RE4 Separate Ways: Three Years Later, I’m Still Grinning Like a Zombie with a Chainsaw

I still remember sitting in front of my screen in 2023, controller in one hand and a wishlist in the other, as if I were a kid writing a letter to Santa—except Santa wore a trench coat and sunglasses. The Resident Evil 4 remake had just blown our collective minds, and all eyes were on the upcoming DLC, Separate Ways. Back then, we threw theories into the void like grenades into a crowd of Ganados, hoping something would stick. Now, here in 2026, after countless replays, I can say that Capcom not only caught those grenades but juggled them while doing a backflip. Let me take you on a retrospective joyride through the five big wishes we had—and how the developers delivered them with the precision of a fully upgraded Red9.

🕵️‍♀️ The 2023 Wishlist vs. 2026 Reality

Like a cat burglar tiptoeing through a minefield of Las Plagas, my expectations were high but fragile. The original Separate Ways from 2005 was a fun but brief appetizer, and the remake’s main course had left me hungry for a dessert that didn’t vanish in two bites. The internet buzzed with hopes, and I, a humble fan, distilled them into five juicy points. Let’s see how they aged.

1. A Longer, Meatier Runtime (No More “Assignment Ada” Snacks)

We all feared a repeat of the non-canon Assignment Ada—a sprint so short you’d blink and miss it. The 2023 speculation screamed for an extended campaign, one that reused scrapped locations like the cable car section and filled them with new horrors.

✅ What we got: Separate Ways clocks in at a relaxed 4–5 hours on a first playthrough, a full banquet compared to the original’s light lunch. Capcom stitched together familiar backdrops with fresh set-pieces, turning the cable car ride into a vertigo-inducing nightmare. It was like discovering your favorite coffee shop had secretly been a five-star restaurant all along.

2. Boss Battles with Chief Mendez, the “Big Cheese”

The original game teased Ada crossing paths with Mendez, but never let us sink our teeth into a proper fight. Many of us—myself included, probably with Cheeto dust on my fingers—wished that the remake’s DLC would let Ada go toe-to-toe with the village’s towering patriarch.

✅ What we got: Oh, we got it. Right after Ada saves Leon from Mendez’s stranglehold, you get a frantic boss encounter that feels like a ballet of bullets and panic. It’s not just a reskin—Mendez’s attacks force you to use Ada’s grapple gun in ways that made me feel like a spider on espresso. This wasn’t just a missed opportunity reclaimed; it was a gourmet dish made from scraps we didn’t know were in the pantry.

3. More Albert Wesker, Please

In the 2023 remake, Wesker’s brief cameos teased a larger scheme. The original Separate Ways gave him screen time, but the community wanted motive, menace, dialogue that dripped with smugness like a leaky faucet.

✅ What we got: Wesker doesn’t just show up; he owns every scene he’s in. The DLC expands his role into something approaching a co-star, with new conversations that reveal his obsession with the Amber. His presence turns Ada’s mission into a chess match where you’re never sure if you’re the queen or just a pawn. It’s as satisfying as finding a first-aid spray when your health bar is flashing red.

4. Bringing Back the Horror (Not Just Action-Packed Espionage)

The original Separate Ways leaned hard into action, sidelining the survival horror that makes Resident Evil iconic. In 2023, fans begged Capcom to dial up the dread—make Ada’s solo journey genuinely terrifying.

✅ What we got: The developers listened like therapists with a chainsaw. Ada’s campaign is riddled with moments where the lights flicker, and you hear something that sounds like a licker had a baby with a blender. A new segment in a spore-infested underground lab had me holding my breath so long I nearly passed out. The balance between action and horror feels like a perfectly tuned piano—only the keys are covered in blood.

5. More Luis Sera, the Lovable Rogue

Luis’s extended presence in the base game only made his death sting more. We wanted more banter, more teamwork, maybe even a playable segment. The cabin meetup where he and Ada talk about the Amber begged for expansion.

✅ What we got: Not only do we get lengthy exchanges that flesh out Luis’s backstory, but Capcom actually lets you play as him for a short, nerve-wracking stretch when Ada is incapacitated. It’s a brilliant curveball—like finding out your sidekick can now dunk a basketball while juggling grenades. His jokes land better, his heroism shines brighter, and you’ll cry all over again when that knife finds him. I did, and I’m not ashamed.

🎉 The Verdict: A DLC That Stabbed Its Way into My Heart

If the RE4 remake was a gourmet steak, Separate Ways is the perfect dessert you didn’t order but finished in three minutes. Capcom didn’t just check boxes on a fan wishlist; they tattooed those wishes onto the game’s DNA and set it loose. Every hope from 2023—runtime, bosses, Wesker, horror, Luis—was met with the kind of care that makes a jaded player like me believe in video game Christmas again.

These days, whenever someone asks if the DLC holds up in 2026, I tell them it’s like a vintage bottle of wine: it only gets better with time, even if it occasionally pops out a chainsaw-wielding maniac. So, if you’ve been living under a rock (or in a Las Plagas cave), do yourself a favor and swing through Separate Ways. Your inner 2023 self will high-five you so hard you’ll drop your controller—and that’s a promise.

Resident Evil 4 Remake and its Separate Ways DLC are available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Now excuse me while I start my 47th playthrough.