Is Salazar (2023) the worst re-design in the history of interactive media?

[๖ۣۜMk137]

I would argue top 3 guaranteed. He is disgusting to look at (in the worst possible way), has cringe voice acting, a Willy Wonka haircut, and he somehow looks 15x as old as the original character. I'm not sure who approved the new design, but I would suggest we throw them to Del Lago.

[Dollmaker]

Why? he is meant to look old, which was likely a side effect from Las Plagas, even the original made mention of this when Leon first confused him with an old man despite being 20 years old.

If anything the remake does a better job at portraying his old appearance, in the original he just looked like a gremlin.

And his VA is good as well, specially since it really sells how much of a delusional psychotic fanatic he is, and his haircut seems to be based on the powdered wigs from the 17th century, which were know largely due to being used by people that had high statuses, such has royalty, which easily fits Salazar due to the way he dresses.

If anything they did an excellent job at remaking Salazar, from a spoiled brat that looked like a gremlin, to an unnerving sadist that looks sickly and gross.

[Faded]

He looked better in the original as a wizard of oz munchkin. Instead of a willy wonka oompa loompa. That I agree.

He needs to look like the statue

[Dollmaker]

Originally posted by Mu:

His boss battle is also annoying, can't think of 1 positive about the new Ramon.

His annoying voice was eating at my sanity, he just won't stop talking.

I think that was kinda the point though, i mean Leon literally shots him to shut him up lol.

[Dash]

Ml137 you're 100% right, idk what capcom copium these guys are on haha

[Duke Leto Atreides]

He looks slightly less ridiculous than the original one which was supposed to be 20 years old, but looked like a kid. This time around he looks more like a twisted dwarf.

[rIdzu. x64 👊😎]

I would agree, salazar is the most worst re-design character. Most interesting fact is that face model is based on female face, so i'm not even sure anymore what gender he is and what age he is representing. In classic RE4 he mention that he is 20 years old.

[Pie Eater]

The delivery is pretty muted in this remake. Obviously by design...a design i don't think works with some of the voices. Salazar just sounds too subdued. I believe the actor could have given it a bit more passion like he does during the fight. It just feels like a lot of performances are dialled in, or the voice actors just don't have the same weight of voice as the old versions- Ada being a straight phoned in plank of wood.

Krauser sounding a bit high pitched and weasle-y (But the delivery is quite good), the Big Cheese also not sounding as gruff and intimidating, Luis sounding like an utter slime ball for no reason even up until his exit...and Saddler just sounding like a normal guy. I just don't think any of what is presented is memorable or striking....nor is it really all that bad.

[Dollmaker]

Originally posted by Pie Eater:

The delivery is pretty muted in this remake. Obviously by design...a design i don't think works with some of the voices. Salazar just sounds too subdued. I believe the actor could have given it a bit more passion like he does during the fight. It just feels like a lot of performances are dialled in, or the voice actors just don't have the same weight of voice as the old versions- Ada being a straight phoned in plank of wood.

Krauser sounding a bit high pitched and weasle-y (But the delivery is quite good), the Big Cheese also not sounding as gruff and intimidating, Luis sounding like an utter slime ball for no reason even up until his exit...and Saddler just sounding like a normal guy. I just don't think any of what is presented is memorable or striking....nor is it really all that bad.

Thats cause the tone of the game is more serious, and Salazar is clearly short tempered, this is seen in his very first scene when Leon refuses to hand over Ashley, you can immediately tell Salazar increasing anger while he tries to stay composed, due to how he fashions himself as royalty.

And the files further show how sadistic he really is.

The original Salazar was too ridiculous and goofy (with large majority of people agreeing that he took out all the seriousness of the game) unlike the remake one where hes a more serious and believable villain.

Ada was the only VA that genuinely sounds bad.

[๖ۣۜMk137]

Originally posted by Dollmaker:

Thats cause the tone of the game is more serious, and Salazar is clearly short tempered, this is seen in his very first scene when Leon refuses to hand over Ashley, you can immediately tell Salazar increasing anger while he tries to stay composed, due to how he fashions himself as royalty.

And the files further show how sadistic he really is.

The original Salazar was too ridiculous and goofy (with large majority of people agreeing that he took out all the seriousness of the game) unlike the remake one where hes a more serious and believable villain.

Ada was the only VA that genuinely sounds bad.

I could see that this is what they were going for, but they absolutely failed in that regard. Most of Salazar's lines sound they are being read off a piece of paper by a first-time VA. Ada is definitely worse but not by a whole lot.

Also for me, new Salazar ruins the atmosphere of the game. I don't see how OG Salazar takes the seriousness out of a game where you fight giants, run from boulders, and say things like "Where's everyone going? Bingo?" I seriously doubt a "large majority" of people feel this way.

[Pie Eater]

Originally posted by Dollmaker:

Originally posted by Pie Eater:

The delivery is pretty muted in this remake. Obviously by design...a design i don't think works with some of the voices. Salazar just sounds too subdued. I believe the actor could have given it a bit more passion like he does during the fight. It just feels like a lot of performances are dialled in, or the voice actors just don't have the same weight of voice as the old versions- Ada being a straight phoned in plank of wood.

Krauser sounding a bit high pitched and weasle-y (But the delivery is quite good), the Big Cheese also not sounding as gruff and intimidating, Luis sounding like an utter slime ball for no reason even up until his exit...and Saddler just sounding like a normal guy. I just don't think any of what is presented is memorable or striking....nor is it really all that bad.

Thats cause the tone of the game is more serious, and Salazar is clearly short tempered, this is seen in his very first scene when Leon refuses to hand over Ashley, you can immediately tell Salazar increasing anger while he tries to stay composed, due to how he fashions himself as royalty.

And the files further show how sadistic he really is.

The original Salazar was too ridiculous and goofy (with large majority of people agreeing that he took out all the seriousness of the game) unlike the remake one where hes a more serious and believable villain.

Ada was the only VA that genuinely sounds bad.

His delivery was bad in the first scene... none of the subdued rage comes through at all in his inflection (It's much better nearing the boss fight). Like, my guy, of course I know what they are trying to do. They just didn't nail it. The voice actors do not have the nuance or range to deliver the lines as they feel like they are trying to do. Some stupid pieces of paper do not somehow elevate the voice work... And for frick sakes, the old game was never that serious, but its tone was consistent. It was purposeful schlock. This game half asses the shlock to the point of it being worhtless.

Muh "game is serious now" is such a bloody lame excuse when it's obviously trying to have its cake and eat it too.

[Dollmaker]

Originally posted by ๖ۣۜMk137:

Originally posted by Dollmaker:

Thats cause the tone of the game is more serious, and Salazar is clearly short tempered, this is seen in his very first scene when Leon refuses to hand over Ashley, you can immediately tell Salazar increasing anger while he tries to stay composed, due to how he fashions himself as royalty.

And the files further show how sadistic he really is.

The original Salazar was too ridiculous and goofy (with large majority of people agreeing that he took out all the seriousness of the game) unlike the remake one where hes a more serious and believable villain.

Ada was the only VA that genuinely sounds bad.

I could see that this is what they were going for, but they absolutely failed in that regard. Most of Salazar's lines sound they are being read off a piece of paper by a first-time VA. Ada is definitely worse but not by a whole lot.

Also for me, new Salazar ruins the atmosphere of the game. I don't see how OG Salazar takes the seriousness out of a game where you fight giants, run from boulders, and say things like "Where's everyone going? Bingo?" I seriously doubt a "large majority" of people feel this way.

While RE4 was campy, it still had SOME seriousness to it, but Salazar basically threw that out completely with how over the top he was.

And i think Salazar's VA did a great job tbh, like i said in the first comment, it really sells the delusional psychotic fanatic feel, even more his sadism, this becomes even more noticeable during his boss fight where he stops trying to stay composed.

[๖ۣۜMk137]

Originally posted by Dollmaker:

While RE4 was campy, it still had SOME seriousness to it, but Salazar basically threw that out completely with how over the top he was.

And i think Salazar's VA did a great job tbh, like i said in the first comment, it really sells the delusional psychotic fanatic feel, even more his sadism, this becomes even more noticeable during his boss fight where he stops trying to stay composed.

I am glad that it works for you. For me, and I would bet many other people, the voice acting and character re-design is a total failure - 1/10. It's jarring to see such poor quality in such an otherwise masterful game. Ada too (not design but VA). I was legitimately shocked when Ada first spoke, like...there is no way that the same people who approved the 10/10 gameplay mechanics approved this uninspired trash.

For me, Salazar is one of the most memorable characters in RE4 (2005). I have zero complaints with his character. In RE4 (2023), Salazar is again one of the most memorable characters, but for all the wrong reasons. I will remember him as possibly the worst thing about this incredible game.

[Dash]

Think it's not controversial to say Ada, Salazar, and Krauser's VA's were all worse than the original hands down, seriousness has nothing to do with it. Re4? serious? I'm confused... Where between the gun-fu, over the top acrobatics, knife fights and cheesy quips was this game serious.