2023 is turning out to be a good year for AAA survival horror games. Both theDead Spaceremake and theResident Evil 4remake have been huge successes that build upon the good elements of the original titles while sanding out their negative parts. As a result, they have become the definitive versions to play for those who want to experienceLeon Kennedy’s heroic second adventureand Isaac Clarke’s first in a modern light.
But while the remakesResident Evil 4andDead Spaceshare many similarities, they do have their differences when it comes to how they scare players.Resident Evil 4likes to pace its scares fast so that players can quickly get to the action.Dead Space, on the other hand, is much slower and builds up the tension before releasing it in an instant. The majority of these games' elements follow this very formula, one of which is audio.
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The Resident Evil 4 Remake’s Music Lets Players Know When To Fight
The score of theResident Evil 4remake isn’t very memorable. It leaves long silences when Leon and company are exploring between combat encounters so that players can take in the lonely atmosphere. Things only start to become noticeable once combat kicks in. Loud orchestral beats can be heard betweenthe shouts of the Los Iluminadosand signal players that there are enemies still remaining. It is only when every enemy in the room is defeated that the music stops and gives Leon a moment to catch his breath or make a witty remark.
Even though the music is well-written, its implementation in the game leaves a lot to be desired. The soundtrack takes a significant backseat in players' minds when they are fighting as they need to pay close attention to every shuffle, scream, or thrown projectile in their vicinity. The music becomes a little more importantthe fewer Las Plagas-infected enemies there areas it prompts players to scour the area for remaining hostiles. In this manner, it almost becomes integral for players to find ways to make the music stop.
Apart from using its score during combat sequences and important story segments, theDead Spaceremake makes it a point to add music during the less busy moments as well. Walking throughthe dimly lit corridors of the U.S.G. Ishimurais made significantly scarier when the action is accompanied by a string of violins. As players near specific locations, the volume and intensity of the music get louder until they eventually culminate in a scare or, even worse, the lack of one. This not only helps make the terrifying segments more frightening, but it subverts players' expectations and constantly puts them on edge. The score is made more dynamic with theDead Spaceremake’s Intensity Director - a system that makes revisiting old locations scary again by switching enemy spawn points and adjusting the lighting and sound. Should players want to prolong their stay on the Necromorph-infested ship, they can be assured that backtracking through different sections of the U.S.G. Ishimura will always yield some new horrors.
Future Resident Evil Titles Would Be Better With A More Dynamic Music System
Whether Capcom makes an entirely newResident Evil title or another remake, it should take a look at connecting the franchise’s music more to what players are experiencing. Past events like Leon’sfirst encounter with a T-Virus mutant Lickerin theResident Evil 2remake would easily stick in players' minds if they were accompanied by a sharp uptake in the music. It doesn’t have to be something as intricate as the main theme fromMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater; all it needs to do is help push players from the comfort of silence into the open arms of terror.
Resident Evil 4remake is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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