Resident Evil 4 Remake is reviewed (again)

Capcom Resident Evil 4 the remake is facing a review bombardment on Steam, nearly three years after its initial release. Players are voicing their displeasure with Resident Evil 4 remake after Capcom released an update that changed the game's DRM, significantly affecting its performance.

After launch in 2023 Resident Evil 4 the remake received critical acclaim, earning a massive Top Critic average of 92 on review aggregator OpenCritic, with 98% of critics recommending the game. Reviews on Resident Evil 4 the remake praised its fidelity to the original, while still improving the game in important ways. One area of significant improvement was Ashley's defending mechanic, which was extremely annoying in the 2005 original. WITH Resident Evil 4 being widely regarded as one of the best survival horror games of all time, it was no small feat that Capcom actually managed to improve it with a remake. But one recent update shifted the reception of the game among the PC community.

The Resident Evil 4 remake set a special precedent for future remake bosses

The Resident Evil 4 remake made a few changes, and one of the biggest shakeups with the boss fight could inform other remakes.

New Resident Evil 4 Remake DRM Sparks Steam Review Bombing

Update to Resident Evil 4 the PC remake replaced Denuvo's DRM with Enigma, causing quite a stir among the community. A YouTube video by user ItalicMaze points out that players are now suffering significantly worse average FPS after the addition of Enigma DRM, even though nothing else has changed in the game. This sentiment was also echoed in the game's Steam reviews, with many players reporting performance drops after the update. “Capcom decided to implement a new DRM checker called Enigma that seriously affected overall performance,” one review said. “I have no idea why an old game needs this, but then again, Capcom treats paying customers horribly.” Another review pointed out that the game was previously “one of the best examples of game optimization done right” and was now “out of the blue crippled by the Enigma Protector DRM that replaced Denuvo”.

Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)

Despite the flurry of negative reviews since the show's performance, the overall impact has been minimal so far. At the time of writing, overall reviews of the game remain “Overwhelmingly Positive”, and recent reviews have dropped to only “Very Positive”. However, if this resistance continues in the coming days, this could change, reflecting the negative sentiment of late. It would be a shame to see one of the best Resident Evil games always experience a shift in reception so long after their release, especially given their massive popularity prior to that. Capcom has yet to comment on the performance issues players are experiencing with the new Enigma DRM, or whether it plans to revert to Denuvo in the future.

DRM is generally a tricky subject for publishers. Even Denuvo is extremely unpopular with players and its inclusion in the game is usually considered controversial. The popularity of GOG's DRM-free store on PC is an example of how gamers try to avoid DRM wherever possible.

The Resident Evil the franchise now has a lot of fans to look forward to. Released by Capcom later this month Resident Evil Requiemthe ninth main game in the series, with Leon Kennedy returning alongside new protagonist Grace Ashcroft, and a return to Raccoon City on the horizon. A recent ESRB leak suggested: Resident Evil 5 a remake is just around the corner. Due to the critical and commercial success of the previous one Resident Evil remakes, another stab at the fifth game in the series is a no-brainer for Capcom.