Resident Evil 4 has stood the test of time as one of the great classics of the fifth generation. The game itself is an intoxicating blend of action and thrills. For speedrunner Satoshi_RTA, it is also the home of a new world record speedrun.
Satoshi_RTA’s 1-hour, 34-minute, and 18-second run is the latest world record for a game that is nearing 20 years of age. Despite the recent remake, there is still plenty to admire and love about the speedrunning community that has developed around Resident Evil 4.
If you’re interested in learning how to speedrun this classic, there are certainly plenty of resources available. Before diving into the main event, let’s take a closer look at the speedrunning history behind the game, as well as explore why gamers adore it so much.
What Is Resident Evil 4?
Resident Evil 4 is the fourth mainline game in the long-running Resident Evil series. The series itself has been of Capcom’s most cherished franchises since its introduction for the PlayStation. Resident Evil 4 has quite a turbulent history surrounding its development.
- The 2004 classic brought to the modern era
- Mercenaries mode provides hours of fun for players after beating the campaign
- Play as Leon Kennedy while searching for the President's daughter
Many attempts to get the game off the ground resulted in quite a few other beloved games. Believe it or not, even Devil May Cry started as an attempt at taking a new spin on the franchise. Resident Evil 4 was originally launched for the Nintendo Gamecube in 2004.
It was a smash hit upon arrival and has been one of the most beloved entries in a series with dozens of titles. Capcom even took the uneasy task of remaking the game in full, which was released earlier in 2023.
A Brief History of RE4 Speedrunning
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RE4 has quite a diverse scene surrounding its speed-running community. If the game has been ported to a console, you can pretty much guarantee you can speedrun it.
There are categories for the original version on the Nintendo Gamecube, the Wii, Wii U, Switch, PS4, and just about every console you can imagine.
Each of these have their own highly competitive leaderboards, some with records dating back nearly a decade. Speedrunners have further sub-categories with difficulty levels, New Game or New Game+, and challenge categories.
Arguably the most competitive category you’ll see is New Game on Professional difficulty. For many, this is how the game is meant to be played. Satoshi_RTA holds the current record on the PS4, but you’ll find other entrants like Spartanfinix117 on the PS5.
As the game is nearly 20 years old, there are plenty of resources available for gamers to use for starting their own speedruns. Optimal routes for each port, the tech you’ll need to master, and every other conceivable variable has been accounted for.
Really, all it’ll come down to is the amount of dedication you’re willing to give to master the game to this level.
Other Games Like Resident Evil 4 You Might Enjoy
A natural place to start looking for other games similar to Resident Evil 4 is just to look at the rest of the series. For better or worse, RE4 helped codify the standard of gameplay that has been a staple of the series since 2004.
- Follow protagonist Ethan Winters on a journey to find his daughter
- Terrifying gameplay in first person perspective
- Third person camera optional with included DLC
Resident Evil Village is a great place to start and is a more action-packed entry. Gamers play as Ethan Winters as he traverses a nightmarish Eastern European setting in search of his daughter.
The recent Resident Evil 2 remake revisits series mainstay Leon S. Kennedy as a rookie police officer tossed to the wolves in the midst of a zombie invasion.
- Follow protagonists Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy through a zombie outbreak
- Stunning visuals that reimagine the PS1 classic
- Action-packed gameplay with a horror twist
The Resident Evil 4 remake is also a great entry in the series and modernizes the classic game with a few new twists to the formula. Gamers will recognize set pieces, but RE4’s remake leans into horror.
- Revamped gameplay that stays true to the original
- Updated graphics and dialogue
- Survival horror elements are heightened
- New customization options and knife maneuvers
Of course, the classic RE4 is still a great option; there is plenty to explore without exhausting all your options.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Rokas Tenys/Shutterstock.com.
