In the original Resident Evil 4, Ashley often felt like a simple, slightly inhuman gameplay mechanic, with Leon Kennedy constantly barking “wait” and “follow me” at her, and an instant game over occurring if she sustained even a single stray bullet. With the Resident Evil 4 Remake release date just around the corner, fresh RE4 gameplay shows a much-improved dynamic and system between Leon and Ashley, helping the Capcom horror game feel more alive than ever.
As we saw in our new Resident Evil 4 preview, first of all, Leon and Ashley actually talk now during gameplay. She’s not just a silent, robotic resource that you need to manage; she feels like an actual companion, gasping with fear, reacting to the Ganados, and speaking with Leon about what they should do next.
If you remember Ellie in The Last of Us, and how she would dynamically respond to what Joel and the player were doing, the relationship between Leon and Ashley now seems like it’s forged through play rather than just cutscenes.
Secondly, Ashley now responds a lot more naturally during gunfights and battles. In the original Resident Evil 4, telling her to “wait” mean she simply stood, ramrod still, awaiting your next command even if she was surrounded by a swarm of Ganados. Now, Leon can either tell Ashley to stay close or “give him some space,” which will send her dashing away from the skirmish to seek cover.
Based on what we’ve seen, in new gameplay footage provided to PCGamesN, Ashley makes a much more human effort to avoid danger. To put it simply, she behaves much more like a person, and feels like an authentic part of the entire Resident Evil 4 experience – not just a mechanical, ongoing escort quest who occasionally talks during cinematics.
You’ll want the full Resident Evil 4 system requirements so you’re prepared for launch day, or maybe some of the best survival games to tide you over in the meantime.