I forgot just how hard these old Resident Evil games were. I remember being a bit too young when Resident Evil 2 came out, but I was allowed to play it. I couldn’t grasp the concept of not spraying ammunition into zombies, something that made my time with Resi short-lived in my youth. Older, maybe wiser, the modern Resident Evil, The Village, was more to my taste. But today, the demo for Resident Evil 4’s remake launched, and all my memories of being awful at games came rushing back.
What is Resident Evil 4: Chainsaw Demo?
The Chainsaw Demo is the name given to the demo for the Resident Evil 4 remake. It’s dropped today and features unlimited gameplay. That means no time limit and enjoy this run-through to your heart’s content. Enjoy is a strong word perhaps.
In this demo, you return as Leon from Resident Evil 2. Your goal, I guess, is to clear the infected village and the demo’s eponymous saw-wielding mega-monster, intent on cutting you into wee bits.
I can already sense that I’m being too negative, so I need to stop and say the demo is beautiful. This is a total rebuild, not just a remaster. I’ll get into my run though in one second, but first. You can expect the Resident Evil Remake to launch on March 24th on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 and PC through Steam.
But now, to my experience.
Resident Evil 4 Remake: First Opinions
I’m going to say my first mistake was playing this on PC. I’m eager to give my graphics card a run-out when I can. But this demo is very much controller-focused and not designed for a mouse and keyboard. It works and all, but from the get-go, you’re choosing controller layouts and it’s all controller based.
The aiming is quite tough when using the mouse to control your view. Again, some tinkering in the settings might well solve this, but that was my first experience.
But, going back to the graphics. The game is beautiful. I maxed out as much as I could and got to enjoy a game that looks as clean as any title I’ve seen to date. As I said, this isn’t a remaster, it’s a rebuild, though the PC version does very much look like a console port. Even if that is the case, the Hunter’s Lodge could take you an hour alone to explore. If you’re brave enough to soak in the horrific ambiance.
Beyond that, the memories of my previous failures did come rushing back. This is a classic Resi game where you shouldn’t shoot unless you absolutely have to. You collect and craft different items to make more medical and ammunition usable, but ultimately, you’re better off running and dodging than engaging.
Still, there’s enough in this demo to whet even my appetite. Maybe this is the classic Resi game that gets me into the classics and away from the apparently more forgiving modern versions of the game.
As I’ve already mentioned, the full version of the game will launch on March 24th on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 and PC through Steam. My early opinion is, play on console or with a controller on PC.
