Resident Evil 4 Separate Ways Review

The highly anticipated remake of Resident Evil 4 was released earlier this year to near-universal acclaim, although there was a common criticism of the game. While the Resident Evil 4 Remake received much praise for successfully modernizing the classic RE4 experience, there was no escaping the fact that it simply had less content than its predecessors. The Resident Evil 4 Remake was released without the "Mercenaries" mode, without "Assignment Ada," and most disappointingly of all, without "Separate Ways."

Separate Ways is a side scenario featuring Ada Wong as the main character, showcasing her experiences during the events of Resident Evil 4. It was added when Resident Evil 4 was ported to the PlayStation 2, giving that version of the game some extra content not found in the GameCube original. Separate Ways was popular for expanding the storyline of Resident Evil 4 and showcasing fan-favorite Ada Wong. Therefore, it's understandable that many fans were disappointed to find out that Separate Ways was not included in the remake. However, Capcom has since addressed this and added Separate Ways as premium DLC to the Resident Evil 4 Remake for $9.99.

The Separate Ways DLC for Resident Evil 4 starts off immediately and doesn't let up. Ada is thrown into the action right from the beginning, and players must defend themselves against deadly hordes of enemies in the castle region of the base game. It would be easy to become overwhelmed if not for Ada's grappling hook, which players can use to create quick escape routes.

Ada's grappling hook is not only used for exploration. She can also use it to swing directly to enemies and hit them with a quick melee attack, adding an additional layer to the revamped combat system of Resident Evil 4. Ada is capable of performing all the intricate new movements that Leon has in the base game, including parrying and dodging. With the addition of Ada's grappling hook, the already incredible combat in the remake of Resident Evil 4 becomes even more exciting.

While the remake of Resident Evil 4 has shaken up the melee combat gameplay, a significant portion of the action still revolves around shooting. In typical Resident Evil fashion, Ada has a powerful arsenal of weapons at her disposal. The shooting in Separate Ways feels just as great as in the base game, with Ada having a solid selection of weapons and a nice variety of enemies to shoot down, even though Separate Ways is shorter than Leon's adventure.

It is true that Separate Ways is shorter than the core experience of the Resident Evil 4 remake, as expected from a DLC. However, even though Separate Ways can be completed in approximately 3-5 hours on the first playthrough, it is still a full-fledged experience. All the features of the Resident Evil 4 base game that enhance replayability are included in Separate Ways. This means that players can collect treasures, complete side quests, upgrade weapons, and return as many times as they want thanks to New Game+, to relive everything once again.

Capcom could have been satisfied with simply updating the graphics for Separate Ways and calling it a day, but instead, they have expanded the experience significantly. This version of Separate Ways offers new story elements, new gameplay sections, and completely overhauled encounters. For example, the battle against El Gigante in the new Separate Ways is a breathtaking spectacle, with Ada zipping from one rooftop to another using her grappling hook, maneuvering around the beast, scenes that could be straight out of Attack on Titan.

Everything in this version of Separate Ways is bigger and better than in the original. It also surprises longtime fans and helps fill the gaps left by the Resident Evil 4 remake base game. There were concerns that Capcom essentially cut out Separate Ways from Resident Evil 4 to sell it to fans as a money-making scheme, but that is not the case here. While it would have been nice if Separate Ways had been included from the start of the Resident Evil 4 remake, the DLC goes far beyond what one could have expected, making it very easy to justify the price of $9.99.

And while the DLC offers incredible value for money, it is certainly not perfect. The final section suffers from the same issues as the base game. The controversial island section is still more annoying than enjoyable, although it is shorter here at least. Some may also not be impressed that Separate Ways largely reuses areas and enemies from the base game, although this makes thematic sense and the verticality added by Ada's grappling hook helps to keep the familiar areas feeling fresh.

Apart from minor criticisms, Separate Ways is a largely impressive addition to the Resident Evil 4 remake and, together with the free updates to "The Mercenaries" mode, significantly contributes to making the RE4 remake experience truly complete. Some may still not be happy that Separate Ways is a $9.99 DLC instead of being included, like in the versions after the GameCube, in the original Resident Evil 4. However, this version of Separate Ways is a fundamentally different experience and surpasses its predecessor in every way.

Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways

Separate Ways is a DLC expansion pack for the remake of Resident Evil 4 that showcases what Ada Wong was doing during the events of the base game.

Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways is available for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant received a PS5 code for the purpose of this review.