Resident Evil 4: Separate Methods DLC Overview

Resident Evil 4 positive is aware of the way to set the tone: the remake’s intro sees Leon slowly advancing by creepy woods and rotting, ominous homes, culminating within the horrifying crescendo that’s the notorious village assault. However with that groundwork already laid, The Separate Methods DLC has no want for such a gradual build-up, and well wastes little or no time shifting into excessive gear: we’re put up in opposition to an especially imposing boss mere minutes after taking management of Ada Wong, the star of this present. In reality, although it solely took me simply over 4 hours to finish this aspect story’s seven chapters, Separate Methods hardly ever wastes a second of your time, and proves to be a extremely entertaining curler coaster that features some very satisfying new takes on concepts from its authentic 2005 inspiration.

The story of our cool and competent covert operative runs mainly parallel to that of Leon Kennedy’s quest to seek out the President’s daughter in a distant Spanish village, and whereas their paths usually intersect in attention-grabbing methods, it’s the targets that Ada follows on behalf of a well-known shadowy determine – and a few revelations that ought to shock even those that know the unique’s story inside and outside – that make her journey price taking part in. 

The place the unique included quite a lot of “Go assist Leon earlier than he dies a nasty dying” duties, the remake’s Separate Methods really feel extra like a plausible arc of Ada having to decide on between leaving feelings on the door and placing the mission first, all whereas lending her personal model of help (however nonetheless in search of a method to make use of the scenario to her benefit later). Ada’s story in Separate Methods additionally has extra room to breathe than it did within the 2005 model, with much less concentrate on retelling Leon’s story from a distinct angle, and extra about her rising reluctance to place her consumer earlier than her allies. 

The fights stand out from what Leon has to cope with.

Somewhat than having Ada largely comply with Leon’s acquainted story path and occasions as the unique Separate Methods did, this explicit model does an exemplary job of giving Ada her personal adversaries to take care of in quite a lot of methods. Proper from the get-go, Ada’s personal non-public antagonist within the type of a relentless, black-robed monstrosity that stalks her for an excellent portion of the story. The fights you may have stand out from what Leon has to cope with, at the same time as you end up in acquainted areas. There’s an exquisite vary of encounters — from zipping between rooftops to keep away from an El Gigante’s assaults, to panicked escapes from unstoppable killing machines. With Ada’s story being as condensed as it’s in comparison with what Leon goes by, each encounter stays quick and recent, repeat performances really feel exceedingly uncommon, and each boss struggle has a brand new shock.

You’ll revisit lots of the identical areas seen by Leon throughout Separate Methods, and whereas that won’t sound thrilling, Capcom makes good use of acquainted terrain by altering the context — usually having you struggle by enemies going a distinct route than Leon did — which supplies new ambush factors, enemy surprises, and new pathways to be taught that weren’t there earlier than. I particularly preferred how some locations that have been largely a lull within the motion for Leon, just like the outdated manufacturing facility and village chief’s home, had totally different foes ready for Ada this time round.

Nonetheless, Separate Methods isn’t solely content material to retread outdated floor, and a few attention-grabbing selections are made on when to ship Ada off into uncharted territory. These locations may not be too wildly off the overwhelmed path, however they do make for some entertaining moments, equivalent to turning a nook and realizing you’re truly proper above an space that Leon will arrive at quickly after, letting you watch a well-known cutscene from a really totally different viewpoint. Whereas some cutscenes will clearly play out simply as they did from Leon’s perspective, there have been loads of enjoyable twists on seeing precisely what Ada and Luis have been doing when one among them contacted Leon on the radio. Regardless that you’ll be able to’t precisely alter future and staff up instantly, it was all the time cool to listen to Leon combating off hordes of villagers close by, or listening to faint crying whereas scaling a church rooftop. 

There have been loads of enjoyable twists on seeing precisely what Ada and Luis have been doing.

I’m additionally extraordinarily happy to announce that if — like me — you have been bummed about sure scenic spots from the 2005 Resident Evil 4 not showing in RE4 Remake, it’s possible you’ll vastly take pleasure in how Separate Methods manages to seek out surprising methods to sprinkle recognizable sewers, gondolas, and high-tech labs into Ada’s path.

Ada herself isn’t any slouch, and advantages from all the identical options that Leon enjoys in RE4 Remake along with some nifty new devices of her personal. She will sneak, slit throats, parry, and kick simply in addition to Leon, and her distinctive grapple gun permits her to zip-kick straight to a shocked enemy as if she have been a visitor character in a Batman Arkham recreation. I discovered it extremely helpful, utilizing it to zip previous swarms trying to pin me down and scatter them like bowling pins, pulling off headshots all of the whereas. The grapple gun additionally works to rapidly platform throughout areas in a rush, and although it solely attaches in very particular spots, it gave me new methods to maneuver round lots of the bigger open areas and let me pull off maneuvers like grappling throughout the fort’s courtyard maze to intercept a fleeing zealot, or escaping rapidly once I was backed right into a nook.

The Batman similarities do not cease there.

The Batman similarities don’t cease there: when Ada isn’t zipping throughout rooftops like Leon Kennedy’s model of the Darkish Knight, she additionally employs her personal detective imaginative and prescient mode with particular contact lenses to unravel a number of puzzles. Sadly, none of that is wherever close to as flashy because the grapple gun, and greater than as soon as I used to be informed to unravel the thrilling thriller of “comply with these particular footprints alongside a really simple path.” A part of me needs there was extra that might be accomplished with the gadget, however I’m additionally glad these easier puzzle concepts have been used sparingly sufficient that it didn’t wreck the pacing.

Except for having to sometimes get her informant Luis Sera out of hassle, Ada isn’t constrained by the ebb and circulation of RE4 Remake’s primary story. There’s no helpless woman to haul round or somber moments of relaxation and reflection earlier than the following leg of the journey, and Separate Methods takes full benefit of this by hardly ever dialing issues down. In her quest to accumulate a specimen for her consumer, there’s hardly ever a uninteresting second. You possibly can nonetheless chat up the mysterious Service provider and improve Ada’s distinctive shotgun and explosive bow, and there’s oodles of treasure to seek out by recognizing chests and hanging objects, however I respect that Separate Methods doesn’t attempt to gradual its momentum with taking pictures vary minigames (although Ada can nonetheless purchase charms to achieve passive bonuses, which is a good contact). There are even a number of service provider requests to tackle when you do wish to take issues slower; my favourite was looking for a number of camouflaged Novistadors in an space earlier than transferring on, which required cautious scanning of partitions and ceilings (with the assistance of a bio-sensor).

There’s hardly ever a uninteresting second.

Whereas the story is destined to finish with Leon’s showdown with Saddler, I respect that Capcom didn’t draw back from giving Ada an opportunity to shine on her personal, culminating in a one-two punch of a satisfying solo boss struggle, and a behind the scenes race to assist Leon ship the killing blow that matched the heart-pounding tempo of Leon’s eventual escape from the island. There’s even some added context to Ada’s ending we don’t see from Leon’s viewpoint, and it’s left me intrigued about what the developer has in retailer for his or her inevitable Resident Evil 5 Remake.