We could write a whole review based solely on Leon's "so bad they're good" (but still charming) one-liners. Meanwhile, Nick Apostolides reprises his role of Leon after the Resident Evil 2 Remake and delivers a solid performance of the stoic and unenthused hero. Shigeru Chiba is slightly less gravelly than the original Merchant, but his drawl of 'Whattya Buying?' and 'Welcome Stranger' whilst you're taking time out for a breather is undeniably nostalgic and a comforting piece of light-heartedness. Although his inclusion, even in a smaller role, would have been a beautiful easter egg for fans, it doesn't diminish the overall product at all. Sadly, Paul Mercier does not reprise his role of Leon or the enigma that is the Merchant. This is the bleeding heart of Resident Evil 4, the thing that makes the game iconic and several people's favourite of the franchise. We're talking, of course, about the over-the-top combat moves and cheesy one-liners. Graphics are one thing, but without that secret special Resident Evil 4 ingredient, the game would be doomed to fail. I'll have extra cheese with my gore, please. Enemy designs are updated but not rewritten, losing none of their earlier menace but gaining all sorts of animations. Not only does this add to the sense of accomplishment when you upgrade Leon's equipment enough to kill enemies that once took you forever to beat, but it also treats iconic villains with a respectable approach. As back in the original, Resident Evil 4 loves to throw insurmountable enemies at Leon before reviving them later on as standard fodder. Textures pop and monsters are terrifying in close quarters. The enemies are equally as impressive and have also been remade in 4K gory glory. It's not tough to spot the inspiration for Lady D's castle in Resident Evil Village, and with the remake, the two almost feel entwined - like bookends of a section of the franchise. Thankfully, the graphics have been re-made in the RE Engine, and it continues to be one of the best-looking showcases around.Īs the original showed us, you can have a spooky horror game without making everything dark and miserable, and Resident Evil 4 Remake shines in its middle sections where it introduces gothic architecture and stately furniture as a contrast to the early village scenes. The original game dealt with an extremely limited colour palette, especially in the earlier chapters which was more than a little surprising given that the game was meant to be set in a once-thriving Spanish village. That means yes, he's going to talk about bingo, and yes, we're going to laugh a little bit every time he does. Leon epitomises the angsty hero role, with his stiff upper lip and general 'I'm just here doing my job attitude', but we're very pleased to report the campy one-liners return. Of course, for returning Resident Evil veterans, this is nothing new, but the exposition is friendly for newcomers who may be delving into the franchise for the first time. Leon has since become a federal agent and has been enlisted to help find the President's daughter Ashley Graham who a sinister cult has abducted in the middle of rural Spain. With a helpful flashback of previous events from Racoon City in Resident Evil 2, we start our journey in the back of that iconic cop car alongside two local police officers who we're sure will be okay. The rookie is back and not as inexperienced as the last time we saw him. Get yourself comfortable and slip on your mid-2000s brown leather jacket as we step into the role of Leon.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |