Resident Evil 4 Remake VR Review (PSVR2) – It’s been a huge delight for Resident Evil fans to watch Capcom lovingly remake one of its most historic series, even if it still skipped over the first one.
The consolation of course is that starting with Resident Evil 2 got us to Resident Evil 4 sooner, and now not only do we have an excellent remake of Resident Evil 4, it can be played entirely in VR on PlayStation VR2.
Which is by far one of the best ways to experience Resident Evil 4, even if you’re experiencing it like this for the first time ever, which, I was. Sort of.
Resident Evil 4 Remake VR Review (PSVR2) – A Thrill Ride From Start To Finish
Federal Agent Leon Kennedy
The thing that VR is able to do a lot more easily than its non-VR contemporaries is immerse players in the world they’re entering, and put them in the shoes of the game’s protagonist.
Without hyperbole, you really do feel like you’re Leon Kennedy while playing. Resident Evil 4 Remake in VR is like playing as the star in one of the best action movies ever, with some really incredible scares along the way.
I might just be discovering how amazing Resident Evil 4 is, but most already know it’s a great game, and what’s more is that there are already VR versions of the original available to players.
Being able to play this remake version in VR however is a special thing because you experience the game’s biggest set-pieces and its scariest moments in a version of this classic title that looks better than it ever had.
I do have to point out though that on multiple occasions in the playthrough, you’re removed from your first-person view of what Leon is doing, be it during melee finishing attacks, turning a wheel, catching Ashley, opening a door, and every time you get knocked on your butt by any of the massive enemies you’ll face off against.
For that last point, and the melee attacks, I’m thankful to watch Leon do it, and not suffer the motion sickness that would go along with that.
The rest of the time though, I couldn’t help but feel like it was always a small immersion break, but the kind of immersion break akin to something crazy happening in an action movie that’s so over-the-top, it reminds you that you’re watching a movie.
Which isn’t the worst kind but it was noticeable, considering the amount of times you’re opening doors throughout the whole game.
Even with that, it’s incredible just how well this VR mode is able to really bring you into the world of Resident Evil 4.
Remember Rookie, Knives Are Faster
Part of what makes Resident Evil 4 such a spectacular time is the combat, and the variety of weapons you’ll be able to use, and Leon’s trusty knife.
Though the knife can break in the remake, unlike in the original, that only adds to the ‘survival’ part of Resident Evil 4’s survival horror package.
In VR, being able to slash the arm off of a charging enemy, or accurately deflecting the swing of an axe before countering with a melee attack and then turning the knife around to deliver a fatal blow to your enemies throat takes on a new level of fun.
Doing all of this with your own hands and arms, with each sensation wonderfully translated through the Sense controller’s haptic feedback never stopped feeling cool.
Reaching for my knife was always my first thought if I didn’t want to risk fumbling the reload on my weapon. Which, should be pointed out that the animations for every reload looked great in VR and all felt instinctive.
There was also a tactile feeling to everything you did to interact with your weapons, from reloading to aiming down sight, even to flipping your knife around in your hand to be ready for a stealth kill.
I also have to point out that anytime you had to deflect a chainsaw swinging enemy with your knife just looked and felt way, way cooler in VR then possible from a third-person, over the shoulder perspective.
Everything about the combat was just cooler to execute in VR, it made even the opening sections of the game I had already experienced feel entirely new.
I Too, Love Thrill Rides
I, like Ashley, also love thrill rides, and that’s exactly what playing this game in VR is. A point made abundantly clear by Chapter 11, if you haven’t already felt it by then.the
The mine cart section specifically in VR felt like a revelation in how fun VR could be. It was like playing the best on-rails shooter without needing to be at an arcade, or at an extremely expensive amusement park where you waited over an hour for a 4 minute experience.
Players familiar with RE4 can also imagine that the final segment of the game is also made much cooler and more fun in VR, and the same goes for the earlier boat sequence fighting the creature in the lake.
Resident Evil 4 was already an amazing game, and Capcom has excellently translated that into an immersive experience that elevates an already great game’s best moments.
That’s why if you have the PS VR2, it’s essential you play this game in VR, whether or not you’ve played it before. That’s why it’s a thrill ride every time you put the headset on to return to it.
The Best VR Resident Evil Experience In 2023
Even though Resident Evil 4 Remake’s VR mode didn’t make it in time for this year’s Game Awards, and it was Resident Evil Village walking away with the award for VR/AR Game Of The Year, the real answer is now Resident Evil 4.
Village is an excellent game in its own right, and in many ways very different from RE4. They both execute well on different things, for example I’d argue Village is able to be scarier throughout its whole campaign, especially in VR.
Due to how amplified the combat is in RE4, I didn’t feel tense or scared for most of the campaign, not until late-game sections that leaned more towards horror than action.
But there’s absolutely nothing like the set-pieces in Resident Evil 4 in Village, and it’s clear that Capcom is only further refining its VR chops with each new Resident Evil iteration.
If anything my only complaint is that there aren’t some deeper elements of interactivity that can be found in other VR versions of Resident Evil 4, like how you can use the typewriter in the 2021 Ocuclus Quest 2 release.
It also needs to be said that the intuitive UI and how you handled crafting, inlaying gemstones, solving puzzles all in VR felt seamless. Of course not every puzzle directly benefited from being played in VR, but those that did really stood out.
For those who have a PS VR2, and already have Resident Evil 4 Remake, playing this is a must, especially since you simply need to download the free update for the VR mode.
If you have a PS VR2 and don’t have Resident Evil 4 Remake, then you’d be wise to make this your holiday VR game, especially since it’s currently on sale.
And finally if you have neither, but are reading reviews for PS VR2 games because you want to find at least one game that gives you a reason to make the financial dive into VR with your PS5, then you’d be in good hands if you kicked off your VR journey with Resident Evil 4 Remake.
Resident Evil 4 Remake VR is now available on PS5 and PS VR2.
Review code kindly provided by publisher.