Resident Evil 4
Capcom Development Division 1 · Horror, Shooter, Survival, Action
Overview
Survival is just the beginning. Six years have passed since the biological disaster in Raccoon City. Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors, tracks the president's kidnapped daughter to a secluded European village, where there is something terribly wrong with the locals.
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Agent Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors of the incident, has been sent to rescue the president's kidnapped daughter.
He tracks her to a secluded European village, where there is something terribly wrong with the locals.
And the curtain rises on this story of daring rescue and grueling horror where life and death, terror and catharsis intersect.
Featuring modernized gameplay, a reimagined storyline, and vividly detailed graphics,
Resident Evil 4 marks the rebirth of an industry juggernaut.
Relive the nightmare that revolutionized survival horror.
From the game's Steam store page.
THE GAMEQ VERDICT9,999 reviews analyzed
What players are actually saying
1. Summary
Players praise the combat in specific terms: the shooting, knife parries, kicks and suplexes, and the Merchant's upgrade economy that feeds them. Unlockables, challenges and difficulty modes keep a good number of players replaying it for dozens or hundreds of hours. The RE Engine visuals and atmosphere are praised steadily, and a fair number of players say it runs well on modest PCs, laptops and the Steam Deck. A steady trickle of newcomers call it their first Resident Evil and a good place to start, and those who played the Separate Ways expansion generally recommend it.
Veterans of the 2005 original split over whether the remake's serious tone, cut sections and changed characters improve the game or strip out its charm, and players disagree on whether it still counts as horror. Recurring frustrations include Leon's heavy movement and enemies that shrug off hits, crashes and stutter on some PCs, Separate Ways and the original soundtrack being sold separately (with 100% achievements locked behind the DLC), Ada's English voice performance, and the yellow paint marking interactable objects. Negative reviews are rare in this slice, and a preference for the original runs through more of them than any single gameplay complaint.
2. What keeps coming up
What players praise
Combat that feels great: guns, parries, kicks and suplexesHigh
Players describe punchy, distinct weapons, the knife parry, roundhouse kicks and suplexes on staggered enemies, and the ability to move while shooting as the reasons they keep playing. Some compare it favorably with the RE2 and RE3 remakes, and players who disliked the original's controls say this version finally clicked: "If you skipped the original because of the garbage controls, definitely grab the remake." A longtime fan of the 2005 game describes the learning curve: "once you get all of the combat, evade and parry mechanics it makes you feel like a badass." Several note that the game rewards aggressive play. One player wrote that "I had to basically 'unlearn' what I was taught in Resident Evil 2", because ammo conservation matters less and most fights can't be run from. Complaints about the same combat (Leon's weight, stagger, recoil) are under frustrations below.
A story and cast with more depth than the originalHigh
Story and characters come up often, mostly in praise of the reworked cast. Luis is given a bigger, more sympathetic role ("what an outstanding glowup they gave him BTW"), Leon is written as a more experienced agent who still trades one-liners, and a group of reviewers say Ashley is more likable and useful. The village, castle and island settings get their own praise. Some reviewers find the plot itself simple or the villains thin, naming Saddler and Krauser, and veterans argue about the changes (see the split panel below).
Gorgeous visuals, sound and atmosphereHigh
Graphics get frequent praise for lighting, character models and detail, and for the gun and ambient sound design. Players describe the village and castle as dark and oppressive; one wrote that "you will have to force yourself to play through the game at times because the atmosphere is so dark and suffocating". A minority of veterans feel the original's art direction and chanting had more character, and a few find the image blurry with the default anti-aliasing and upscaling.
Huge replay value: New Game+, challenges, unlocks and MercenariesHigh
Replaying comes up often: New Game+, Hardcore and Professional runs, S+ ranks, the challenge list and its unlockable weapons and costumes, and the free Mercenaries mode. Completionists describe repeat runs and multiple platinums, and one wrote: "I've beaten every challenge in this game, all 101 of them, and it never stopped being fun." Mercenaries gets its own fans ("I've already spent countless hours in the Mercenaries mode, it's really addictive."), and modders mention randomizers keeping the game fresh. A few find the 100% list grindy, and the achievements tied to paid DLC draw complaints (see frustrations).
Runs well on modest hardwareMedium
A fair number of players praise the optimization and the depth of the graphics options, reporting good frame rates on older GPUs, laptops, the ROG Ally, Linux and the Steam Deck. One wrote that "they got this game hitting 60fps on a GTX 1660 Super from like 2018", and another that "You can turn everything down to the lowest settings and the game remains perfectly playable." Others hit crashes and stutter (see frustrations), and a few with weaker cards or 6 GB of VRAM say they had to tune settings heavily.
Separate Ways is a worthy expansionMedium
Reviewers who played Ada's Separate Ways campaign describe a full side story with its own mechanics (the grappling hook), bosses and new areas, and some call it better than the original's version. One wrote that "The Separate Ways DLC is easily the best story expansion Resident Evil has ever received." Several suggest buying the Gold Edition on sale to get both. Complaints about it concern its price and separate sale (see frustrations).
A welcoming first Resident EvilMedium
A steady trickle of reviewers say this was their first Resident Evil and that it hooked them on the series; others came to it from the RE2 remake or Requiem. "If you've never played Resident Evil 4 before, this is the perfect place to start." Some suggest playing the RE2 remake first for Leon's backstory, while others say it stands on its own.
The Merchant and the treasure economyLow
The Merchant is a fan favorite, both for his lines and for the loop of collecting treasure, socketing gems and upgrading weapons. One review is a whole tribute to him, saying he "somehow feels like the safest person in Spain." Players also like the attaché case management and the Merchant's side requests, though a few find the side quests and shooting gallery to be filler.
Where players are split
Action game or horror gameHigh
A sizable group calls the remake an action game with horror trappings, usually while praising the action. One reviewer listed "Game isn't scary at all in my opinion" among the game's negatives, and players looking for dread are pointed elsewhere ("if your looking for a horror game then you'll want to stick with RE2 remake or RE7"). Others find it tense or frightening, especially the Regenerators, the darkness of the Ashley section and being swarmed with little ammo: "A truly terrifying game." A smaller set of horror fans hold the action focus against it.
The remake versus the 2005 originalMedium
Veterans of the original split. A good number say the remake matches or surpasses it ("Without a doubt, RE4 Remake surpasses and improves upon the original."), and some who replayed the 2005 version were surprised how dated it felt. Others prefer the original and list what was lost: the campy tone and many one-liners, the radio banter with Salazar and Saddler, the U-3 fight and laser room, cut castle sections, Assignment Ada, the "wait" command for Ashley, and reworked characters such as Krauser and Salazar. One veteran wrote that "the sheer amount of cut content is too much to ignore". Some who like the remake still note the shift: "the campy, cheesy tone of the 2005 version is mostly swapped out for a much more grounded and serious tone". A preference for the original is the theme that turns up most often in the small set of negative reviews, while other veterans conclude that both versions are worth playing.
Ashley as a companionMedium
Ashley comes up often, much of it as memes. Among reviewers who discuss her seriously, a group says she is far better than in the original: "Ashley is much less annoying and far more helpful than she was in the original." Others are frustrated by her AI in fights: walking into the line of fire, getting carried off by the last enemy standing, and the forced game over that follows. "it is easy for enemies to steal Ashley and get forced into a game over screen". Several miss the original's order to wait in place ("i wish we can still order ashley to stand still rather than distancing herself from leon"). The section where players control Ashley gets both praise for tension and complaints.
Difficulty, from Standard to ProfessionalMedium
Players disagree on how hard the game is. Many enjoy the challenge, and some veterans recommend Hardcore, which reviewers say the game itself suggests ("Playing on hardcore as suggested, no complaints on my behalf"). Some newcomers on Hardcore found the first boss or village a wall and dropped down a difficulty, and a few reviewers with short playtimes quit after dying repeatedly in the opening area. At the top end, players chasing Professional S+ describe it as brutal: "On professional, this game is INSANELY difficult", with a parry window that "has to be a so-called perfect parry" and an adaptive difficulty system that ramps up when you do well. Others say Standard is easy and the rocket launcher trivializes the final boss.
Boss fightsLow
Boss fights split players. Krauser's knife fight and Verdugo are named as favorites, and some call the bosses among the series' best. Others find several of them weak or frustrating, often naming Del Lago and Salazar ("the Ramon Salazar fight was an absolutely miserable experience"), along with bosses that summon waves of minions in tight rooms and the final boss falling quickly to a rocket launcher.
Length, pacing and the islandLow
Many reviewers praise the length and pacing, and some note it runs much longer than the RE2 and RE3 remakes. A smaller group says it drags late in the game, usually naming the island, which they see as a shift toward straight shooting: "The island to me was just boring most of the time". A few find the side quests padded the run; others say the island holds up and the castle is the highlight.
What frustrates players
Heavy movement, sway and enemies that won't staggerMedium
How Leon handles is a recurring complaint, and it turns up in negative reviews about as often as crashes do. Players describe slow running, long animations, weapon sway and recoil, a reticle that replaced the original's laser sight, and no dodge: "Leon is NOT mobile enough for half the things this games asks", and one fan of the remake still wrote that "it feels like Leon is wearing 20kg boots and moves slower than my grandma". Related complaints: enemies that soak several headshots without flinching on higher difficulties ("On pro, a large number of enemies will simply not stagger before they're killed."), getting stun-locked or grabbed by one enemy while others hit you, and "the animations take too long for a game that needs quick reaction". A few also find the default camera cramped and use an FOV mod. This complaint comes both from players who quit within the first hour or two and from veterans with long playtimes; other players say the weight adds tension and is the point.
Crashes, stutter and performance on some PCsMedium
A steady minority report technical problems: D3D fatal errors and random crashes, black screens or the game refusing to launch, stutter in particular areas (one player describes the frame rate halving briefly in Chapter 5 and calls it a known issue), VRAM limits on 6 to 8 GB cards, and dips on the Steam Deck when using scopes. "I'm plague with random crashes no matter what I do." Some negative reviews rest on this alone, such as one that calls it the best remake so far and still votes no because "Sadly newest patch has broken frame rate."
Paid extras: Separate Ways, achievements and the original soundtrackLow
Players who remember Separate Ways as a bonus campaign unlocked by finishing the original object to it being sold separately: "Separate Ways being a paid DLC sucks." Completionists dislike that 100% achievements require it ("locking the 100% behind a $10 DLC is diabolical"), and some say the original soundtrack is sold as DLC too ("I can't condone charging DLC money for the OG soundtrack if you want the title menu callout"). Others suggest waiting for a Gold Edition sale to get everything at once, and one owner kept editing a review to ask for a discount on the DLC itself ("Discount Separate Ways already").
Ada's English voice performanceLow
A small group of reviewers single out Ada's English voice acting as flat, bored or miscast: "Ada really feels miscast here, it sounds like someone just deadass read the script not acted it". A few say they installed a voice replacement mod ("it's so awful that I had to use a mod to make it bearable"). At least one reviewer finds it acceptable, if not great.
DRM changes and missing DLSS or FSR 4Low
Reviewers report that a 2026 update added Enigma DRM, which several say hurt performance or broke mods, and that it was later removed. Some edited their reviews around it, either while it was in ("get that Enigma out of there, come on.") or to restore a positive vote after it was taken out. A few tie it to missing upscaling options: "2026 update just to add a new DRM but not DLSS or FSR4". Others ask for DLSS in place of the FSR-only options and dislike the blurry default anti-aliasing.
Yellow paint and hand-holdingLow
Some players dislike the yellow paint marking climbable ledges, breakable boxes and puzzle objects, saying it spoils exploration and puzzles: "Just... download the mod that gets rid of the yellow paint before you even start a new game." A few also find Leon's hints during puzzles too eager.
Knife durabilityLow
A small group dislikes that knives break, which limits parries and forces spending on repairs; one veteran wrote that "the knife durability system acts like an escort mission for the entire game". Others say upgrading durability and carrying spare knives solves it.
3. The player conversation
The conversation is overwhelmingly warm. A large share of reviews are one-line endorsements ("masterpiece", "best RE game", "peak") or memes about Leon, Ada, the Merchant and Bingo, which say the reviewer liked it and little else. The longer reviews keep returning to the combat, presentation, characters and replay value. Real disagreement sits in three places: whether the game is horror, whether it improves on the 2005 original, and how fair its harder difficulties are.
Newcomers, some arriving from the RE2 remake or Requiem, mostly praise the accessibility, combat and story, and some say they had to learn to play aggressively. Veterans of the original drive the debate about cut content, the serious tone and changed characters. Negative reviewers who stopped within the first hour or two tend to cite crashes or a game that won't launch, Leon's slow movement and controls, or dying over and over in the opening village; a few simply prefer the original. Completionists with long playtimes raise Professional S+, adaptive difficulty, the challenge list and the achievements tied to the Separate Ways DLC.
Most of these reviews were written between mid-May and early October 2026, and some of their authors mention buying the game or the Gold Edition on sale. The positive share stayed between roughly 95% and 99% each week from mid-May on, with no sign of a shift in mood. Older reviews that their authors edited add the DRM episode, which reviewers say was reversed.
4. What the developers could do
- Make Leon's movement and recovery more responsive. Heavy movement, long animations, weapon sway and stun-locks come up in negative reviews from both quick quitters and veterans.
- Fix the remaining crashes and stutter. D3D fatal errors, launch failures, a brief Chapter 5 frame-rate drop and a patch that one reviewer says broke their frame rate are behind some of the negative reviews.
- Add DLSS and FSR 4 and keep DRM changes out of the game. Reviewers ask for modern upscaling and report that a 2026 update added DRM before it was removed.
- Let players earn 100% without paid DLC, and price the extras more gently. Completionists object to achievements locked behind Separate Ways, and veterans object to paying for Separate Ways, which they remember as part of the 2005 release, and for the original soundtrack.
- Bring back a "wait" command for Ashley and tighten her AI in fights. Players ask for the original's stay order and complain that she walks into gunfire or gets carried off for a forced game over.
- Offer an option to hide the yellow paint markers. Players say it spoils exploration and puzzles, and some mod it out before starting.
- Give Professional difficulty more room for error. Players chasing S+ describe frame-tight parries and enemies that won't stagger as pushing them into a passive, less fun style.
