izigame.me

I'm actually not a fan of remakes. The reason why they always pop up is that it's a way by publishers to milk a well-known franchise and Resident Evil in particular has been a case of this happening from time to time in recent years.

But I would count this remake as one of the better ones. All in all, it's a well-realized version of the original from 2004 as an exciting arcade-like survival shooter, but it also has its flaws and of course can't replace the original by any means. What I often ask myself is whether the developers of the remake share the same vision as the developers of the original, because the two-decade difference has resulted in a different approach that may seem “modern” in third-person shooters today, but also take away a lot of the game's atmosphere.

To give you a concrete example, for me there are two essential elements: a rotating camera perspective and running while aiming. The whole thing contributes to a smoother gameplay, but gone is that thrill of never being able to see who is behind you and that moment when an enemy is running towards you and you have to decide whether to shoot at them or run away again. The modern approach may often seem more comfortable, but it also takes away some of the mystery and atmosphere, which is why this game in total seemed easier to me.

While we're at it, the new art style doesn't seem any better to me either. Better graphics okay, but the castle, for example, is very gray, dirty and dark with the typical spider webs and blood splatters for a certain touch. Just a typical creepy cliché. The castle in the original, on the other hand, was more original with a different idea behind it. It was bright and colorful always with the idea that something hostile could be lurking around every corner, which creates a completely different atmosphere. If you've seen the movie Shining, you might know what I mean by that.

Also sometimes, the game feels rushed, especially towards the end, many passages from the original were missing. That's why the DLC Seperate Ways felt like a kind of leftover storage, where the elements not used in the main game were recycled, such as the boss fight against Pesanta.

But those are just the negative aspects I can think of. To be honest, there are many more positive aspects to this game. As I've already mentioned, the game is a reimagining of the original. A lot of it seems familiar, but it's all new again and players who know the original will be surprised. Furthermore, there are so many details that have been lovingly crafted. Be it how Leon holds his gun, that there is an extra bullet in the barrel of the pistol and not in the Red 9, because that was also the case with the design of the real life counterpart, the Mauser C96. Even little animations like Leon patting himself on the shoulder every now and then after it hurts after a recoil from a full burst of machine gun ammunition or him patting himself on the back after catching Ashley out of the air.

What I also remember very well is a cutscene where Leon checks if there's a bullet in the barrel before he nods off because he wants to make sure he doesn't hurt himself or Ashley if he loses control to the Plaga growing inside him.

It's just these little things that make you realize that a lot of love has been put into the game and that a lot of thought has gone into it. These were just a few examples and there are many more to be found in the environment and other elements of the game.

Basically, I had a lot of fun and, as you can see, I invested a lot of time in this game and tried out all the different modes and challenges. And here at least I can say that I really enjoyed every minute of it, which is why I can recommend this remake.