Ever since the remake of Resident Evil 3 came out, rumors have been high on the possibility of Resident Evil 4 getting remade next. So far, these rumors have amounted to two announcements. One, a VR version of the game was recently announced. It’s a remake in a sense. Many fans consider this the closest thing to a remake of Resident Evil 4 that they will get.
The other answer is that this info could have been related to Resident Evil Village. Some leakers may have thought it was a remake of the fourth game instead which is not hard to see why. Both games are very similar, and in a way Village feels like a spiritual successor to Resident Evil 4, so let’s see how.
8 Vague European Region
Resident Evil 4 took place in some vague portion of Europe around Spain. The language was a dead giveaway. The reason why it was never named properly was probably because the developers at Capcom didn’t want to upset any particular nation and or wanted the freedom to design the game how they wanted without restrictions. The same was probably true for Resident Evil Village. Besides the village, there was also a later castle in Resident Evil 4 which this game actually starts out with more than that game.
7 The Merchant
While there was a shop to buy stuff from in Resident Evil 5, there was no merchant equivalent. It was just a menu. Resident Evil 4 and this game then are the only two that actually share a shopkeeper. As great as The Merchant was in Resident 4 thanks to his catchphrases and mysterious aura, he has been surpassed by Resident Evil Village’s The Duke. Not only is he more charismatic, he also helps Ethan in the story and does a better job fitting in.
6 Barricading Paths
The opening to both games are very similar. Instead of Spanish speaking villagers trying to kill Leon in town, Ethan is hunted by villagers turned into werewolves. In order to survive better, Ethan can barricade his surroundings with shelves in order to protect himself and get cleaner shots at his foes. Resident Evil 5 also did this mechanic to be fair, but the other two games are still closer for comparison.
5 Tetris Inventory
Leon has a suitcase to put his items and equipment in. That meant anything usable by the player, but not key items. How that makes sense is beyond anyone’s guess but the same style of suitcase returns in Resident Evil Village.
There is one big difference in that the starting suitcase was bigger than Leon’s starting suitcase. This meant less time playing Tetris in order to rearrange things to make them fit properly which made the journey overall less frustrating in Resident Evil Village.
4 Boats And Fish Monsters
One of the most iconic boss fights in Resident Evil 4 had Leon steering a boat on a lake and chucking harpoons at a giant fish monster. There is no aquatic boss fight with a fish monster in this game. Not exactly that is. There are boats in Resident Evil Village and there still is a giant fish boss. The way the boss fight plays out is much different though which is for the better. It kept players on their toes.
3 Parasites
The Mold visually looks very distinct in Resident Evil VII, the first game it showed up in. In this game, there are bosses and or creatures that have similar features to what the Las Plagues parasites look like in Resident Evil 4.
They basically look how one would think an alien parasite would look like if one were to imagine a design from scratch. Some examples in this game include the connections Donna makes with her dolls and Moreau’s transformations. Why they look different in Resident Evil VII is not fully explained but this game is tentacle heavy.
2 Mercenaries Mode
This is a vague connection between the two games although it is still worth exploring. Resident Evil 4 was not the first game to implement a Mercenaries mode. That was was Resident Evil 3: Nemesis although Resident Evil 2 technically had a similar mode as well. The point is, this feature was missing from many games in the series since Resident Evil 4 which was a big surprise to learn that it was back. This game's version definitely has some good unlocks including what is basically a lightsaber.
1 Save The Girl Plot
Leon is tasked with rescuing the President’s daughter in Resident Evil 4. Ethan’s main goal in a Resident Evil Village then is to save his daughter Rose. How these two plots play out is much different but the basic goal is the same. Thankfully there are no escort missions in this game because as great as Resident Evil 4 was and still is, escorting Ashley around could be a pain sometimes.
Although there could have been a way for Ethan to carry Rose around in like a front-facing backpack or something. The Mandalorian made it work with Baby Yoda and that was essentially an escort mission turned into a show. Giving Ethan a baby to care for would have added to his character, something that he still didn't really have between both this game and Resident Evil VII.