Now Playing: Separate Ways (DLC)

After wrapping up the base game of the Resident Evil 4 Remake, I figured I’d give the Separate Ways DLC a shot, curious to see if it incorporated any of the original’s cut content. I’d not played the original Separate Ways as it wasn’t included with the GC version of RE4, but I’d seen a few walk-throughs, so I had some familiarity with the content.

Unlike the original Separate Ways campaign, this isn’t an unlock within the base game but a paid DLC. I’d say it stays surprisingly true to the original in terms of structure and content, but it also includes a few little additions that touch upon the cut content I was looking for. Nothing substantial, but welcome additions nonetheless.

I say ‘surprising’ because if you’ve read my RE4 Remake review, you’ll know I had my reservations about how much was changed and not, in my view, necessarily for the better. Separate Ways, on the other hand, feels like a more faithful recreation and expansion of the original.

This is a very linear, more action focused piece of content. Playing as Ada you’ll progress through 7 chapters, nearly all of which involve following a linear path and fighting a hell of a lot of bad guys. This new version throws in the modern RE4 mechanics like the parry and stealth attack, but it also modernises Ada’s grappling gun from a simple traversal tool into one that you can mix into your combat flow.

This remake also fleshes out the story and character aspects a little more and lets Ada interact with the Merchant. The idea is that you’re seeing the story of RE4 entirely from Ada’s perspective and whilst that’s true, it also doesn’t really tell you anything you didn’t already know or could infer from what was presented in the base game.

It took me about 5 hours to complete on the Hardcore difficulty and I can’t say I didn’t have fun running through it – quite literally at times, given the number of enemies the DLC throws at you. Like the original Separate Ways, the vast majority of the DLC is recycled content from the base game. Locations, enemies, weapons, items . . . there’s very little that’s new here, but what is new is actually pretty good, there’s just not a whole lot of it.

Overall, Separate Ways is an easy recommendation if you enjoyed RE4 because it’s more RE4. No more. No less. It’s a short, linear but undeniably fun little campaign with plenty of action and some cool new boss fights. I wouldn’t say it’s essential for the RE4 Remake experience, but if you’re hankering for some more RE4, it’ll give you exactly what you want.

7/10