Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Demo first impressions
I don’t think there’s a Resident Evil fan alive right now who hasn’t been anxiously watching the slow information drip Capcom has offered us on the upcoming Resident Evil 4 remake, while eagerly awaiting March 24th to finally get here. For those too excited to wait for the full release before getting a taste of what this reimagining of the 2005 classic has to offer, Capcom has us covered, with the recently released Chainsaw Demo, giving us our best look yet at what the remake has to offer to stand out from, and improve upon, the original! I spent a solid bit of time combing through the demo, and am here to share my first impressions on the remake to my favorite game of all time.
First things first, it’s clear from the very first frames of gameplay that this is slated to be a reimagining in the truest sense of the word; environments are familiar, but not exactly the same. General story beats are still consistent with what fans of the original Resident Evil 4 should expect, but with their own twist to allow the game, or what we’re seeing of it at this point, to fit more in-line with the more grounded (as best as an RE game can be) setting of the REmake-verse. Layouts of key buildings remain similar, but not entirely the same as a veteran of the original may remember. And for the assault on the village, previously safe zones are no longer an option, necessarily, requiring different strategies and continuously thinking on your feet to survive the onslaught of ganados ready to tear Leon limb from limb.
Gameplay wise, this was an absolute blast. The game continues the trend that this series has been on for a while, since 2005 funny enough, on being more focused on action in a creepy atmosphere with survival horror elements, rather than a true horrifying experience. And the gameplay shows that direction effortlessly, giving some of the most fluid combat I’ve seen in the franchise to date. Switching weapons, and accessing the attache case, has never been simpler, which in turn gives some incredible fluidity to combat, whether standing your ground (despite finally being able to move while shooting) to fight or staying quick on your feet to avoid certain death via an overwhelmed onslaught. While the in-combat quick time events when getting grappled or meleeing downed enemies aren't completely cut, they're handled in a much more cinematic way, effortlessly transitioning both from combat and back once completed. It's an incredibly satisfying progression from the original game, feeling like the natural evolution of gameplay while staying familiar to what I already knew and expected from the title. Even the breakable knife, which I was hesitant about, turned out to work well within the design, giving some more natural tension in the combat sessions and lending a bit more to the horror of the situations. In all, combat and gameplay seems to be on track to being a highlight of the full game.
The presentation, I found to be downright phenomenal. The redesign of what iconic setpieces we did see all looked great, really leaning fully into the dark and dingy aesthetic that's become all too familiar from the previous REmakes, as well as Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village, while staying true to the game I already know and love. Designs for all of the characters were great to see in action, too; with Leon and Dr. Salvador's new designs being particularly cool. Much like previous modern entries to the series, the cutscenes were all fluidly and seamlessly woven into the gameplay, creating a truly cinematic experience for the entirely of the demo… even if the issue of too many cutscenes is still present.
At the end of the day, a demo's purpose is to generate excitement, hype, and sales for the full game, and in this case? The Chainsaw Demo did its job for this reviewer. While there weren't necessarily any new reveals or big surprises, it was so satisfying to finally get a chance to play through a bit of this reimagining, and further amplified my excitement for the full release. If any Resident Evil fan hasn't already tried this short but powerful demo, I'd highly recommend doing so. It's only confirmed that this remake is going in the exact direction it should be.
