There’s something incredible about a remake of a horror game somehow entirely refreshing its fright factor while keeping the iconic elements you liked out it intact. That’s what Resident Evil 4 did. We thought we were prepared for the dog and pony show we’d seen before, but the way in which Capcom augmented the experience was far more than we expected. In the end, Resident Evil 4 ended up being the horror that stayed with us throughout the year, achieving our award for Best Horror Game.

The original Resident Evil 4 was amazing, but not perfect. There were some rough edges here and there in characterization, environments, and scares. Resident Evil 4 addressed every one of those gripes with near-surgical proficiency. And it hits the iconic moments with incredible aplomb, too. You’d think we were all ready to roll when it came to beating the village mob, but Resident Evil 4 stepped its game up here too. Dr. Salvador is more terrifying than ever, with his eyes pressed against his head-sack in a way that makes it look like that’s the open thing keeping his noggin together. And he’s just as much of a terrifying threat as before.

Resident Evil 4 also kept tension throughout the game in a way its original wasn’t entirely able to do. Whether you’re looking after Ashley or not, the threat of villagers and cultists with Las Plagas ready to sprout from them was an ever-present threat. Even the island took on some incredible scares. Stumbling in the dark of the hospital wing of the last third of the game while Regeneradors chase you around was one of the most unnerving experiences we had this year.

The boss fights were incredibly well done as well, but none more than the Verdugo, Ramon Salazar’s Right Hand. Did you wait for the elevator or did you try to fight it? Either way, you were in for the desperate scrap, attempting to keep the thing frozen with limited liquid nitrogen showers, while attempting to dodge its myriad of deadly attacks.

We were skeptical of what Resident Evil 4’s remake would bring to the table. It surpassed our every expectation and managed to frighten us with scares we most certainly though we became immune to. Capcom has really taken its remake game to highest heights, and if Resident Evil 4 remake is the new bar, we can’t wait to see if the developer can clear it. Regardless of if they can or not, it’s our Shacknews Best Horror Game of 2023.

Be sure to read over the rest of the Shacknews Awards in our Year of the Games: 2023 feature.