I've been going through Leon B in RE2make on Hardcore mode. It's very good, but I wish the enemy health didn't scale so much - it kind of takes the fun out of saving up ammo. It's also a bit padded out compared to the original, with the stripped B scenarios.
Made me remember how much I missed RE7 - I went through it like four times in a row when it came out and got all the pre--DLC cheevos. Started playing it again on Madhouse tonight and only used the support box and demo prize Old Coin. So fucking good but it still has that negative difficulty curve - the beginning of the game is pretty difficult (also: Jack speedwalking is creepy in the way stop motion monsters or the House on Haunted Hill remake used to scare me as a kid, and provides intense gameplay otherwise). I prefer using regular handgun ammo on Jack and only using shotgun or enhanced ammo on regular molded. Too much of a hassle otherwise. In one sitting, I played all the way up to Lucas, where it begins to really dovetail for me - but it's still awesome. The sound design and environments are just really immersive.
The sequel needs a much larger and more intricate mansion-like area, better enemy hit reactions, and more avenues to upgrade weapons and/or spend resources. I only want to get every item/upgrade in a potential NG+; I'd prefer if I had to make some tough choices in the main campaign. Like, would I rather upgrade my shotgun or handgun? RE4 is so replayable - on top of every other reason - because its progression system is so interesting due to finite resources and every weapon having a clearly defined niche (something RE5 ignored). Not saying you need an item shop, but maybe a finite amount of "upgrade kits." Otherwise, replays can feel kind of like going through the motions. This is an issue with RE2 also. They try with gunpowder and chem fluids - RE7 tries harder with coins and steroids, ect. - but they're less interesting than upgraded weapons or even, in regards to steroids, RE4's herb management.
