letting their mates do damage up close. Leon’s also got access to a boat to take him across the lake (something fans of the original will be pleased to note), and unlike our hands-on preview back in October, this new gameplay also includes optional side quests via the Merchant’s blue posted notes.
From the look of things there’s plenty of opportunity to explore off the beaten track, as we see Leon taking the boat around to explore inside of watery caves for hidden loot and other supplies. I’ve completed RE4 2005 countless times, but even I had trouble recognising some of these areas; clearly, Capcom isn’t afraid to expand on the village with fresh locations, which will be great for long-time fans.
Elsewhere, we’re also given a look at the castle area, and many areas are totally unrecognisable thanks to the massive visual revamp. Ashely is with you at this point, with Leon giving her instructions to follow and stay back depending on the situation (she no longer stays in one place or hides in metal containers when not following directly behind Leon).
The cultists make their return in this section, complete the second variation of Plagas; they can even attach themselves to the ceiling this time around, making them more difficult to deal with. Meanwhile, Leon and Ashely encounter catapults that lob massive rocks to impede their progress, something which fans of the original will recognise, and the canon also makes a return – only this time, you can operate it yourself to blast your way through to new areas or blow enemies into a bloody mess alike.
Visually the game looks absolutely scrumptious, with light sources sending shadows dancing across the walls, the castle’s gothic towers looming in the darkness and the cultists themselves look even more grotesque than before, veins bulging and eyes oozing malevolence.
As if you hadn’t already gathered by now, Leon is still not against letting off a cheeky one-liner now and then, although there’s definitely more emphasis on horror in this version of Resident Evil 4, which I’m personally thrilled to see. The original game I felt never really captured this very well, instead focussing too much on camp and bombast; although when it did indulge its more hair-raising antics (the Regenerators, for example) it was easily up there with the very best of what Resident Evil can offer. The fact Capcom is really leveraging the horror factor here is a welcome change.
Resident Evil 4 Remake is scheduled for release on PS4, PS5, PC and Xbox Series X/S on March 24, 2023. Thanks to Capcom for providing the video footage for the purposes of this hands-off preview.