There’s not much that can improve the already impeccable Resident Evil 4 remake that Capcom released about six months ago. A remake that understood what made the 2004 original release so beloved while using lessons learned from Resident Evil 2 (2019) to bring it into the modern era. For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if it ends up being in many “Game of the Year” conversations.  There was a part of it missing, however.

No, not Mercenaries but something added in the original PS2 release that somehow never found its way to the remake. I’m talking about Separate Ways, the story-focused expansion that told the events of the game through the eyes of super agent Ada Wong, Leon Kennedy’s budding romance/rivalry partner. Separate Ways gave players a lot into her motivations of why she was in Europe during the course of the main game and who exactly she was working for. It was an addition that rounded out the entire Resident Evil 4 experience.

Now with this newly released expansion that costs a mere $9.99, Capcom has bought Separate Ways into the modern rendition of Resident Evil 4. Speculation and expectations were high but I’m happy to report that Ada’s story is a damn fine addition to the Resident Evil 4 experience and makes it one of the most well-rounded entries in the franchise. If you have a remote interest in Resident Evil 4, Separate Ways is an absolute must play add-on.

So what’s in this expansion? Players will take on the role of Ada Wong and have access to her entire arsenal of tools. Surface level she may play like Leon but she has a new grapple gun for use in gameplay. For traversal this takes the form of spotting perches that she can grapple up to, which is sometimes very useful for routing enemies. What I liked most though is the grapple’s usefulness in combat. In Resident Evil 4 when Leon stunned an enemy he was able to get up close and personal with a powerful melee attack to decimate enemies. With Ada’s grapple she’s able to do the same but from a distance. When an enemy is stunned with a ranged weapon, the melee attack prompt will now appear from a distance. When executed, Ada will grapple herself to the enemy at high speed and land a devastating attack. It encourages a different and faster style of play compared to Leon; playing as Ada, I found myself moving around areas far more often rather than relying on the tried and true tunneling method that I fell into habit with as Leon. 

Ada also has another new addition in her arsenal in the form of a crossbow able to fire explosive arrows. This is great for taking out groups in a pinch but reckless use of it will leave you vulnerable in the wrong circumstances. This ties into another element I liked about Separate Ways, the focus on stealth. Combat encounters are designed to be tackled in any manner the player chooses but lend themselves more to stealth. For example, I played the opening mission twice. The first time I went guns blazing and was put into a fight for my life by overwhelming enemies and endless attacks from distant catapults. The second time I took a more quiet approach and was able to take out nearly every single enemy without setting off an alarm and pretty much walked out of the entire first mission unscathed. I thought maybe this situation would have been a one off, but Separate Ways provides numerous opportunities to pull off feats such as this.

How’s the story? Well, fans of Resident Evil 4’s campaign will love what’s offered here but it’s more supplementary than anything. I know I called it a vital addition to the Resident Evil 4 experience, just don’t go into Separate Ways expecting any massive revelations that we already didn’t know from before. Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 

Separate Ways is a massive good time. It doesn’t attempt to drastically mix up the formula like Village’s DLC but instead just add ever more to the already massive Resident Evil 4 experience. And at 7 chapters long and clocking in at a playtime longer than the entirety of Resident Evil 3’s remake, it’s all priced at just $9.99. It’s really hard to not recommend Separate Ways as a must play for Resident Evil 4 fans and newcomers.

Resident Evil 4 is out now on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series. Meanwhile, the anticipated VR Mode for Resident Evil 4 will arrive this Winter.

Review code provided by the publisher.