While the gaming industry is generally bullish about the future, some gamers love retro nostalgia, as evidenced by the recent Resident Evil 4 fan "demake" that has gotten more attention. One of the things that are trending right now is a modern take on a classic version. There have been many successful remakes, including RE4, that show how far video games have come over the years, while still paying homage to the gaming era of yesteryear.
With Capcom's reimagined Resident Evil 4 selling millions of dollars shortly after its release, not to mention Bloober Team's upcoming remake of Silent Hill 2, there's certainly room for old and new to meld. However, while it's nice to see what games from 10, 15, or even 20 years ago looked like in this day and age, there are still many studios and fans interested in seeing what happens when the clock is turned back.
Recently, YouTuber Denver Gamer uploaded a video of themselves playing what appears to be some NES/Genesis style platformer, perhaps not too far off from Castlevania or Metal Slug. However, this isn't a retro game, but a Resident Evil 4 fan project that turns the title into something from a bygone era. Like many older games, the project called Bio Evil 4 features a lot of side-scrolling and platforming and brutal gameplay mechanics. Viewers will get to see Denver Gamer's troubles in this first installment of "Go Imagine," one of the most iconic RE games of all time.
The interesting thing about Bio Evil 4 is that it was actually released a few years ago, with the last update from 2018, well before Capcom's official remake hit digital and physical shelves. While there have been downgrades of Resident Evil 4 games in the past, the game, developed by Itch.io users Gypopothomas and AwesEmz, seems to have gotten more attention recently. While looking at the download page, there have been a few comments recently left by fans interested in trying out demake, probably because RE4 is back in the game's spotlight.
As one of the most influential horror franchises in the history of video games, the name Resident Evil left a huge impact on the entire industry. Starting in 1996, it's hard to imagine the franchise still going strong 27 years later, but recent remakes, anticipated new entries, and fan creations like the Bio Evil 4 demake show that gamers want more from Capcom's flagship. Get more in the franchise.
Resident Evil 4 is out now on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
