Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4 in its 2023 form isn't just a redrawn original but a rebuild that preserves the pacing of its source while rewriting nearly every situation. Leon S. Kennedy heads to a remote Spanish village to find the president's daughter, and instead of zombies he's greeted by villagers controlled by a parasite, who can open doors, flank him, and work together. The game rests on resource management: every round of ammunition counts, a limited-space case forces you to choose between healing items and munitions, and the merchant offers weapon upgrades that fundamentally change your playstyle. New additions include a knife with its own durability, full-fledged parrying, and the option to proceed quietly, turning what was an action game into a surprisingly tactical affair.

On Xbox Series X|S the game runs on the RE Engine and ranks among the technically cleanest titles of its generation. There's a higher-resolution mode and a smoothness-priority mode, optional ray tracing, and very fast loading. Lighting is the real star: the cone of a flashlight in caves, flickering torches in the church, and scenes where darkness isn't just an effect but an obstacle. Sound works with space — footsteps overhead, distant calls of villagers, and sudden silence that announces the arrival of an unexpected foe. The music enters sparingly, which only makes it hit harder during the chases.

The 2005 original, with its over-the-shoulder view, practically defined the modern third-person action game, and its influence can be seen in dozens of successors. The new version pulled off something rare: it embraced changed player expectations without giving up the source material's rough pacing and playfulness. Both critics and players received it very well, and it regularly comes up in discussions of the best remakes ever made. Today it's one of the most easily recommendable games on Xbox Series X|S: just the right length, well paced, and even after finishing it, tempting you back for another run on a harder difficulty.