Though you can't take away from the charm and silliness of the original, Resident Evil 4 Remake truly outdoes the 2005 game in many ways. From the expanded gameplay sections, innovative new combat mechanics, to the seamlessly redesigned enemies and environments, there's always something new to discover. On top of all that, there's quite a lot of hidden detail scattered throughout.
The level of detail is hardly aiming for the extensive scale and scope of Death Stranding or Red Dead Redemption 2, but it still offers a drastic amount that sets it apart from all the other remade Resident Evil games. That might also include some occasional homages to its predecessor.
10 Lines From The Original Resurfacing As Achievements
Leon had many versions of his character throughout his stay in the series, but Resident Evil 4 was as painfully funny as it got with his deadpan quotes. There were countless memorable lines he told other characters in the 2005 game, particularly antagonists like Salazar and Osmund Saddler. And they make a comeback as trophies.
"No thanks, bro," was Leon's response to Salazar's request that he hand over Ashley, and it now becomes the name of the achievement you get for defeating Salazar. There's also "You're Small Time!" for the Osmund Saddler fight, "Wave Goodbye, Right Hand" for Salazar's right-hand Verdugo, and "Grilled Big Cheese," which is how Luis referred to Bitores in the original.
9 The Bridge In The Valley Section Is Destructible
In the game's second chapter, you'll need to acquire a hexagonal emblem to open a door leading to the next area. The only problem? Retrieving it means going through an expansive space crawling with tons of Ganados that come at you from all sides, including the ones throwing dynamite.
There's one way of doing it, yet there's also a way to give yourself a little breathing room from the horde. The bridge the Ganados often run across to get at you can be weakened and will eventually break off, and enemies may fall along with it, just like in Indiana Jones. Either kill some of those dynamite tossers on it directly or throw a few of your explosives at it.
8 You Still Don't Have Time To Rest
Quite a few things were removed from the original Resident Evil 4, but thankfully not this iconic moment where Leon can take his place on Salazar's coveted throne. You can have Leon recreate his OG pose with the left leg crossed over the right and the right elbow bent on the armrest with an inquisitive expression.
The same message will likewise display on the screen once you interact with it, and that is: "There's no time for resting." It only seems the room itself had a major renovation from the 2005 version, losing the Las Plagas flag behind the chair, welcoming chickens, and the high-tech automatic doors are now manually opened.
7 Golden Eggs Are Salazar's Weakness
Salazar's boss fight is one of the more drastic reinventions to a boss in the new remake, proving much more challenging now that he's allowed movement and can chase you around the room. He scurries around with his tendrils helping him attach to walls and spews acidic black gunk at you.
So how can you exit this nightmare even sooner? Hopefully, you have golden eggs in your inventory because these seem to be nature's remedy for Ramon's Plaga mutation. Even throwing just one of them at his exposed body can significantly deplete his health, but two should end it.
6 You Can Avoid The Gallery Section
Forget a mere bridge falling to make things easier for yourself in Chapter Two. You can skip the entire fight sequence on the Gallery floor while going for the Goat Head puzzle piece in the ninth chapter. There's a neat trick the developers implemented to help move things along in a less stressful manner.
Making your way across the red-carpeted bridge with spikes will trigger a Zealot to pull a lever and lower you to the ground level, where many more Zealots and foes await you. Quickly tossing a mine or any type of grenade in the balcony spot before moving any farther will prevent that enemy from ever pulling the lever, and you'll never descend.
5 Leon Can Also Parry Crossbow Bolts
Leon's knife has to be made out of Beskar or Vibranium because this thing can literally parry just about everything. Chainsaws, scythes, pitchforks, giant Garrador claws, Verdugo tails, you name it. But you probably didn't expect it to be also capable of parrying ranged attacks like crossbow bolts flying Leon's way.
Some new enemies introduced in this remake are larger Ganados with the head of a bull called Brutes. Some have giant hammers, while others have a crossbow accessory that fires waves of flaming bolts. And Leon basically deflects them like Cal Kestis' lightsaber deflecting a Storm Trooper's lasers.
4 You Can Find The Woman From The Intro
This is perhaps a more macabre discovery you can make in the game, but it is Resident Evil, after all, and you have to commend Capcom on the continuity. Before we see Leon in the car and things going South shortly after, you get a prologue to Los Iluminados performing a ritual sacrifice on a bound woman from the village.
Once you can travel to various spots around the lake on your boat, there's a location on the upper portion of the map just straight ahead from the Merchant dock a little to the left. There'll be a locked entrance to a cave structure that needs an Insignia key, and you can examine one victim on the first level and then up the ladder to the woman still lying there on the altar covered in blood.
3 Post Credit Scene Easter Eggs
Resident Evil 4 Remake borrows a bit from Marvel and DC by featuring a mid-credits and post-credits scene. The mid-credit one is of Ada in the helicopter in communication with Albert Wesker with the Plaga sample in her hand. However, the one after shows Ingrid Hunnigan removing her glasses and stepping away from her desk.
If you look closely at Wesker's monitor from his command center, you'll see he's already plotting the next phase of his plan. There are faint pictures of a person of interest that resembles Excella Gionne and the Underground Garden section from Resident Evil 5. On a more clever note, a post-it tag on Hunnigan's monitor in her scene reveals she's due for a game of bingo on Friday.
2 You Can Shoot Off Bitores' Hat
One notable difference in Bitores Mendez's appearance in the 2023 remake is that he now has a black hat to match the rest of his attire. In the original, his iconic look only consisted of the black coat, thick beard, and bald head on full display. But you can make him lose the hat in the new one to bring back his original design for a little while, should you wish.
After he confronts Leon and Ashley, during the chase sequence with the villagers leading up to the boss fight, Bitores will start from right behind you. And if you aim just right before continuing with the rest of your escape, the hat will come flying right off into the air, and it's back to the old bald head of Mendez.
1 A Familiar 2005 Song Returns
You might recall that the opening scene with Leon in the backseat chatting with the local police officers escorting him through the village used to have some music. The new intro omits it and gives a more ambient score, but it does show up again in a different part of the game. It's an upbeat guitar composition with trumpets and vocals called "The Drive - First Contact."
If you earn some bonus time with your keen sharpshooter skills at any of the shooting galleries around where the Merchant is stationed, you'll be rewarded with a new version of this song. The track builds slowly throughout, but once the bonus is triggered and the multicolored lights flash, the powerful vocals and classic trumpets follow immediately after.