When Capcom released its nifty remake of Resident Evil 4 in March, I felt like something was missing. The action, survival horror game was a robust package, but some memorable moments had been cut from the GameCube original. With Different pathsa new add-on featuring the enigmatic super spy Ada Wong, Resident Evil 4 feels complete – and then some.
Different paths recounts the events of Ada’s mission during Resident Evil 4the main story. His adventure parallels and frequently overlaps with that of Léon Kennedy. Key moments from the original game are seen from his perspective; Ada fights many of the same enemies and revisits many of the same areas as Leon in his story.
Ada’s Mission remixes and recontextualizes some of these replayed encounters, in part through its unique gameplay mechanics. Although she plays largely as Leon, using a combination of guns, sneak attacks, and melee, she has a few spy gadgets that give her some extra flair. The biggest differentiator is her grappling hook gun, which she uses to navigate environments and get around some of the lock-and-key puzzles that slow Leon down. This weapon also comes into play in combat; Ada can use the device to close the distance between herself and her stunned opponents, giving her a strong tactical advantage in fights. Optionally, she can use the grappling hook to remove shields from certain enemies.
Ada has another gadget that seems borrowed from Batman: a high-tech contact lens that allows her to spot clues like footprints or crucial pieces of a puzzle. Both elements give its campaign a distinct feel, making its progression through the roughly six-hour story incredibly quick.
Resident Evil 4 players will find a familiar groove in Different paths as they revisit story beats, enemies, and key locations, sometimes in a way that feels like a flashback. Capcom cleverly remixed certain moments, like a battle against El Gigante that uses Ada’s grappling hook acrobatics and another tense boss fight that spices things up with waves of enemies. However, after integrating the grappling hook into this boss fight to spectacular effect, it is mostly absent in other encounters where it would seem naturally useful. It feels like the game is underutilizing her new tool, and it would have been fun to see her use it even more.
Some areas and elements are completely new, however. A memorable boss battle from the Resident Evil 4 remake returns, although in a very different form. Capcom even restored the delightfully wacky laser security corridor with a twist. Better yet, it now has a solid narrative reason to exist.
From a narrative perspective, the changes to Ada’s campaign also help reinforce how much more capable and confident Ada is than Leon. She takes on a large part of her mission with enthusiasm, and it becomes clear that Léon’s mission would not have succeeded without her multiple interventions. She’s cool and dry, so adept at keeping her true intentions hidden that sometimes even the player isn’t sure what her true motivations are. Unfortunately, Ada’s enigmatic character is flattened by her stiff voice. His dialogue is stilted and unnatural – at times unrealistic and devoid of emotion. I couldn’t help but wonder if her English-speaking voice actor had been given some misdirection, in an attempt to achieve a different style of cool to further distinguish her from Leon. Either way, it was not successful.
Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways greatly enhances the storytelling and importance of Ada’s side story, serving as a template for future expansions to the Resident Evil games. It’s a condensed, sped-up version of the remake’s story that details behind-the-scenes events, and its ending enticingly teases the possible next remake of Capcom’s horror franchise. It may feel repetitive in some parts, under-realized in others, but it’s meaty content worth playing if the Resident Evil 4 the remake left you hungry for more.
Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways was released on September 21 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. The game was reviewed using a final “retail” download code for PlayStation 5 provided by Capcom. You can find additional information on Polygon’s ethics policy here.