Resident Evil 4 is the best horror game of 2023

Resident Evil 4 was one of the best games of 2005, and it's one of the best games of 2023 too

How many explosions can you insert into a game while still managing to achieve a horror atmosphere? That’s the question Resident Evil 4’s 2023 remake sets out to answer, the line it endeavors to find. And as it turns out, you can have as many explosions as you want, as long as you remember to pace them properly.

The modern Resident Evil games follow a pretty simple formula: start with an underpowered protagonist in over their head, slowly drip feed the player with confidence and gear, and then periodically once again throw that protag in over their head.

The original Resident Evil 4 set this formula in stone with its opening village level. Leon enters the village outskirts, takes out a handful of villagers, picks up a few grenades, and then heads into the village itself to find dozens of enemies and a miniboss encounter. It’s pitch-perfect, spiking your heartrate at all the right moments to keep up the intensity before backing off entirely and letting the player soak in the quiet.

Resident Evil 4 Remake review: I’ll buy it at a high price

Leon is cooler than ever, the dork / Capcom

It was incredible in 2005, and it’s incredible now, but there are a few key differences. Yes, it all looks a lot nicer, but Leon’s knife skills have been improved, with stealth kills and one of the best parry systems since Sekiro. These are amazing, but Leon’s new talents also mean that the average enemy can be tougher and more aggressive. It means that even though you have more options and tools than ever before to get out of tough situations, you won’t be able to walk through with ease.

Everything you remember from Resident Evil 4 is present in the remake – though some bits have been reworked into the Separate Ways DLC campaign – but changed and tweaked. With almost two decades of hindsight the developers at Capcom have been able to isolate the best parts of Resident Evil 4 and distill them, while the sections that weren’t quite as strong have been reworked and streamlined to showcase only the best moments.

Ashley's characters is better fleshed out and far more human / Capcom

From front to back, Resident Evil 4 has hardly any blemishes. Unique levels and locales, an evolving cast of monsters to gun down, some great puzzles, and plenty of secrets to seek out. Alan Wake 2 makes a strong case for horror game of the year, but when it comes to slick mechanics and a bombastic adventure, Resident Evil 4 just has it beat on every point.

Even the post-game mode The Mercenaries is one of the best examples of a ganado-gunning minigame there ever has been in Resident Evil. It’s truly best-in-class stuff for third-person shooters, and the spooky skin will have you on edge throughout.

The Separate Ways DLC completes the package / Capcom

Action games don’t get much better than Resident Evil 4, and neither do horror games. It might not always have you spooked, but I can guarantee that it will have your heart racing. That’s why it’s the best horror game of 2023.