How long to beat Resident Evil 4 Remake? That's an incredibly elastic answer that's dependent on both skill and player interest in extra content, as there's a lot of sidequests, requests and collectibles that are largely optional. However, for most players we estimate the average RE4 Remake length will be about 20 hours, though that number can drop to under 6 hours for later playthroughs. We'll go into more detail about how long it takes to beat Resident Evil 4 below, including story length, how much extra content there is, and how New Game Plus and extras can affect the story.
How long to beat Resident Evil 4 Remake and story length explained
The length of time to beat Resident Evil 4 will vary depending on players, and certainly skill level, but here's how you can expect your first playthrough to take.
- Standard playthrough (story plus a few extras): 15-20 hours
- Just story/critical path: 10-12 hours
- 100% Completionist playthrough: 20-25 hours
The reality though is that these numbers are pretty varied, as many challenges, such as working out how to survive the Village in Resident Evil 4, might take multiple attempts for some players. Not only that, but ignoring a certain amount of side content might take even longer than doing it, as you'll be potentially less equipped with weapon upgrades and loot for the tougher encounters. However, with three members of the GR+ team having done everything in the game, we can confirm that, on your first time doing the story, it should take at least 20 hours for a full completionist playthrough of the Resident Evil 4 Remake, and likely longer.
However, this is not necessarily how long subsequent games will take, or how long New Game Plus can be, as there's different modes and extras that are accessible after story completion. Some of these unlock superior Resident Evil 4 weapons for easy combat, or can ramp up the difficulty to outrageous levels, depending on player choice. Consequently, NG+ playthroughs can be as short as five and a half hours (there's achievements and rewards for beating this time limit), or much longer, if you struggle against the increased challenge. Like the Resident Evil games before it, RE4 is designed to be replayed at least once, tweaking the experience the next time around to suit your preferences as a player. So while your first time Resident Evil 4 around will probably take 20 hours, the game expects you to come back at some point.
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