Hearing the Resident Evil 4's outdated but important decisions just right. The merchant is a key ingredient in the survival horror's proven recipe.
Resident Evil 4's merchant is a shop vendor and recurring NPC that Leon meets shortly after the protagonist's first encounters with the Ganados. Leon wakes up in a room before wandering outside and spotting the merchant through a small window. Upon seeing the merchant, players have no idea what to expect from the first thing not trying to kill Leon since arriving in the village. However, fears are quickly dispelled as the merchant opens a coat, says, "Got something that might interest ya," and chuckles before welcoming players into Resident Evil 4's shop. Leon continues to encounter one of the best video game merchants throughout the journey and the little blue flame marking the shop vendor's presence becomes a lighthouse in the dark, beckoning players with stronger weapons and items. The merchant is as much a part of Resident Evil 4 as grid inventory or the cries of a Ganados upon spotting players. Every line is unforgettable and part of what makes the merchant so remarkable in the first place.
Lines like "What're ya buyin'?" and "What're ya sellin'?" need to stay in Resident Evil 4's remake because the dialogue has grown beyond a fun distraction in a survival-horror game, it became a piece of Resident Evil 4's identity. Part of what kept the Resident Evil major events timeline's popularity going throughout the years is the merchant; just a quick Google search for "Resident Evil 4 merchant" returns over 3 million results. Clicking any link sends someone down a rabbit hole of pages and pages of memes, references, fan theories on the merchant's origins, and fan art that has kept Resident Evil 4 in the minds of players over the years. That kind of dedication from a community doesn't happen overnight, but through years of iration for a character with only a handful of unforgettable lines.
The Merchant Is An Essential Part Of Resident Evil 4's Identity
Capcom will probably include the merchant's dialogue in Resident Evil 4's remake if Village's new merchant, the Duke, is any indication. Not only does the Duke serve the same function as the original merchant in Resident Evil 4, but the big guy also quotes one of the famous NPC's lines by saying, "What're ya buyin?" before noting it's "just something an old friend of mine used to say." It seems like the Duke and the merchant are somehow connected, an interesting angle that Capcom might explore further in Resident Evil Village DLC or RE4's remake. Players have wondered who the mysterious merchant is for years, and the remake of Resident Evil 4 seems the perfect place to find out.
Judging by the developer's unified message that everything is on track, despite Resident Evil 4 Remake's TGS 2022 absence, players can expect RE4's remake to have the quality of 2 and 3's. Usually, quiet moments leading up to a launch indicate the Capcom team is busy fitting all the right pieces into place, including components like the merchant. The remake's release will be a big moment for Capcom and Resident Evil fans. However, Resident Evil 4 is one of gaming's most beloved titles, and disrupting a renowned character like the merchant could be a disaster.
