Resident Evil 4 Remake: 6 Changes We LOVE (And 2 We Hate)

4. The Monsters Finally Have Meaning

For many, RE4 is just about blasting the uglies with your weapon of choice and moving on and in all fairness it certainly feels like that's the intention that Capcom was going for for the original game. RE4 "classic" carries a certain kind of momentum that beckons players to always be moving forward.

This does come at the detriment of some story elements for long-term players and this is one thing that the remake at least attempts to fix.

For example, dedicated Resident Evil lore nerds can expertly describe the psuedo-science that lead to certain monsters in the franchise. Whether it was files in the game themselves or additional worldbuilding material, monsters like the Hunters and Lickers have explanations for how they came into being. With RE4, there's no real reason why the likes of the Garador and the Verdugo were so special.

The remake at least tries to correct this by telling us specifically who they were before they were put through horrific Plagas-centric experiments. Knowing that you're about to face-off with the castle's torture specialist who went a little too far just adds to the unease. There's also at least a touch of explanation on why they changed so drastically compared to the common villager.

Beyond that too, there are files that detail the sad backstory of Ramon Salazar and his relationship with Lord Saddler that - if he wasn't trying to kill you - would almost make him sympathetic.