We’ve played the Resident Evil 4 remake and spoilers: it’s bloody excellent. Plus hands-on with Atomic Heart, Kirby and more.
Revisiting Resident Evil 4 was always going to be a delicate task – the 2005 horror title beloved by RE fans and lovers of action alike. With said fans as rabid for the game as a T-virus’ed zombie, expectations are understandably high. The good news – Capcom has gone ahead and spin-kicked this remake out of the park.
The story in Resident Evil 4 remake remains as it always has. Six years after the total shitshow in Racoon City, Leon Kennedy finds himself in a pretty suss European village on the hunt for the president’s daughter. It doesn’t take long for bad luck to catch up to him though, thus beginning one of the greatest action adventures in recent memory.
But while the tale sounds expectedly familiar, almost every aspect of the original game has been revamped to some extent. The visuals, for example, have been given a major rework thanks to the RE engine, and much like RE2 and RE3 remake are a thing of beauty. By being able to flesh out environments and play more with lighting, each location feels more dangerous and foreboding.
Likewise the now-ancient control scheme has been given the boot and modernised – freeing up Leon to finally move and shoot at the same time. Previously only really possible via the Meta Quest port, this total rejig opens the game up much more and allows Capcom to find tension in other creative ways, like enemies who rush you more frequently or swarm you in larger numbers. I loved these changes, as well as the ability to now parry attacks with your knife, although doing so does weaken (and eventually destroy the tool) leaving you to weigh up how much you actually want to use it.
Resident Evil 4 remake is littered with small yet impactful changes like this – too many to mention in one breath. But combined, these tweaks help transform this entry into the definitive way to play Resident Evil 4 going forward. It’s a love letter to fans of the original, and a perfect way for newcomers to see what all the bloody fuss is about. Either way Resident Evil 4 is a must-play purchase across the board.
Resident Evil 4 is out March 24 on PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4 and PC. You can buy it on Amazon here.
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Also out now…
Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe (Switch)
Long-time Nintendo fans rejoice, because everybody’s favourite pink puff is back! But while Return to Dreamland Deluxe isn’t quite the surprise gem that Forgotten Land was last year, but it’s still a pretty solid platformer that isn’t without its charm.
A rejig of the 2011 Wii original, Deluxe take the foundations of the older game and then brings a bit more pizazz to the whole adventure. The visuals, for example, have seen a significant facelift, and Kirby himself has a few extra abilities to play around with. Perhaps the most interesting addition though is the inclusion of Magolor Epilogue – a new story adventure that follows the interdimensional being introduced in Return to Dreamland’s main story. It’s an interesting and varied add-on that shows the extra attention that was placed into this upgrade.
Return to Dreamland Deluxe might be a bit easy or simple for some, but if you’re looking for your next Switch investment, there’s still plenty of enjoyment to be gained here.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, XBO, PC)
It might feel like a case of “another month, another Soulslike” but it’s hard to complain when they remain as polished as Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.
Set in a dark fantasy version of China’s Three Kingdoms, Wo Long has everything one might expect from a Souls-adjacent adventure. There’s the big action, rock-solid swordplay and brutal difficulty. That last part shouldn’t be a huge surprise considering the team behind it also produced the Nioh series, but where this tale breaks apart is its parries.
Parrying in Wo Long isn’t just recommended, it’s a straight up necessity – one of the game’s early bosses almost indestructible unless you get the system downpat. But while this approach might feel like a tough learning curve, once mastered leads to some truly wonderful enocunters (especially with bosses) that are more fast-paced and aggressive than fans of the genre will be used to.
Know all this walking in, and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will surely dazzle and delight, and will do well in any video game collection.
Atomic Heart (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, XBO, PC)
Like a love child between Westworld and BioShock, Atomic Heart is a wild, frantic and action-packed adventure. It’s a strong first outing from developer Mundfish, but it’s not without its issues – namely it’s narrative.
You see, in Atomic Heart you’re thrust into an alternate history Soviet Union utopia where humans and robots live in harmony… or at least they used to until said peace goes up blood-soaked flames. Naturally it’s your job to try and put a stop to the madness and find out the “truth” behind it all. The foundations of a good yarn are there, but the whole thing is just disappointingly let down by average writing and grating dialogue.
Push that aside though and there’s still plenty of fun to be had with Atomic Heart’s combat. To assist you in your quest an arsenal of weapons and a glove that harnesses elemental powers akin to BioShock. Jumping between the two approaches is consistently engaging and helps keep encounters fresh. Sure it heavily borrows some of its influences, but Atomic Heart is still a fascinating title worth looking into.
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