Ah, Resident Evil 4, for many, the crown jewel of one of the most iconic gaming franchises of all time, let alone among Capcom’s pantheon. The remake is a divisive one, but I’m on the side of it being a fantastic video game. One that’s an essential must-have. If your excuse was that you only have a Nintendo Switch 2, that’s now gone.
I could sit here and write about the historical influence of Resident Evil 4 and how it essentially became a pillar for modern game design in the third-person shooter and action-adventure genres, but that’s been said and done by far smarter folk at this point. Don’t be fooled, though; this marked the franchise's pivot away from survival horror, and while it retains a few elements, it is much more of an action game than anything else.
For many, it is the action game, so much so that a remake was met with a little bit of skepticism. How can you iterate on perfection? Well, Capcom somehow did it. It’s as close to a 1:1 remake as you could ask for without feeling derivative, but it adds its own flair. It's much gloomier, nails its own atmosphere that’s vastly different from the original, and evolves the foundation laid by the original. The Nintendo Switch 2 is an almost compromise-free package, one that’s worth every penny you spend on it, dare I say, even if you’ve played it before.
Let’s get into this port's specifics: how does it run? Fairly well. That being said, when it comes to performance in comparison to both Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, RE4 is no doubt the weakest. It’s also the one that pushes the console the most across its wealth of modes.
Handheld has more noticeable FPS hiccups, although it feels like a solid experience with no egregious dips. If you’re susceptible to wobbly framerates, you’ll notice the issues, which are not game-breaking, as annoying as they can be. Blurry visuals are present as well, and textures look a bit less detailed.
Docked does have very minor framerate issues as well. Whereas RE3 and RE2 run perfectly, you’ll run into small instances where you can notice a dip here and there. I don’t think the vast majority of players will notice it, but it was worth mentioning for those who do pick up on those sorts of issues.
Visually, though, you can’t ask for much better than what the Switch 2 offers when compared to other console versions. Yet another miracle of Capcom’s RE Engine.
Playing the original campaign back left me stunned at how flawlessly paced it is. I still think that, overall, RE2 is my preferred game since it nails the aspects I value the most in my Resident Evil, but Capcom really crafted a perfect action-adventure journey when developing 4. The remake riffs on it, cutting content that stylistically didn’t fit, but adding narrative elements that enhance the experience in different ways. Once again, if you don’t have the frame of reference the original provides, RE4 Remake is a perfectly fine starting point for the series if you want to jump straight into a more action-oriented game.
The package on the Nintendo Switch 2 offers quite a lot beyond the main story, as it’s packaged with the Separate Ways DLC featuring Ada Wong and The Mercenaries mode.
The Ada DLC is just more of what you love from the main campaign, with added flashy movement options that make her incredibly fun to play.
Then, The Mercenaries mode is one of the best additions you could ask for in any Resident Evil game, but it just feels right in Resident Evil 4. It’s essentially a horde mode in which you need to accrue as many points as possible by wiping out as many Ganados as you can. Things get goofy real quick, but that’s the fun of it, especially considering you can play as characters like Albert Wesker.
There’s a reason RE4 Remake is the most expensive of the bunch: it simply is one of the most complete video games you’ll get your hands on. Insane replayability, absurdly fun side content, and outstanding performance on the Nintendo Switch 2 barring minor hiccups.
Ultimately, Resident Evil 4 Remake on Switch 2 is a perfect way to enjoy a modern classic, one that effortlessly justifies its price tag. Minor handheld framerate dips aside, Capcom has pulled off another major triumph by bringing it to a hybrid system. Bundled with the stellar Separate Ways DLC and Mercenaries, this is an essential, relatively compromise-free package that belongs in every Switch 2 library.
A review code was provided by the publisher.
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