Resident Evil 4 (2023) isn't a replacement for the 2005 classic, but it's still an incredible game in its own right. It iterates on a lot of the groundwork set by the original. It tosses away some areas, for better or worse, but throws in plenty of its own ideas. If you were to rate this on how much of a success this is as a recreation of the original, I think it's going to fail in the eyes of purists. However, to deny that RE4R doesn't come with it's own engaging complexity that is worth mastering is disingenuous.
You can finally move while aiming, and the enemies are made tougher to accommodate. The knife is greatly expanded upon, and this adds an entirely new layer to combat. Otherwise, most of the old rules are retained. It all comes together to create a clean, modern version of that beloved push and pull. This game is built on an incredible basis, so it would've taken a lot of intentional decisions by the team to mess this up.
My only complaint with the game is one regarding narrative. In trying to take itself a little more seriously, villain presence is lost, in a way? Salazar and Saddler aren't as active through your journey, since a good chunk of the banter is cut. They no longer radio you ala Andross throughout, and you lose a lot of organically built animosity in the process. I mean, they still function as villains, but I think they work a lot better in the original title. It's hard not to compare if you're familiar with their original incarnations. These villains were iconic for a reason.
All in all, the team at Capcom hit another home run, and there has not been a better time to be a RE fan. Resident Evil 2 (2019) is still my favorite of the series, but those are ridiculously high expectations to topple; again, not even the original 4 dethrones that experience, for me. It's really going to depend on your preferences as to whether or not you love this over the original, and I have a feeling over time, that split is going to even out more and more. For me, it definitely beats it out, though there will undeniably be a couple of things I'll miss, looking back.
You can finally move while aiming, and the enemies are made tougher to accommodate. The knife is greatly expanded upon, and this adds an entirely new layer to combat. Otherwise, most of the old rules are retained. It all comes together to create a clean, modern version of that beloved push and pull. This game is built on an incredible basis, so it would've taken a lot of intentional decisions by the team to mess this up.
My only complaint with the game is one regarding narrative. In trying to take itself a little more seriously, villain presence is lost, in a way? Salazar and Saddler aren't as active through your journey, since a good chunk of the banter is cut. They no longer radio you ala Andross throughout, and you lose a lot of organically built animosity in the process. I mean, they still function as villains, but I think they work a lot better in the original title. It's hard not to compare if you're familiar with their original incarnations. These villains were iconic for a reason.
All in all, the team at Capcom hit another home run, and there has not been a better time to be a RE fan. Resident Evil 2 (2019) is still my favorite of the series, but those are ridiculously high expectations to topple; again, not even the original 4 dethrones that experience, for me. It's really going to depend on your preferences as to whether or not you love this over the original, and I have a feeling over time, that split is going to even out more and more. For me, it definitely beats it out, though there will undeniably be a couple of things I'll miss, looking back.