Capcom has been on a roll when it comes to the Resident Evil franchise over the last few years. Brand new entries like Resident Evil Village have been released alongside stellar remakes like Resident Evil 2. Now, the developer is looking to remake one of the most beloved entries in the series, Resident Evil 4. There is undoubtedly a lot of pressure on Capcom to nail the upcoming remake of Leon S. Kennedy’s adventure through rural Spain. Players may be concerned about what aspects of the original will still be present in the new remake. Thankfully, it now looks like the level of gore will be one returning feature.
The ESRB recently rated Resident Evil 4 remake. In doing so, the company reconfirmed the platforms that the game will be coming to, but it also provides some important details about how violent the experience will be. The ESRB board briefly goes over the premise of the game before then discussing some of the combat details.
“Some weapons/attacks result in decapitation and/or dismemberment of enemies, along with large splatters of blood. Enemy attacks (e.g., chainsaws, tentacles) can also result in Leon being decapitated, blown apart, or impaled. Eviscerated animals and mutilated corpses are depicted in some environments. The words “f**k” and “sh*t” appear in the game.”
Fans who have played the original Resident Evil 4 will remember that the game did not cut any corners when it came to how violently the lead character Leon could be killed. In fact, many of the creative ways in which Leon could die provided some of the most effective scares in the game, so it’s great to see that this might be retained for the remake.
The titular chainsaw enemy, known as Dr. Salvador, could decapitate players if he got too close. Judging by the ESRB rating, this will also be a possibility in the remake if players aren’t quick enough to parry and fight him off. The rating also mentions that Leon can be blown apart or impaled. Perhaps this is referring to the various traps and enemies that Leon will fight in the castle section of the game.
Beyond the new ESRB rating, Capcom also provided some new artwork for the upcoming remake, and it looks impressive to say the least.
Resident Evil 4 remake will be released on March 24, 2023. It will be released on PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. There will also be VR content for PlayStation VR2 on the PlayStation 5 version.
