Resident Evil 4 Remake’s Mercenaries mode includes a bit of a nod to one of the original release’s many modes. many Box Art – In this case, the US Wii release.
Considering how well-loved the original Resident Evil 4 was, it’s no surprise that the remake is chock-full of references not just to the 2005 classic, but to the series in general. Some references are familiar, like Crowther’s Scars of Operation Javier tying into his Chronicles of Darkseid, while others are a little more subtle, like Dell’s Lake Lago Easter Egg. Then there’s the one that only the most die-hard Resident Evil fans will notice.
One of the things that Resident Evil 4 has become known to over the years is that it started out as a GameCube exclusive, and eventually ended up on just about every console, each with its own cover art. Until then, it will be re-released again and again. Well, unless you’re in the UK, you’ll only get the same Red Forest image. As spotted by Twitter user TheSphereHunterthe recently released Mercenary Mode pays tribute to the box art of one of these covers.
When you enter The Mercenaries mode and select your character, you may notice Leon in a recognizable pose. Hmmm, he looks amateurishly aimed, but as TheSphereHunter points out, it’s actually Leon’s work on the box for the Wii release in the US. The Wii cover is a reference to the pose he drew in his art. His PS4 physical release of the game. As I told you guys, Resident Evil 4 has had a lot of box art over the years.
Everything about how Leon is positioned is a direct reference to how he stands in the key art, from where his gun is held to where he is facing. He may look ready to take aim, but there are too many similarities to be accidental rather than a deliberate choice.
This isn’t the only time Capcom will reference some of Leon’s most famous poses. As Twitter user TightBodzilla pointed out, almost every Leon model you can unlock in the game has a recognizable pose from Resident Evil 4 history. The classic Leon model does exactly what this Mercenaries easter egg does.