Those who have played Resident Evil 4 and its remake will know how far-removed this fourth mainline entry is from previous Resident Evil games. The horror tone is all-but removed from Resident Evil 4; replaced by high-octane action and bombastic set pieces. The writing is also campier and full of one-liners and outlandish dialogue, most of which comes from returning protagonist Leon S. Kennedy. However, being the latest Resident Evil entry means Resident Evil 4 remake can't escape from comparisons to other modern titles.
Comparing RE4 to the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is a given, but players can also look at how the Resident Evil 4 remake stacks up against Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - the game that started the franchise's latest renaissance. Most players will find no relation between Leon's escapade to save Ashley and Ethan Winters' first adventure in Dulvey, Louisiana, but one new document in the Resident Evil 4 remake points to a connection between Jack Krauser and the Baker family.
Jack Krauser's Elite Team of Ex-Soldiers
Upon reaching Chapter 14, players will pass through a research tent on their way to fight Jack Krauser: Leon's former commanding officer. It is no secret at this point that Krauser was working with the Los Iluminados all along; abducting Ashley Graham to get in the cult's good graces. This specific tent belongs to Krauser and is chock-full of items that pertain to his involvement with the Los Iluminados, as well as his past connections to Leon Kennedy and the U.S. Government.
One document found inside the tent, titled "Ashley Graham's Abduction," naturally details Krauser's plan to kidnap Ashley from her college campus. As it turns out, he wasn't working alone. After abducting Ashley, Krauser escorted her to a getaway vehicle with three of his cohorts waiting inside, one of whom is named "Baker" in the document. The document ends with Krauser's team transferring Ashley onto a ship bound for the Los Iluminados base of operations while Baker's team creates a distraction. Another team, helmed by a man called "Henry," is left to infiltrate a particular organization's database and disable their network.
The Baker Name Should Be Familiar to Fans of Resident Evil 7
While the other names and objectives in the document are less clear, the name Baker should strike a chord with Resident Evil fans. Jack and Joe Baker are brothers who both served in the U.S. Marine Corps prior to the events of Resident Evil 7, and then Jack Baker inherited his family's ranch while Joe became a frontiersman who set up his own shack in the bayou. The two brothers always had their differences, but communication between them ended sometime in 2014 when Jack and his family became infected by Eveline's Mold.
This document seems to indicate that either Jack or Joe was part of Krauser's plan to kidnap Ashley in 2004, when Resident Evil 4 canonically took place. The timeline is appropriate considering this could be just after their service, meanwhile Jack and Joe are the types to feel resentment toward the U.S. Government. It is possible that one of them was angry enough for Krauser to give them an avenue toward revenge. Should Capcom decide to remake Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6, or make another new title set between 2004 and 2017, it could present even more connective tissue between the disparate Resident Evil titles. Multiple narrative threads have already been established between the latest chronological titles and remakes, so all Capcom needs is a nice bow on top.
The Resident Evil 4 remake is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.