After what has felt like years of rumors and speculation, Capcom finally announced the Resident Evil 4 remake during the June 2022 State of Play presentation. And what an announcement it was. It showed off the new game in action, with footage of familiar characters such as Leon Kennedy, Ashley, Ada Wong, and even the deadly villagers, all in beautiful 4K. Though, Capcom still has plenty of surprises up its sleeve ahead of the game’s launch in 2023. But what do we know about this upcoming remake?

When is the Resident Evil 4 remake release date?

The Resident Evil 4 remake is scheduled to launch on March 24, 2023. This falls in line with the previous remakes: Resident Evil 2, which was releaesd in January 2019, and Resident Evil 3, which was released in March 2020.

What are the Resident Evil 4 remake platforms?

Resident Evil 4 is dropping previous generation systems, launching only for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

Is there a Resident Evil 4 remake trailer?

Yes, there is, and it’s glorious! Check it out above.

What are the Resident Evil 4 remake features?

Capcom’s main focus with the Resident Evil 4 remake is to tell the same story as the 2005 original, but with a modern spin, featuring stunning visuals, improved gameplay, and controls. This game has been rebuilt from the ground up using Capcom’s proprietary RE engine, just as in recent Resident Evil games.

While the heart of the 2005 original will remain intact, Capcom says the remake’s storyline will be reimagined, likely including a handful of changes. The idea of making changes to such a beloved game might be controversial, but given its age, there are plenty of ways Capcom could make it even better without fundamentally altering what makes it great. Here’s hoping Ashley is far less annoying this time around.

What is Resident Evil 4?

Resident Evil 4 is one of the most influential games of the last decade, perhaps even of all time. When it was released in 2005, it created a control scheme and formula for third-person shooters that action games have been following ever since. Franchises like Uncharted have Resident Evil 4 to thank for trailblazing in the genre, so it’s smart for Capcom to bring this classic up to modern standards.

The fun story also embraces the campy side of the Resident Evil series. You play as Resident Evil 2‘s protagonist, Leon Kennedy, who is now trying to rescue the President’s kidnapped daughter from a cult in Spain.

Leon’s fight against the cult gets progressively more bombastic and eventually moves the story of the Resident Evil series forward by tying into previous games. While we aren’t spoiling it here, it’s an enjoyable romp that is aware of its campiness and would be a joy to see remade.

It’s one of the most popular games in the series, reaching over 11 million copies sold as of September 2021. With this in mind, it’s a prime candidate for the remake treatment.

What else do we know about the Resident Evil 4 remake?

Resident Evil 4 remake will supposedly give supporting characters more screentime, such as Ada Wong. According to this report, the two RE4 expansions Assignment: Ada and Separate Ways will also be incorporated, though it’s unclear if they’ll be added to the base game or as DLC.

Video Games Chronicle revealed on April 12, 2020, that the remake did exist and was in development. The leak did not reveal much in terms of gameplay and story changes but confirmed it had the blessing of series creator Shinji Mikami. The report stated that the remake was in development by Capcom studio M-Two at the time.

Following the less than stellar reviews for Resident Evil 3, Capcom reportedly shifted the project in-house, with M-Two working as a support team instead.

After this report went live, other industry insiders backed it up. Dusk Golem, a leaker who played a major role in revealing Resident Evil Village details, tweeted about the Resident Evil 4 remake.

He revealed that M-Two started developing the title in 2018, and was using a larger team than the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes and that M-Two was looking at Resident Evil 3 for feedback.

While M-Two was created for this project and was taking the lead on it, a report from January 2021 indicated that development would undergo a reboot. According to Video Games Chronicle, Capcom was unhappy with M-Two’s work on the game as it was too close to the original.

Then, in February 2022, Fanbyte reported that a remake for RE4 was still in the works, but that it had undergone changes from the original vision. Moreover, Fanbyte reports that the remake will no longer be a “strict scene-by-scene” retread of the original game. It will reportedly be “spookier,” with much of the game taking place at night.

Video Games Chronicle reports that Capcom Division 1 is now leading development. This is the team that is normally in charge of Resident Evil games and Devil May Cry, so the project is in good hands. Still, it appears that the Resident Evil 4 remake has seen a major reboot and shakeup, internally, years into its development.