When the news first broke of a Resident Evil 4 remake, there were many concerns that Capcom was taking on a task bigger than it was capable of delivering. The Japanese studio had been on a roll since 2017’s Resident Evil 7, and the remake of Resident Evil 2 was loved by many. However, tackling Resident Evil 4 would be a different beast entirely. The 2005 third-person shooter is one of the most influential video games of all time, with its over-the-shoulder camera and shooting mechanics inspiring an entire generation of games. If you’ve played a game with a third-person perspective since 2005, it likely had Resident Evil 4 to thank. Even massive industry hits today, like The Last of Us 2, likely wouldn’t be here in the same capacity if it weren’t for Capcom’s pivot from survival horror to a more action-focused experience.
Flash forward to 2023, and Capcom proved almost all the doubters wrong. The Resident Evil 4 remake was a smash success, selling 5 million copies in just 4 months and sitting on Metacritic at a solid 93 (the original scored a 96). Capcom used the recent resurgence in the Survival Horror genre – which it helped kick off by returning Resident Evil to its roots – to create a version of Resident Evil 4 that honours the original but also deviates in certain important ways. The combat felt like an extremely authentic replication of the original, and while the tone was a bit darker, there were still plenty of cheesy Resident Evil 4 moments.
The biggest change was the inclusion of more survival horror elements, with a massive increase in puzzles compared to the original, alongside a greater emphasis on ammo preservation. While the original Resident Evil 4 didn’t “kill the series” like some old-school ‘Resi’ diehards would have you believe, it certainly marked the game moving away from its roots. Capcom, against all odds, was able to remake Resident Evil 4 as a survival horror game without skipping out on any of the action. It was only a matter of time before the studio decided to release some additional content for what is undoubtedly a game-of-the-year contender.
Separate Ways was an additional mode added to the PS2 port of Resident Evil 4 in late 2005. It followed Ada Wong’s side of the story, revealing what she was doing in the Village and its surrounding areas during Leon’s mission to save Ashley. This mode mainly had Ada following Leon’s footsteps with only a few gameplay deviations and cutscenes featuring Albert Wesker to tell a slightly different version of events. Capcom had kept quiet about any potential Separate Ways DLC until the recent Sony State of Play, announcing the expansion would be available just a week later. Having now completed Ada’s story several times, it’s safe to confirm that it’s of the same quality as the base game. Capcom has done it again!
Separate Ways takes place across the Village, Castle, and Island locations of the main game, as expected. Like the original, it makes use of some of Leon’s levels, but this time it feels more than just an asset flip. Layouts and enemy variety have changed, and the puzzles that are scattered around these locations have also been remixed.
Ada controls similarly to Leon but has a few unique mechanics of her own. Her grapple hook is used to traverse the world and can also be used in combat to zip across and melee an enemy or to disarm a shielded combatant. Although the zip line is ‘on rails,’ it’s still a joy to watch Ada zip around like Capcom’s very own attempt at Spiderman. She is unbelievably cool, and there are several moments in Separate Ways that will have players gushing over her. What’s just as impressive is that we get some actual character development from Ada this time around. Ada Wong has always felt like a bit of a mystery for the sake of mystery. We never really get to see what her true agenda is or what she’s actually thinking in the original RE4. Thankfully, we see a little bit beneath Ada’s cold but cool exterior this time around, with hopefully more to come in future games. Although delivering a few clunky lines, Lily Gao brings a lot to this new version of Ada, and we look forward to seeing her grow alongside the character, who seems a bit more tired of working for evil than the Ada we’ve known previously.
Many of the sequences that were ‘missing’ from the remake return here: the waterways, the second El Gigante village fight, the laser corridor, and of course, the U3 boss fight. These moments are all put in much better context than they were in the original RE4, and it was the correct move to hold off on using them in the main game. It ensured that the pacing of Leon’s campaign was nearly perfect, and it also helped to beef up Ada’s campaign. As previously mentioned, the original was less of a full experience and more just a bonus mini-game aimed at shifting more units. Here, we get a lot of unique story and gameplay sequences as well as some potent hits of nostalgia. There are tough bosses, traditional puzzles, enthralling combat encounters, and bombastic setpieces throughout the expansion’s seven chapters. Everything you’d want from a Resident Evil experience is here!
The first playthrough clocks in at around 4-6 hours, depending on skill level and how often you stop to smell the roses. The add-on is also packed with challenges and unlockables for Ada, similar to the base game and other RE remakes. Going back through Resident Evil campaigns to speedrun and attempt specific objectives is one of the best things about the series, and it’s great to see Capcom is still dedicated to delivering endgame content like this, even in DLC. The Mercenaries mode also received a free update, adding Ada, Wesker, and Leon & Ada variations, as well as a new ‘Docks’ stage. Ranking S+ on every stage with every character unlocks the ultimate reward for the RE4 remake – an iconic costume for Leon that we won’t reveal here.
Separate Ways complements an already phenomenal base game to deliver the ultimate Resident Evil 4 experience, and at just £7.99/$9.99, the DLC is incredible value for money. If you’ve not yet played the Resident Evil 4 remake, there is no better time than now. If you already have, there is no better time to go back than now.