RESIDENT EVIL 4: THE VILLAGE STILL WANTS YOU DEAD

9.0 of 10 bananas. The 2023 remake that respects a legend and sharpens it.

By the Alpha. 2023 remake, not the 2005 original. PS5 listing. Updated Oct 2026.

Platforms: PS5 disc is the Amazon button. PS4, Xbox, and PC on Steam also exist. This page sells the PS5 copy only.

Sit with me a moment. The church bell rings, the villagers drop their pitchforks and walk away, and I sit in that cabin with my heart pounding. I have played the 2005 original many times. The remake still made my hands sweat in the first twenty minutes.

What It Wants To Be

Capcom's remake of the 2005 classic, released March 24, 2023. Leon Kennedy goes to rural Spain to rescue the president's daughter, Ashley, from a cult. It is built on the RE Engine by the team behind the Resident Evil 2 remake. The Separate Ways expansion and a free Mercenaries mode followed later in 2023.

What Works

The knife parry changes everything. Leon can now deflect attacks and stealth-kill, which turns fights into tense dances instead of standoffs. The village, castle, and island all got smarter layouts. Ashley is far less annoying to protect. The attache case, the merchant, and weapon upgrades still make loot feel good. Gunplay is crisp and heavy.

What Breaks

Listen well. Some of the 2005 game's wild set pieces were trimmed or toned down, and longtime fans will notice. The island section still sags compared with the village. Knives break, which can feel stingy on harder modes. The merchant and treasure loop can turn a horror game into a shopping trip.

Who Should Play

Play if you want the best action horror on modern consoles, or if you never touched the original. Skip if you want slow, pure dread with little shooting. For that, read my Silent Hill 2 verdict.

Related: SILENT HILL 2, Dead Space.

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