After we, as one of the few Czech magazines, had the opportunity to play the game last month, we now had another presentation for journalists – while last time we played the first chapter of the game, this time it is the turn of more advanced walkthroughs of the game. Specifically, it was the exploration of the lake area after dark, and also (even later) the passage with the conquest of the castle, where the protagonist Leon already accompanies Ashley, the daughter of the American president, to whom he came to this village infested with bioweapons to save her from the kidnappers. It’s rather unusual that so close to a game’s release, the publisher is still holding hands-off presentations without journalists, however, with such a highly anticipated game, we’re certainly grateful for every extra flavor.
Night walk around the lake
The fourth chapter of the game takes place after dark around the lake. A small motorboat is at your disposal to move freely along the route with several drop-off points both in open areas and inside the caves. It was these caves that interested me the most in this playthrough, as they are full of beautiful stalactites, which also benefited from the overall graphical improvement of the remake. Leon is still alone here, and not only because of the night, the game has a truly creepy horror atmosphere, as the light cone of Leon’s flashlight cuts through night trees or casts reflections in cave labyrinths.
Another source of fear is the villagers, almost every one of whom, after the first hit, finds a parasite inside his body, which replaces the human head with a mixture of tentacles that whip Leon with their sharp ends. This is where the much-improved knife comes into play again, as you can also parry this attack by pressing the knife button at just the right moment. Once the parasite enters the surface of an enemy’s body, it is in any case a more powerful adversary than before in human form. But you can still stun him, for example, with a shot in the leg, which will give you the opportunity to instantly “fly” to a paralyzed enemy with a turn around with a leg or a knife attack. The strong impression of the physicality of the fights emphasizes the ability to shoot from the hands of the enemy with any weapon.
Side missions, puzzles, merchant
We also took a look at “side missions”, which are simple tasks rather than individual activities – at least from what we could see. For example, in this passage, Leon found a written message on blue paper taped to the wall, where a merchant offers an additional reward if Leon finds and brings him a golden egg to sell. In addition, you will also find all sorts of puzzles here, for example, an underground shrine with an altar, where several objects are clearly missing in the right places – or figures scratched on the walls, according to the symbols of which you will then install a panel with buttons equipped with these symbols. As usual, Resident Evil tries not to get stuck on one note and alternates between content and tempo.
The Trader is a very important part of the fourth part of the series, his original appearance in the game was very iconic. Unfortunately, I must say that some of his charm is lost in the remake, as instead of that ridiculously low, distorted voice, he now speaks to you in a more or less normal voice with a noticeable English (Scottish?) accent. On the other hand, he seems to have more colorful messages. Traditionally, you can buy and sell items from him or improve weapons. There is also the classic option of combining some of the found treasures together, which will increase their sale value. As for your inventory, you can now change its color or even hang a pendant on it for decoration.
Castle conquest
Castle Conquest is probably not the title you would expect from a horror game. But let’s remember that RE4 differed from the previous trilogy at the time, among other things, by a strong shift from Survival Horror towards action-adventure, which worked surprisingly well. However, in the remake, these passages literally seem even more epic and explosive. Not only is the castle full of large groups of enemies, but you also take them out by shooting traditionally red explosive barrels that explode spectacularly. At one point, you can even control a historical cannon, which you basically use to break down locked gates, but you can also flip it the other way and fire multiple cannonballs at individual enemies.
Even with all the wild action, the remake looks significantly scarier than the original game. Individual passages of the castle are also darker and more atmospheric, like the initial chapters of the game in the village. Even scarier are the numerous mini-bosses, from larger variants of the Parasite to various armors and a giant metal-clawed warrior, the Garrador, who thankfully uses hearing so you can sneak up on the unprotected Parasite on its back. Among the bosses, of course, Jack Krauser stands out in the original game, a trained mercenary with whom you had a wild stabbing fight through a series of cutscenes and QTEs. Here, this fight is treated in a more playful way, without a cinematic camera, so you have to maneuver around a dangerous enemy and reflect his dynamic attacks with well-timed counterattacks.
Ashley is not a burden
Escort missions are not popular with most players, but in this case the exception proves the rule. Ashley is so charismatic in the remake (thanks to her combination of looks, animation, but above all acting and dubbing) that you’ll be happy to have her company and have extra motivation to protect her or get her to safety. In terms of control, you can repeatedly press the button to instruct it to stay close to you or, conversely, to retreat – you will use this function a lot depending on the situation, when you either want to charge into a group of enemies on your own or, conversely, together run away from the pursuing force as quickly as possible.
Her current relationship settings are indicated by a small icon in the bottom right corner, which can also change to a “someone is kidnapping me” or “they are hurting me” icon. In the first case, you need to quickly hit the opponent pulling Ashley, in the second case, you need to approach Ashley on the ground and help her to her feet (this does not cost you the first health kit, just interaction). Just like a businessman has more colorful messages, Ashley and Leon also exchange more colorful messages depending on what is happening at the moment. Again, I’d like to point out that Ashley sounds and acts very sweet, so you’ll have an extra incentive to rescue her.
Resident Evil 4 Remake will release on PC, PS4, PS5 and XSX|S on Friday, March 24, 2023.
Source :Indian TV
