Allowing an enemy to get too close opens up a couple of options. Players can move or run away to avoid the attack. Some games, like Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil: Village, allow players to block, so they can mitigate some incoming damage. Lastly, players can use close-range weapons like the Shotgun to stun or eliminate the threat. Failing to do any of these actions results in players taking the full brunt of an enemy’s attack. Attacks usually come in two forms: a preset attack animation by the enemy that doesn’t take control away from players and a grapple animation where players momentarily lose control. The remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 had their own takes on grapples, but Resident Evil 4 looks like a chance for Capcom to improve on the franchise’s close-range options.
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Sacrificing Resources For Survival
When players are grappled by an enemy in Resident Evil 2, they can sacrifice some of their resources to escape. Sticking an enemy with a knife does a small amount of damage and reduces the weapon’s durability (unless it is the Unbreakable Knife), but it can be picked up from the foe’s body if it goes down. Shoving a hand grenade towards a grappling foe deals a lot of damage to them as well as surrounding enemies. Lastly, tossing a flash grenade doesn’t deal that much damage, but it stuns any enemy in the blast radius for a good amount of time - giving players a chance to counterattack or escape. No matter what resource players decide to utilize, they will be able to break free of the grapple unscathed.
Ducking, Diving, And Struggling
Resident Evil 3 takes one step forward and another step back in terms of grapple escapes. The sequel retains the same escape techniques from Resident Evil 2, but it also includes a new Dodge mechanic that helps players avoid being grappled altogether by pressing a button just as they are being attacked. The mechanic can be finicky due to its timing and animations, but with enough practice, players will be able to trivialize the game by abusing the Dodge’s invincibility frames.
Where Resident Evil 3 fails is in the implementation of the new struggle mechanic. When grappled without a knife, hand grenade, or flash grenade, players are prompted to mash a button. Upon first experiencing it, players might think that this action allows them to escape. In reality, however, all it does is slightly mitigate the damage done to them (much like a block does in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard or Resident Evil: Village). Those who don’t understand this mechanic might find the action pointless as there is no indication that the damage being done to them is minimized. Since Resident Evil 3 uses the same vague health system as Resident Evil 2 (that being the Fine, Caution, and Danger electrocardiogram), players can’t quantify how much health they are losing.
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The Resident Evil 4 Remake Gives Leon A Chance To Show His Stuff
The original Resident Evil 4 does away with the past games’ electrocardiogram health system and gives Leon a more quantifiable, segmented health bar. It also makes the past Resident Evil 2 protagonist more capable. In addition to surviving the events of Raccoon City, Leon has undergone extensive training with the U.S. government and thus is able to handle himself in tense situations. Leon can now use a wide variety of firearms, is more adept at finding solutions to puzzles, and above all else, is more physically capable.
This physicality presents itself multiple times throughout Resident Evil 4. Leon can move heavy objects, run absurdly fast, and deliver punches and kicks that can rival an experienced martial artist. Being grappled in the original Resident Evil 4 triggers a similar struggle mechanic like the one found in the Resident Evil 3 remake, but successfully doing it allows Leon to pull off a smooth counterattack. This can either stun or outright kill the grappling enemy. When paired with Leon’s ability to capitalize on stunned enemies with a suplex or roundhouse kick, players can cut through swathes of enemies without using too much ammo.
Seeing as the Resident Evil 4 remake is supposed to stay true to the original’s more action-focused tone, the game should give Leon just as many close combat options. Capcom will no doubt still use the same grapple escape mechanic from the Resident Evil 2 remake, but it could refine the struggling mechanic used in the Resident Evil 3 remake. Players who get caught in a grapple without a specific resource still get damaged, but they should be able to turn their misfortune into an opportunity to attack. Having Leon pull off a stun attack by completing a quick time event is a great way to characterize him as well as allow players to regain control of the situation.
Capcom already has a fine blueprint by way of the original Resident Evil 4; all it has to do is implement the same mechanics in a way that fits with its vision for a modern retelling of the story. A more experienced Leon should come with gameplay elements that allow players to feel stronger than they did playing Resident Evil 2. Since close combat is the franchise’s weak point, this is the perfect opportunity for the developers to revisit and refine the ideas they had in past games.
Resident Evil 4 remake releases on March 24, 2023, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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