The Resident Evil 4 remake brought both longtime fans and those who had never played it a fresh version of one of the franchise's standout entries. Resident Evil 4 is a special installment in the series, so the expectations leading up to the remake were high. Thankfully, the remake proved to be one of the biggest hits of 2023.
Despite its success, there were several changes made to the Resident Evil 4 remake that had the potential to be divisive. The addition of crouching, reworked movement, far fewer QTEs, and side quests make the remake a unique experience, but one of the most shocking changes of all was that a boss fight was omitted. The U-3 boss encounter was seemingly kept out of the Resident Evil 4 remake, which could signal a trend for future remakes.
Resident Evil is Unafraid of Change, But Its New Game is Unlikely to Move Mountains
Resident Evil's newest game announcement is a surprising departure from the series formula, but it may only be a small detour.
After the RE4 Remake, Boss Fights Missing From Future Resident Evil Remakes May Be the New Standard
The U-3's Omission Turned Out to Be a Red Herring
- The U-3 was actually repurposed for the RE4 remake DLC Separate Ways.
For those who were bummed out about not getting a fresh version of the U-3 fight, the Separate Ways expansion remixed the encounter in an exciting way. Instead of taking on the monster as Leon, players step into the shoes of mysterious spy Ada Wong in this DLC, shaking up the original game's formula. Ada Wong's additional chapter brought players even more action and scares, and the surprising rework of the U-3 fight made up for the original Separate Ways' lack of substantial boss encounters.
Not only did U-3 make Separate Ways a more action-packed experience, it also helped the pacing of the base game. However, there is also one major downside to this approach. For those who were looking forward to facing the U-3, the DLC required players to pay for that content. The Separate Ways expansion costs around $10 USD, and while that isn't an outrageous price, it can still be frustrating for those who were looking forward to the boss fight only to be met with another pay wall. Despite that downside, approaching certain bosses this way in other remakes can still be beneficial.
Future Resident Evil Remakes Going the RE4 Route Can Make Way for Deeper Storytelling
The U-3 missing from the base version of the RE4 remake was a surprise for many, but ultimately a welcome one, as it also left room for the story to dive deeper into Ramon Salazar. Right now, it's unclear whether the next Resident Evil remake will take a similar approach or not, but it could be one of the more efficient ways to do more meaningful storytelling and offer extra lore. There have been hopes for an RE5 remake for a long time now, and it would be fascinating to see which boss developers potentially choose to take out and save for a possible DLC.
Not only did U-3 make Separate Ways a more action-packed experience, it also helped the pacing of the base game.
The next mainline entry in the Resident Evil series is RE Requiem. Announced at Summer Game Fest, the story follows newcomer Grace Ashcroft, an FBI Analyst. It also marks the franchise's return to the now-devastated Raccoon City.
The Next Resident Evil Remake Still Remains a Mystery
Since Capcom began remaking several of Resident Evil's older entries, many have been expecting most of the mainline series to get a rework. In addition to RE5, hope of an RE1 remake continues to grow, but Capcom has yet to confirm if any such projects are in the works.
Now that RE Requiem is next in line, it will be interesting to see if another remake gets announced after the new game's launch. Resident Evil turns 30 next year, so it would be a great time to premiere another remake, but as of now, it's simply a wish.
Resident Evil 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
- Released
- March 24, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Engine
- RE Engine
- Franchise
- Resident Evil
WHERE TO PLAY
Survival is just the beginning.
Six years have passed since the biological disaster in Raccoon City.
Agent Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors of the incident, has been sent to rescue the president's kidnapped daughter. He tracks her to a secluded European village, where there is something terribly wrong with the locals.
And the curtain rises on this story of daring rescue and grueling horror where life and death, terror and catharsis intersect.
Featuring modernized gameplay, a reimagined storyline, and vividly detailed graphics, Resident Evil 4 marks the rebirth of an industry juggernaut.
Relive the nightmare that revolutionized survival horror.
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
