Resident Evil 4 (2023 Remake) Review

Remaking the game that invented the modern over-the-shoulder shooter meant touching mechanics nobody was allowed to touch. Capcom did it anyway. Movement while aiming should have destroyed the original's stop-and-shoot tension; instead the ganados were rebuilt to swarm, flank and close, so mobility becomes a resource you spend rather than a safety net. The knife parry is the masterstroke, giving you an answer to every attack at the cost of durability, which keeps the merchant economy meaningful right through the island.

Encounters have been reordered with real intelligence, the village opener now a masterclass in escalating panic, and Ashley's escort sections have finally been made tolerable by cutting her health bar and giving her commands that read instantly. The RE Engine lighting sells the castle better than the village. Story is knowingly camp and the writing leans into it. The best in a very strong run of Capcom remakes.