RESIDENT EVIL 4 - SEPARATE WAYS DLC Review: Capcom Does It Again

PlayStation 5 Review Code Provided by Capcom

Capcom has finally delivered the complete package of the Resident Evil 4 we all remember by introducing the Separate Ways DLC. Heavily speculated and all but confirmed, this DLC was definitely a missing piece from the full launch of the remake. Now that we have it and it costs an additional $9.99, the question remains if it is worth your time and hard-earned cash? Chances are, you loved the Resident Evil 4 campaign and you want more. Separate Ways is an excellent expansion to a masterpiece of a game.

Story

For those unfamiliar, the Separate Ways DLC focuses on Ada Wong - Leon’s frenemy throughout the series. Ada is tasked with retrieving a highly sought-after item that is located near the Spanish Village. Her employer, Albert Wesker, flexes his control over Ada throughout the campaign and although she is submissive, she seems to also be conflicted. She knows Wesker’s intentions are not favorable for the human race and although she continues on with her mission like a true professional, she is reluctant.

The campaign is significantly shorter than Leon’s main story, as expected. However, for the entry price of $9.99, it does provide a significant amount of content for players. I was very satisfied with the amount of game time given. Although the DLC treads through the same areas as Leon, it approaches many of them differently, offering new experiences in familiar places. Capcom does a great job at keeping these locations feeling fresh.

Gameplay

Ada plays very similar to Leon from the main campaign and has the ability to counter, melee, and swap weapons on the fly. She also has the new ability to grapple onto high ledges, giving you that inner Batman feeling. Although there are quite a few areas where the grapple can be used, it isn’t an item that can be used anywhere at any time. However, the areas where they are predominantly placed, it does make for some great gameplay variation.

Not only can Ada use the grapple for traversal but it also aids her with combat, allowing her to grapple a stunned enemy and pull herself to them for a massive melee attack. This makes Ada’s combat feel much faster than Leon’s, as she can hop from one enemy to the next with carefully placed shots and melee combinations. Ada also has some super spy tech called The Eye, which aids her on this retrieval mission. The Eye allows her to spot footprints, fingerprints, and other clues that can help guide her to completing the mission. This gadget is mostly a shoo-in feature that doesn’t do much besides hold a purpose for some puzzle sections of the game. It isn’t a terrible implementation and it isn’t intrusive to the point of ruining the gameplay flow, but I wish Capcom implemented it into combat or exploration. Allowing the player to use The Eye to find secrets would have been a nice touch.

Bosses will seem very familiar for the most part but they will also have their own Separate Ways spin on the battle. Of course, Ada was not present for most of Leon’s boss fights so Capcom makes up for this by giving her own bosses in a similar fashion. I enjoyed all the bosses the DLC introduced in new ways and it was great seeing Ada’s point of view from the main campaign. Fans of the original release will be glad to know that Capcom did a similar job with this DLC release as they did with the main campaign. They changed just enough to make it feel fresh, yet familiar. 

It is also worth noting that players can play The Mercenaries with Ada and Weskey once the DLC has been completed. Wesker plays unlike any other character on the roster thus far and allows players to completely counter enemy attacks with his brute strength. He is a lot of fun to play with, and I am sure players will have a blast trying to get the highest score possible with him.

What It Could Have Done Better

Capcom decided to implement some new mechanics into this DLC but they do feel a bit short-lived. The grapple can only be used in very specific locations, The Eye is only useful in the campaign at specific points in the game, and The Mercenaries still does not have multiplayer. It would be great to have a co-op Mercenaries mode but unfortunately, it seems like Capcom might be holding off on that possibility for the next Remake that will inevitably drop. These are small complaints but also the only negatives I could come up with. Capcom has done a fantastic job with these RE remakes and Resident Evil 4 is by far the best of the bunch.

Verdict

Capcom doesn’t disappoint with its newest addition to the wildly successful Resident Evil 4 remake. Separate Ways DLC is absolutely worth the small price tag of $9.99 if you are craving more RE4 content. The parallel side story to the main campaign, along with the new additions to The Mercenaries mode will give fans a good reason to blast Las Plagas one more time as we eagerly await Capcom’s next Resident Evil announcement.

Resident Evil 4 - Separate Ways is available now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.