Resident Evil 4 (2005 / Remake 2023) 🧟‍♂️🔫

The Village That Changed Survival Horror Forever


—

Lets start by showing y’all the trailers shall we?

🎥 Trailers

—

📝 Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

You play as Leon S. Kennedy (Paul Mercier in the original, Nick Apostolides in the remake), the rookie cop from Resident Evil 2, now upgraded to a U.S. government agent. His mission? Rescue the President’s kidnapped daughter, Ashley Graham (Carolyn Lawrence / Genevieve Buechner), from a creepy European village. What seems like a simple “rescue and escape” quickly turns into a nightmarish battle against parasite-infected villagers, cult leaders, and monstrous abominations.


—

👥 Character Rundown

Leon S. Kennedy – Cool, sarcastic, and way more confident than in RE2. He’s a one-man army, tossing out quips while blasting parasites.

Ashley Graham – The infamous “escort mission” character. She’s more of a liability than a help, though the remake makes her less frustrating.

Luis Sera – A shady but charming ally who helps Leon piece together the parasite mystery.

Osmund Saddler & the Los Illuminados Cult – The kind of creepy zealots you never want to meet in a dark church. Saddler serves as the main villain.

The Merchant – “What’re ya buyin’? What’re ya sellin’?” Iconic. Enough said.



—

⏱️ Pacing / Episode Flow

The game is structured almost like a movie:

Act I: The village and the unforgettable siege in the cabin.

Act II: The castle, packed with cultists, puzzles, and giant monsters.

Act III: The military island, where the action cranks up to 11.


It moves at a brisk pace, balancing tension-filled horror with blockbuster-level set pieces.


—

✅ Pros

Gameplay Revolution – Over-the-shoulder aiming changed third-person shooters forever. Every modern action game owes this title a debt.

Atmosphere – Creepy villages, gothic castles, and grotesque labs. Each setting feels memorable and immersive.

Variety of Enemies – Chainsaw villagers, grotesque regenerators, hulking giants. Each encounter forces different tactics.

Replay Value – Tons of unlockables, weapons, and difficulty modes.

Remake Improvements – Smarter AI, better controls, Ashley being less of a burden, and upgraded graphics.



—

❌ Cons

Ashley Mechanics (2005) – Babysitting her was often more annoying than scary.

Campy Dialogue – The cheese is part of the charm, but it can pull you out of the horror.

Action Over Horror (in later acts) – The game starts tense and eerie but drifts toward full-on action movie territory by the final island section.

Quick-Time Events – In 2005 they felt flashy, but by today’s standards, they’re clunky and frustrating.



—

💭 Final Thoughts

Resident Evil 4 isn’t just a great Resident Evil game — it’s a game that reshaped the entire industry. It blends survival horror with action in a way that still feels fresh. Sure, it has flaws: escorting Ashley could make you grind your teeth, and the shift from horror to guns-blazing action may turn off purists. But whether you play the classic or the remake, this is essential gaming.


—

⭐ Rating

9/10 – A groundbreaking classic with some rough edges.


—

🚨 Spoiler Warning 🚨

What follows contains story spoilers for both the original and the remake.


—

🩸 Spoilers

Leon tracks Ashley’s kidnapping back to the Los Illuminados cult, who’ve infected villagers with the mind-controlling parasite, Las Plagas. This parasite isn’t just body horror — it lets Saddler control his victims like puppets. Ashley herself becomes infected, raising the stakes.

Leon teams up with Luis Sera, but in true Resident Evil fashion, Luis is killed before the endgame, leaving Leon to take on Saddler and his freakish creations alone. After brutal boss fights with transformed cult leaders and waves of enemies, Leon cures Ashley, blows the cult’s base sky-high, and escapes on a jet ski in true action-hero fashion.

The remake expands on this with richer dialogue, more fleshed-out characters, and slightly darker undertones, but the bones of the story remain gloriously intact.


—

👉 So, who here remembers facing down the chainsaw-wielding villager for the first time? Because that moment alone probably sold a million copies.