#We need Luis' DLC!

[jessy-the-martian-girl]

If they give us Luis' story starting from his Umbrella days... It won't be a simple DLC anymore, but something more like Resident Evil 3.9: Luis Serra - a full-length game of his own 💝 And that would be just plain awesome 🤭😍

But DLC with an opportunity to play as him in those moments when he's on his own, and slightly before the beginning of the events of RE4 - like him witnessing the process of "sacrifice" with one of those hikers, reaching out to Ada, retrieving "The Amber", getting caught and put into that body bag... So many ways for him to shine 💖

(If you're still listening, Capcom, maybe give it a shot, por favor? Luis is incredibly cool and we need more of him 💝)

I need more Luis lore! I appreciate how Capcom really added to his character, but I want more!

What a dream come true it would be if a Luis DLC story was added to the game. They can start from his days at Umbrella working on the Nemisis and other projects. Learn more about his working relationship with Saddler, the mines, the development of the Plaga, to then meeting Wesker and Ada. All leading up the events of RE4. Explore his feelings of regret, what made him want to change. It would be cool to also have the option to play as him when he runs off after being chained up with Leon and so on.

(P.S. second pic is from Twitter: https://twitter.com/es_nio_arts/status/1650243714953121793)

[mrkvhs]

playing re4r but instead of progressing at all and focusing on the plot i'm spending hours in the shooting range because i like earning trinkets

[possessionisamyth]

Here's some RE Separate Ways analysis that isn't about shipping because I like Ada. I'm happy her DLC actually focuses on her, but some of the takes I'm seeing are Insufferable. Main statements in bold for ease of reading and skipping purposes.

-Wesker and Ada haven't been working together consistently for the past 6 years. This dripless bitch is calling Ada every five minutes to babysit her. I don't think that's the relationship dynamic of someone you're regularly employed under, and when it is, Ada is not the type of character to tolerate that behavior for 6 years. We know Ada is a contract worker. We can understand she's worked for Wesker on and off, but she's a freelance agent period. She must've done enough jobs for Wesker that he feels the need to check on her and have this constant reporting in to make sure she stays on task since he's clearly used to her not always following his orders. He 100% hired her for this assignment because he knew the situation and compared to the other options, she had the highest survival chances. Which, he was right. High risk, high reward.

Sometimes Wesker's babysitting works: Ada holding Luis at gunpoint when he tries to negotiate saving Leon and Ashley. Sometimes he knows when to step away: "Keep your dog." All of it is in the effort to get what he wants. Look, he let her live. He worked with S.T.A.R.S for years and wanted them all dead. If he worked with Ada regularly and she pulled this shit with the amber, he would've had that helicopter blown out of the sky. There's always some restraint with personal distance, especially with a guy who thinks so highly of himself.

-Luis is a drama queen. In the regular game, Luis acts cool and under control to the best of his abilities around Leon and Ashley. It's a part of his newly found hero-complex even though he does still know when to ask for help: "save me prince charming!" In the DLC, we see the real side of Luis. The one who's scared, and dramatic, and knows when he's not shooting with a loaded gun so to speak. When Ada tells him to leave her to fight, he does. He wants to help, but his respect for her abilities sends him fleeing like she orders him to. Also, like every scientist, he has zero self-preservation! He ran into a fire that clearly would kill him to get medicine. And the exchange afterwards? "No! Now you'll all die!" "Make some more medicine." "Oh..yeah...I can do that. I do have that ability."

The flamenco dance. "Are you mad at me???🥺 You're mad at me!😭" This man understands Ada can kill him without blinking, but still can't keep his composure around her. This is such a fun dynamic to explore in fic for expansion stories and "Luis lives" au's. The DLC gives him breaks to freak out and panic, whereas the main game holds the "cool persona" moments after Leon saves him. Even his dying words to Ada. This man is bleeding to death and still can't shut up. I love him.

Okay, that's all I gotta say about the loser men. Now for the star of the DLC. Ada. :)

-Ada "Sans Undertale go into my eyes" Wong. The methods Ada uses in the DLC are fun and appropriate. It's not invasive and in your face unlike another agent, but more subtle. She can track footprints, fingerprints, gauge the safe distance required for her grappling hook, and she knows when she needs to fight and whens he needs to run. Her practicality has always been the cleanest of the entire cast due to her being a spy, but this time we actually get to see this trait utilized through her tools.

-Ada is silly and quips her own jokes to get through it. Something I'm not seeing anyone talk about including the aeon people who are claiming anything they can get, is this specific humor parallel between Leon and Ada in the remake. Both of them have gone through the horrors of Raccoon City. Both of them went right back into very difficult military in function style work which always has a body count. I talked about Leon's humor coping mechanism here [X], but to hear Ada do the same thing? I feel like they went under the radar because they don't sound as stupid as Leon's quips, but they are still so stupid. "Nighty night." "Lights out." "Bring me a real challenge next time." "Now look at the mess you've made." "You think that gun will be enough?" She and Leon even share the same "Next," line!

If I had 80GB to spare on the game, I'd see just how many more I could get out of her. Like, these are dumb as hell. She's found a method to cope with the horrors she's witnessing that just so happens to coincide with Leon's. I'm not saying this as a marker of whatever romance you've tossed them in or even to diss any other romances. What I am saying is that they have a similar type of mental illness resulting from trauma, and they ended up using the exact same coping method despite never seeing each other.

Ada fans who hate Leon! This opens a door for you when it comes to character analysis and how Ada deals with her PTSD and/or depression! Run through it RIGHT NOW!

-Ada's infection pulls a lot more weight than it seems. I've seen some people say Ada's parasite should've been removed the same as Leon's and Ashley's. (Which is an extremely unsubtle argument to get them all in the same room for your shipping nonsense.) However, something I noticed with the DLC were the parallels to the troubles in RE2. The Black Robe/U-3/Pesenta monster is the first time where we get to see Ada dealing with a stalking enemy. Due to RE4 being so much more plot-lined streamed to maintain the flow of gameplay, these events were not allowed to be random, but the narrative purpose remains. Ada gets to have a stalking enemy in her DLC like Claire and Leon did in RE2 with the addition of a hubris check.

The hubris check? Well, Ada has never been infected until this DLC. In the original games, she can step back and watch people die because she doesn't know what it feels like. Now she knows what it feels like. The lack of control. The pain. The slow turning. Her job has had her flirting with death for years, but not in a way she can't fiddle with the odds. A parasite is not something a person can distract with words. The action to steal the amber is backed up via personal experience not just a morality code slapped on. The addition of Wesker's correction to "billions of causalities" means she's included in that number and just cements her incentive to flee. She's not doing this for Leon. She's not doing this for Luis. She's doing this for herself, and if it so happens to help other people then it is what it is. After being on both sides of the coin when it comes to viruses, she can no longer function as entirely impartial to the work she's doing.

-Ada doesn't ask for permission but asks for forgiveness. Don't take this phrasing literally. She doesn't ask Wesker to forgive her. What this means is that she'll do something before asking, and if it upsets people then she'll course correct. Her job is not the kind of job where she needs to take orders for every action she implements which is why Wesker calling every five minutes was annoying as hell. In the OG RE4 she kind of argues with Wesker for Leon to live for "his usefulness", but it's swiftly shut down until it's convenient to Wesker for Leon to live. This forces her to sneak around and betray Wesker multiple times to save Leon secretly, and the concept rightfully gets thrown into the garbage for the remake DLC.

The scene in the bedroom where Wesker tells Ada not to become a liability after taking her blood? Ada doesn't fight to get her shit back. Some people said this was flirting. Wrong. This is Ada seeking forgiveness after the fuck up of passing out in the middle of an active field by letting Wesker walk off with an infection sample. She then makes sure not to fuck up a second time in the same way, and she doesn't. She learns the signs of her parasite so in case she does pass out again, she'll be somewhere much less conspicuous. She listens for the changes in her environment and the feelings in her body and prepares herself for what's next.

-Ada saves Leon and Ashley for Luis' sake. I stated earlier that Ada's action to take the amber was for her own sake but ends up helping others. This is the exact situation going on when Luis talks about getting the suppressant. She needs the suppressant in order to do her job and kill the black robe so she can heal. It just so happens that Leon and Ashley need the suppressant for survival reasons too. They are an afterthought until Luis dies.

We watch Ada question Wesker and his plans all throughout this DLC, and she comes to her own conclusions after her experience working with him. She could've gotten the amber back and let the whole place blow into smithereens like Wesker intended. Who cares about the president's daughter? Who cares about another dead federal agent? Luis did. He cared so much he died for it, and just like that other clown in Raccoon City (aka her), she got emotionally attached. If there was anything she could've done for Luis to make his death mean something, it was this act.

-Ada sells Leon's jacket. This isn't analysis, but I thought this was funny as hell. ACAB! No exceptions! Freeze your tiddies off, Leon! I don't give a shit!

-Ada's new outfit is still better than her old one. It's still not the best they could've given her. I'm also not speaking from a fashion point of view when I say this. In the OG RE4 we see Leon in a jacket which is forcibly removed to show off his pecs to the ladies, but it clearly marks a colder time of year. OG RE4 Ada has arms out, legs out, and tits out because a hoe never gets cold. The sweater dress for the remake re-establishes that it's colder here because even Luis doesn't lose his jacket. Ashley doesn't lose her jacket either until they yoink it off her for ritual reasons. I still hate that the thigh high boots have that heel and would prefer the flats, but that's going to be in the complaint paragraph below.

-Capcom sexism at play once again. I don't give a shit about rigs and motion capture or whatever, her walk cycle was 2 adjustments from being full Bayonetta, and I hate it. The ass shots? Disrespectful. Her heels didn't have to be that high. Never heard of a kitten heel? They exist. The people who worked on RE3 Remake and worked on this DLC sure love to make a woman vomit don't they? Why the fuck was she so clean the entire game? She was being thrown around and tossed in the dirt a lot, but this woman's skin is shinier than a waxed apple. Either she has some wet wipes on hand, or god forbid women get filthy. Absolutely zero reason she shouldn't have been looking as rough as Leon by the time she gets on the helicopter! No reason at all!

That's all they wrote! I love Ada. I loved this DLC, and I loved the dynamics going on here even though I hated every time Wesker was on screen or opened his mouth at all.

As much as I would love to expand this post and go further into the changed Ada and Leon relationship, I frankly hate all the takes I've been seeing so much on either side of the Aeon debate. I hate the ongoing conversation around it so much that I don't know if I want to discuss this at all. The Aeon should've gotten this if not for Luis and Ashley side and the Aeon is dead side going back and forth with each other? All of you put on your clown noses! None of you are looking at this situation objectively to see where the lines cross and where they run alongside each other, and frankly I'm tired! I could clear this whole table off so both of you can get exactly what you want based on what you're not actually interpreting from this media, but I won't! Kill each other!

[vmartist]

Leon Kennedy x Luis Serra x Male Reader:

•tornado warnings•

Content Warnings: Spoilers for both RE4 Remake and Separate Ways DLC. Author rambling at the end. Minimal editing, apologies for any grammar and spelling errors. Anyway, hope you enjoy<3

You and Leon had been assigned this mission to find and protect the president’s daughter, Ashley Graham.

“We should split up from here. You stay here and see what you can find here and I’ll go on ahead.” Leon said as he looked to you.

In your mind you made a million protests as to why you shouldn’t split up but… “Yeah okay.” You shrugged as you stayed in the center of the small village. What was left of the village anyway, all that was left in its wake was carnage.

As you walked around you couldn’t shake the feeling you had before. Everyone had told you not to take the mission with him. This mission wasn’t a choice by him, so obviously he’d act like this. Before you could ponder some more, your radio beeped. You picked it up and listened.

“I need you to provide some back up. Up ahead where I was up from.” He muttered into his radio. You answered back a confirmation and quickly made your way towards him.

A quick pass through the farm could tell you he wasn’t here. After crossing the bridge and through the tunnel you stumbled upon the lakeside with a couple houses. “There’s no sign of any life…what reinforcement could I provide?” You grumbled to yourself as you kept moving forward.

Before you started to search the houses you heard one of the doors bust open. A tall man in a black coat was holding two men in his arms. You quickly ducked and hid in the grass. He placed them on a boat with another villager who paled in comparison in terms of size. The villager rowed the boat further down into the village before landing at a dock and with some help, dragged them somewhere.

You quickly stand and make sure to not get yourself caught as you re-enter the village and make your way to where you’d seen them. In your way was a door that wouldn’t budge. Off to the side were some rocks that didn’t look difficult to climb. After climbing the rocks and jumping over the blocked door you ran down into an ironworks. The exit of the ironworks had been barred, after unlocking it you run deep into the ironworks.

Before you could head further you saw a man sprinting past you. He completely bumped into you, almost knocking you over. “Excuse you, asshole!” You shouted.

He turned around with a grin and finger gunned at you. “Perdon, amigo!” He winked before running away towards where you came from.

As you turned around you saw Leon walking up towards you. He was currently talking to Hunnigan, he quickly noticed you and ended the transmission.

“What happened to your jacket?” You questioned while pointing at him.

He puts his hands on his hips and shrugged. “Aw I dunno…it was getting kinda hot and I needed to cool down.” He says this while being completely stoic.

“Okay, gonna ignore your sarcasm and move on. Who was that guy that just ran off?”

Leon stares past you for a second before focusing back to you. “Said his name was Luis Serra. He’s got intel on where Ashley is being held. C’mon, follow me.”

You reach his side and notice he’s empty handed. “Here.” You extend your gun to him and smile. His eyes flick from yours down to the gun, a small smile settles on his lips before he pushes the gun back into your chest. Before you can protest he grabs the knife from your holster.

“I do much better with this instead but…thank you.” His gaze lingers before he turns and walks forward. You watch him for a second before blinking back into focus and following him. “I need you to to turn this valve, it’s connected to that door.” He says while pointing to an iron door.

You nod and hold the valve for him as he sprints back around and quickly gears back up. “You can let go now. I can unlock this door from the inside.” He states as he unlatches the door and walks back to you.

The two of you walk outside and look around. Leon stretches while looking to you. “You look like you’ve got something on your mind…” He mutters.

You blink a couple times and look away. “It’s really nothing.” Leon tries to pry but you change the topic. “Anyway, what was that intel Luis had on Ashley?”

His mouth was slightly agape but he shut it and cleared his throat. “She was moved to the church. I’m assuming the same one from where the bell was rung earlier.”

“We’d better not wait then.” You turn and move ahead. Leon watches you for a second before running by your side.

“You gonna tell me what’s on your mind? I know something is bothering you…Is it Ashley?” You turn and shake your head.

“I know you’re trying to help but I’d rather you just focus on the mission.” You mumbled as you held your gun close.

A dry chuckle escapes him as he shakes his head. “I can focus on the mission and my partner’s wellbeing.” He nudges you with his shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me now. But whatever it is, don’t let it eat away at you.” His eyes watch you carefully as his lips curve down into a soft frown.

Your shoulders relax and you nod. “Yeah…okay.” His gaze lingers on you briefly before he jogs ahead.

As the afternoon slipped into dusk you found yourselves at the lake. But to cross it, the ragged boat needed…“It needs gasoline…” Leon mutters as he stands.

“I think I saw an opening on the way down here. Let’s go check there.” You point behind you and approach a ladder before looking back at him.

“Good eye.” He smiles before climbing after you.

As you enter the entrance and onto the dock you notice how it creaks under barely any pressure. “This doesn’t feel secure…” You say as you turn to face Leon. But before he can say anything the wood crumbles and collapses under you both. You both fall into the water below, tangled in each other. Leon quickly stands and shakes the water from his hair, in a similar fashion to how a dog would it’s fur coat when wet…

You slowly stand and look down. “There’s snakes here too…” Leon shook his head and pointed ahead.

“Snakes are the least of our worries.” He pulls out his pistol and reloads it before waving you over. You follow behind him and reach the house that has the gasoline.

“Here, let’s hurry back…” Leon mumbles as he hands you the gas. You grab it and follow behind and fuel the boat.

As you both cross the giant lake, a large shadowy figure swam beneath the boat.

“What was that?” You question while looking around. The boat rocks and knocks you both down as you scramble to control the boat again. Something on the boat gets snagged and you fall back as the boat begins being dragged by force.

Leon begins grabbing and launching harpoons at the lake monster. You follow suit and after several dozen harpoons, finally defeat the monster. But before you can start the boat again Leon begins coughing.

“Leon are you okay?” You ask as you grab his shoulder. When you peer over you see a splotch of blood over his gloved palm. “What the fuck?” You muttered. Suddenly his eyes roll to the back of his head and he collapses in your arms. “Wake up! Leon!” You shake him but he’s not responding.

You check his pulse and breathing. His pulse is a bit abnormal but nothing bad and he’s still breathing. He’s just passed out…you quickly start the boat and reach the other side of the lake as the dusk slips into midnight. You drag him out from the boat and into a cabin, in the cabin you lie him down on the table and call Hunnigan.

“Something’s wrong with him…I think he might’ve been infected with the same parasite as the villagers.” You say as you pace around the room. “But I’m sure that researcher…Luis I think his name was? He might be able to help.” You muttered before ending the transmission.

Your eyes flick back to your partner, his chest rises and falls as he takes deep, heavy, and labored breaths. Suddenly he jolts awake while clutching his chest and frantically looking around. His gaze softens once he sees your face.

“Sorry…how long was I out for?” He looks to you with a frown.

“Just a couple hours. I’m glad your okay though! But um…we’re you having a nightmare?” You muttered while watching him carefully.

He shifts uncomfortably before sitting up and shaking his head. “It wasn’t anything…I’m glad you were here..” He whispers as his eyes flick to meet your gaze and he smiles softly.

You smile back and shift your gaze. “I don’t wanna rush you…if you need more time to rest then I don’t mind waiting for you.”

He shakes his head and rests his hand on your shoulder and gets down. “I’ll be fine. We should hurry and find Ashley.” His eyes linger on yours before his hand falls to his side and he walks ahead.

“You’re…infected right?” You muttered. Leon turns to face you as his expression strains. “Why didn’t you tell me? Your eyes…and your black veins…it was obvious yet you didn’t tell me…” You mumbled while approaching him.

He sighs and places a hand on his forehead. “I didn’t want you to worry about me. I’m fine. I know I should be taking my own advice…”

“I have an idea on how to help. Luis is a researcher right? He has to know about this parasite and how to suppress it or even kill it. I was thinking…” You slowly lose your voice and trail off. Leon seems to understand what you’re implying.

“Go. I’ll be okay.” He waves his radio. “Stay in touch, alright? We’ll catch up later.” He says before walking off.

You walk back to the dock and head back to the village on boat. Thoughts swim throughout your mind as to what could happen. But you sank them deep into the back of your head and pushed forward. After tracing back to the farm you noticed the house past the bridge. There was a large gate but you climbed past the cobble wall and landed on your feet.

The first thing you noticed was the lights were lit. When you entered there weren’t any villagers inhabiting. The house was cluttered but aside from that it was empty. Climbing to the second floor showed that there really was no one here…then why was it lit? Staying here seemed like a waste of time but before you left, the front door opened.

You quickly hid behind the staircase and watched carefully. It was Luis…he was huffing when he began backing away from the door. He pulls out a radio and begins talking to someone on the other end.

“Ada. You’re okay! I’ve been waiting and, uh, you’re still coming, right?” He mumbles.

Ada? That’s someone I don’t know…This Ada person replies seemingly annoyed. Before he replies. “Got it. See you soon, ciao.”

You approach him from behind and press your gun into his back.

“Luis, is it?” You question as you gently nudged the barrel into his back.

He chuckles to himself while raising his hands in the air. “It is…and you are?”

“Fed up and need answers. Now, you’re gonna tell me something…” Your brows slowly knit together in a scowl as you stare at him. “I know you’re a researcher for Umbrella.”

He quickly cuts in. “Was. I’m actually retired from that life—

“The specifics don’t matter. What matters is that you know how to remove those parasites. Correct?”

Luis turns his head. “Eyes forward. Answer my question.” You muttered while pressing your gun further.

He sighs. “Yes I know how to remove them and I’ll do you one better. I even know where to.”

You smile slowly and retract your gun and put it in your holster. “Perfect. Thank you for your cooperation, Luis.”

He grumbles. “You mean coercion?”

“Same difference. Anyway—

Luis stops you and grabs your arm. “You hear that?”

Through the rain and thunder you can hear chanting. You both step outside and push the gate open and see Leon and Ashley sprinting across the bridge. Luis runs forward and begins shouting.

“Hey! Over here!” He waves then over before running back to the house entrance and peering out from the frame.

Leon and Ashley sprint over the bridge and run past the gate when you help Leon shut the gate. “Come on!” Luis says.

Afterwards you both enter inside when Leon begins to approach Luis. “You!” He corners him against a wall and pushes him back with the side of his balled up fist. You walk over to Leon’s side and grab his shoulder.

“Ease up.” You mutter while locking your eyes with his. He sighs and let’s his arm fall back to his side. Luis’s eyes wander to your face as his lips slowly curve into a smile. He then looks past you.

“Hey I see you found your “missing señorita..””

Ashley walks over. “The “señorita” has a name, and it’s Ashley…And you are?”

Luis brings his brows down to his eyes before wiggling them back up. “Name’s Luis. Encatado.” He does so in a way one could only describe as an attempt at looking suave. And it wasn’t a bad attempt.

Leon huffs. “Great. We all have names. Now then—Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

Luis dryly chuckles. “Very good questions, unfortunately…” He then turns his head to the side, looking out the window. Everyone then turns their attention to the window before Leon turns to Ashley. “Hide. Now!”

Luis walks over to a fallen closet. “In that case, here, help me.” He waves Leon over.

They lift the closet up. “Ashley quick! Over here!” Leon shouts as he motions his head towards the small opening. “Go!” He huffs out.

Ashley looks at him concerned but crawls down into the space anyway. Once she’s in they let go of the closet and walk towards the window. Leon and Luis pull out their respective guns as they exchange looks.

Luis eyes flick between you and Leon as his lips curve into a smirk. “Okay. It’s game time.”

Leon rushes over to push a closet to create a barricade. You run over to another window and place the boards up. Leon then comes from behind you and taps your shoulder.

“It’s good to see you again…I was worried.” He smiles shyly. You shake your head while smiling back.

“I should be the one who’s worried. But don’t worry, Luis is gonna help us.” You say while looking back at Luis.

Luis puts up more boards against the windows. “Hordes of them against the three of us. Oh and let’s not forget—this mob is made up of monsters.” He says while looking at you both.

Leon then pulls something out from his pockets and holds his hand out. “Here’s some ammo and herb mixtures.”

You hesitantly take them from him. “Thanks…I promise I’ll pay back the favor.”

The sound of the windows breaking open stops you both as you ready your weapons. You walk over to one of the tables and kick it to the floor and kneel down while aiming. “I’ve got your backs, just make sure they can’t push us back!” You shout as they nod at you.

Eventually some of the boards came down and they started pouring in slowly. Leon pushes back with his shotgun while Luis has trouble with his handgun. You turn your attention and help Luis push back.

“They keep coming!” Leon grunts as he fired another shot.

Luis slowly backs away next to you as they close in. You both shoot away trying to thin out the crowd. It’s enough to create an opening as you rush over and board the windows. Then Leon begins grunting as one of the villagers grappled him. Luis is quick to save him as he plants a bullet into his kneecap.

“Pay attention!” He shouts as fires another shot into the villager beside him.

You run back over to the table and kneel down again. When you ready your shot a pair of hands chokes you from behind. You gasp for air as you attempt to break free when Leon and Luis turn to you quickly. Leon shoots behind Luis while Luis shoots the villager choking you.

“Bingo! Haha!” Luis laughs as he blows the smoke off his gun.

Because everyone’s attention had been scattered they were able to push you back. Luis runs upstairs and calls for you both “Let’s go upstairs! Come on!”

You both follow behind him and Leon kicks a ladder down before grabbing more ammo.

“I’ve got something for you two, catch!” Luis yells as he tosses ammo boxes to you and Leon.

You both nod in acknowledgement and keep shooting before a loud noise bellows from below. The wooden steps creak as loud footsteps thud, they sound closer and closer until a cow head peers around. One of the more brutal villagers wore a decapitated and hollowed out cow head as a mask. It held a giant sledgehammer as he stomped closer.

Leon slowly backs away. “Give me a break already…” He mutters.

“What is that?” You mumbled as you stood next to Leon. He turns to you and frowns.

“That thing is gonna swing it’s hammer until it hits something or gets tired…be careful.” He murmured before aiming his shotgun straight at it.

You aim your gun as well. “Luis! Let’s focus the big one down!” You call to him as you tilt your head.

He laughs and joins next to you while aiming with one hand. “Good idea, señor!”

Together you all unload your guns into the brute. Once it staggers, both Leon and you rush to it and kick it in the abdomen. It sends it against a wall where it’s stunned once again. Leon pulls out his knife and stabs it through the bottom of its head before yanking it back out. A stream of blood spills out before it collapses harshly.

Ashley then comes from a door behind the three of you. “Leon! This way, hurry!”

Everyone turns around and darts out the back door, following Ashley out as more villagers pile into the house. After running under a gate Leon turns to see a villager behind everyone. He shoots the chain that holds the gate and rushes further. The gate crushes the villager and Leon walks by Ashley’s side. Everyone is panting and catching their breath before Ashley begins coughing up blood.

“Ashley!?” Leon looks down at her hand and then at Luis.

Luis grabs her hand and looks up. “Is this the first time you’ve coughed up blood like this?”

She nods and Leon steps forward. “You wanna start explaining?”

Luis takes a step back and looks between them. “The cough, the blood—it’s caused by something called a…“plaga.”” He mutters.

You turn to Leon and Ashley. “A parasite. Whatever those villagers have…you guys probably have as well.” You mumble.

Luis nods. “Yes, but these symptoms are only the beginning.”

“I don’t wanna become like them.” Ashley whines as she looks at Leon.

Luis walks slightly ahead with his back facing everyone. “You are, well, lucky. You see, at this early stage, the parasite—the plaga. It is possible to remove it…”

Leon whispers in your ear. “You knew this already?” You nod in reply as you continue listening to Luis.

“…with a surgical procedure. And all you need is some know-how.” He then turns and opens up his shirt to reveal a chest scar. “And, oh yeah—the right equipment.”

Leon’s brows furrow and he steps forward and points at him. “Wait. You too?”

Luis waves his hands around. “No worries. See, I have a plan.” He taps the side of his head and winks. He then points both his hands toward you both. “But you’re going to have to trust me.”

Leon and Ashley lock eyes before Leon turns his head back to Luis and nods. Luis turns on his heel and fist pumps the air. “Great! We’re partners then!”

As he walks forward you turn to Leon and give him a soft smile. “I’ll join him.”

Leon looks past you and reaches out to Luis. “Hey, why are you—

Luis quickly cuts and waves him off. “No time for any questions. The clock is ticking!”

“Why are you helping us?” Leon asks. Luis suddenly stops.

“Because it makes me feel better. And your partner might’ve coerced me…Let’s leave it at that.” He continues walking forward and waves his radio. “I will contact you later.”

You scoff and begin following him. “Catch up with you both later.” You say to Leon and Ashley before running ahead.

You walk by his side as he plays around with his lighter before he turns his head to you. “You got a smoke?”

“Nope.” You say as you look down at his lighter. He sighs and continues playing with the lighter before stopping.

“You never told me your name?” He questions while meeting your eyes.

“It’s, [Name]. Sorry about earlier…” You murmur as your gaze falters from him to the ground.

A low chuckle slips past his lips as he looks to you. “No te preocupes. I know you were just trying to do the right thing…But just so you know, I was going to help them regardless.”

“Well that makes me feel even worse.” You groan as you cup the bridge of your nose.

He simply laughs as he pats your back. “Consider your aid as reparations for earlier.” Slowly his laugh dies out and he clears his throat. “I…have to warn you. I’m meeting with someone and she’s not really the type who loves surprises. I need you to stand behind me and let me do all the talking.”

You stare at him and blink. “Seriously?” He nods slowly in response as you cross your arms. “Fine. I really hope you know what your doing…”

He grins and walks ahead, still playing with his lighter. “¡Claro, por aquí!”

You walk behind him and in the distance you see a woman dressed in red, standing atop a rocky slope with her arms crossed. Her eyes sharpen as she narrows her gaze at Luis.

“Luis, I asked for the Amber, not Leon’s partner.” Her brows knit together in a scowl as she taps her foot. “Where’s the Amber?”

Luis sighs. “Unfortunately, it’s not on me at the moment.” He then begins climbing the slope, gripping each rock as he then peers up. “And you really should be telling me what a good job I did. Busted my ass and managed to hide it right before I got caught. Which is why I’m still alive!” His grip loosened as he almost falls but holds his hand out to the woman.

She huffs out before kneeling down and gazing down at him. “The deal was we get you out of here when you deliver the Amber. No Amber? No protection, Luis.”

He laughs lowly as he shakes his head slightly. “Such a stickler for details, huh Ada?” He takes a brief inhale, then looking back down at you before looking back up at Ada. “Okay, then…We’ll go get it now. How about that?” He reaches his hand out once again.

Ada stares at him briefly, rolls her eyes and sighs softly as she takes his hand and lifts him up. Luis groans as he climbs the rest of the way. They both dust themselves off before Luis turns around and holds his hand out while winking at you. You quickly climb and take his hand.

He turns to look off in the distance. “And I do have something else I need to get too…”

End of Part One of: •tornado warnings•

Here are some ramblings, feel free to ignore them, I thank everyone who interacts in any way and for reading<3 I had so much fun writing this and in fact had this in my drafts for a couple months and Separate Ways dlc releasing pushed me to finish this! Part two won’t take as long hopefully, and I hope this wasn’t a drag to read through. I’m pretty self critical when it comes to my writing and I find myself being repetitious with my style that I end up giving up. This was originally gonna be a quick one shot but I ended up writing so much I knew it couldn’t be delegated to just one part. And the title is based off of Sabrina Carpenter’s song, Tornado Warnings. It’s such a great song and even the entire album is a bop from start to finish, I highly suggest listening if you’re into pop and somber music.

[sapphire-weapon]

This is probably the biggest indication that we're getting a Wesker DLC.

Wesker knows who Krauser is without having to ask and recognizes him on sight -- and, as soon as Ada mentions his name, Wesker gets his fat ass out of his chair and goes to the island himself to tell her about a sudden "change of plans" to get her away from Krauser and Saddler.

He knows something that we don't. Something's going to have to come out about how Wesker was in touch with Luis through their connection as former Umbrella science nerds long before this extraction/Amber plan was put together, and that's how Wesker knew about Las Plagas in the first place, or someshit.

Or Wesker has plants on the inside of the US federal gov't (hence the whole "Wouldn't that make things harder for you?" re: killing Ashley) or something maybe they're repurposing/retconning Simmons.

But this is a whole ass thing right here that needs to be addressed.

[11cool]

More RE4 DLCs to come?

There are hints in the game and based on the cut content that every DLC were planned ahead since the early trailers. There was an exclusive shot of Ada dlc in the early trailers and we had it, so Luis/Ashley exclusive footages could also mean something.

The info on metacritic site labeling RE4 gold edition and removing it afterward made it more suspicious, why would capcom need to make such release when we only had Ada DLC? Unless they're planning for more DLCs like RE8 gold edition that was released with extra story DLC.

And there's still +10gb placeholder on steam that's bigger than Ada's DLC means there's indeed more content, the VR DLC is only on PS5 so it has nothing to do with the unreleased DLC file on steam 👀 here's twitter thread to check all details.

[wisecrackingeric-2]

Very short and sweet Serennedy Analysis of the Seperate Ways DLC

Obvious spoilers disclaimer but also this is NOT supposed to be a diss at any ships whatsoever!!!!!!!! I love them all!!!!!!! My current hyperfixation is just on Serennedy and I see a lot of potential for it in the DLC!!!!!!!

• Ok first and most obvious. Right at the beginning, the part everyone was screaming about in the trailer, is that Luis’ first thought is to tell Ada that there is One More Thing (tm) he has to do, and that’s to help Leon, and Ada’s IMMEDIATE reaction is to be like “….ok.” I have a feeling in this context that she KNOWS how much Leon means to Luis. She KNOWS that he’s HIS priority, and that’s why she lets him go

• Again more obvious scene, but when Luis sees that the room containing the medicine intended for Leon is on fire he RUNS THROUGH A BURNING FRICKEN BUILDING TO GO RETRIEVE IT. His immediate thought (in my mind at least) is that he doesn’t wanna see Leon die in the same was his Grandfather did metaphorically. He couldn’t save his Grandfather because he was powerless, and now he’s powerless to save the medicine that would save Leon’s life. Hell, he even says “it’s all gone!! That was my last chance to set things right!!!” When Ada questions him on why this was so important to him. It’s because he cares deeply about Leon and wants to set things right. God. I love him SO much.

• Also I’ve mentioned this before, but Luis seems a LOT more relaxed/ jokey with Ada, and if you ask me, I think that’s a sure fire sign that Leon’s been putting on an act to impress Leon. He wants Leon to think he’s cool and self assured so that he’ll like him more, and in a similar vein with Ada, he dies before Leon can see that REAL side of him. JUST when Luis opens up about Umbrella, he’s stabbed in the back. It’s so sad. Sobbing,, crying,,,,

• HOOOOOOO BOY THAT SCENE WHERE HE SAVES ADA???????? I LOVE that we see his hesitancy to run because he can’t decide wether it’s worth running off to Leon or helping Ada whose in more urgent danger and he chooses Ada because he’s a GOOD PERSON WHO CARES ABT HER,,,, BUT THEN WHEN ADA SAYS “go. Besides, you have a promise to keep” SHE K N O W S HE NEEDS TO GET BACK TO LEON. SHE KNOWS HOW MUCH HE CARES ABT HIM RUARGH. AND THAT FACE?????? OH MY GOD????????

• Holy shit his death scene…………. When he’s on the phone with Ada and he goes “oh, and take care of Leon for me will you?” HIS FIRST THOUGHT IS ALWAYS LEON. AND THEN HES LIKE “gotta go, Leon needs my help” AND HE CALLS OUT FOR HIM?????? AND YOU CAN HEAR HIM DYING ITS SO AHSNWHENEJE

• And then ofc we see the death scene from a distance where Leon rushes to his side and holds his hand, and I feel like that only solidifies their affection for one another to me. As my beloved mutual said, ‘Luis got to spend the rest of his life with Leon but Leon never got to spend the rest of his life with Luis’ I can’t. Brb I’m gonna go cry after writing this all.

[alitan99]

I need a Luis DLC so bad….

Do we know if Capcom has even considered making anything like that or are we just waiting for Hell to freeze over XD

[adasknife]

gonna complain again (because that is all I do). i feel like some interpretations of the aeon ship is so gross. sometimes they are just based off the dragon lady and chinese doll which is... ugh. they make leon like jerk who is only obsessed with ada's tits, he only forgives her for giving him a tease. and even ada gets a mistreated by that same thing, falling in love with leon and making her a weak woman or a dominant girl to press on leon's balls. i saw a stupid post in tiktok (because i am always on tiktok) saying that leon needed ada's red dress to fall and try to discredit the cleon ship. i... i am just so tired.

they accidentally make leon a jerk that falls for women who gives him attention (a single kiss) and people then say ada and leon spend more time together which- sure. but ada faked her death for six years and leon didn't see her. and we never see them actually in love, they just seem forced to be in love because of the writing. teasing each other with sex (apparently the only thing they share in common)

leon obviously has an ideal version of ada. he wanted to be a hero and prove to himself that not all people are bad. but people are like: real love, baby <3

god! i wish these characters were platonic because that's what ada needed. she never needed a lover to save her soul- she could save herself. she feels guilty of her sins and she doesn't need leon defending her actions only because she is hot or because he loves her. it's the friendship. the love of friends. something that ada needed for so long.

i feel guilty of talking about ada with leon because that's all she has. sometimes i want to talk about leon but i can't. i'm pissed with the lack of ada. like legit pissed (like how many times have i wrote of this).

anyways have repeated this so many time as well, fans saved the ship. some actually try with them which is good. but yeah... until we see another repeated rant.

edit: even remake luis gets sad edits, he is only in one game (and one dlc) and he seems to get more appreciation outside of his ship (leon x him). all her sad edits are: boo hoo, leon and her. i only saw one edit and that edit is what motivated me to be pissed. she has potential of canon and fandom love but there is nada pero un pinche leon.

[pink-strawberry-kissess]

I actually think Leon was extremely lucky to have met Ada that night in Raccoon City. Leon was going to figure out sooner or later about the harsh realities that result from terrible people in power. Even if hypothetically there was no virus outbreak he would have still been working under sleazy Chief Irons. If he had instead run into someone like Hunk that night, he likely would have just killed Leon or leave him to die if Leon tired to stop him.

I feel like Leon, coming in fresh and naive, too viewed himself in a very idealistic way. But after his experience with Ada, he realized his own morals aren’t black and white either, there are some things/people he is willing to look past for his own selfish reasons despite it going against what is ethically and morally right. Honestly watching that bridge scene, I feel like he was definitely angry on a personal level that she may not have had actual feelings for him and used him than he was about her faking it as an FBI to get the sample “to sell”. The moment she decides not to shoot him, choosing him over her own duty, he was relieved and his concern from there was all about saving her. With the direction the VAs were given it’s basically Leon feeling like “just tell me you love me and then we can just forget this all happened and move on” lol

Speaking of Hunk, he is the prime example of how misogyny is in play when it comes to Ada hate (or they hate that she prevent Leon from being the “perfect” protagonist). He’s actually a mercenary himself, went to retrieve the G-virus for Umbrella, and we also don’t know much about him at all. Yet so many RE fans love him, say he needs a DLC in RE4R, needs his own game etc. He literally gets hyped up for all the reasons Ada gets hated on for.

leon simps and ada haters realize that leon would be dead without ada challenge: impossible

leon is incredibly naive at the beginning of re2, and it's okay to assume that. no, 21 year old is that mature.

leon has always been depicted at the beginning of re2 to be young, naive, bright eyed, and extremely faithful to authority figures (whether or not they were morally good or not, chief irons for example)

(With the direction the VAs were given it’s basically Leon feeling like “just tell me you love me and then we can just forget this all happened and move on” lol) this was more so to draw out emotion for the scene. that they had an emotional connection and that leon was genuinely hurt by ada's betrayal. "Look, I'm just doing my job." Was her clarifying that what she did and why she did it wasn't personal.

people also act like carlos isn't a mercenary. but he also gets so much praise and love. luis literally created a bio weapon that KILLED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. but that's fine cause he's so scrunkly. so many male characters do the same shit or WORSE than ada but get so praised. it absolutely is the misogyny.

[lenskyq]

the potential of Ada and Luis' partnership in "Separate Ways" of Re4Make (speculations and spoilers from main game).

I have no doubt that Capcom will release DLC "Separate Ways" (especially after Leon's words about it), the only question is when it will happen.

and if so, then we will inevitably see the partnership of Ada and Luis, and this is what I have a lot of expectations about. I understand that it's not a fact that Capcom will devote a lot of time to their relationship, but this is what I would like, because it really has a lot of prerequisites (since re4 original).

in the original, they worked as a team, but, unfortunately, it was not felt. they had only one (rather dry) dialogue for all the DLC, and honestly, this is such a lost potential, given the facts that we had in the canon.

that it was Ada who helped Luis get rid of the parasite in his body. that it was Ada who recommended Luis to the organization, explaining this not by saying that "he is useful", but by saying that "I like him". her report about Luis (chapter 2) shows how she treats him positively, and that he reminds her of her "young self". but we didn't see it in the game itself.

now we have a remake, and this is where Capcom can fix this misunderstanding and give us a really memorable bromance.

we saw only one joint scene with them (from Leon's story), but already in it they and their dynamics look damn good. Ada gives her hand to Luis when he almost fell (as a partner and ally), smiling at him, while Luis' expression describes gratitude, and you know, he smiles back at her. at the beginning of the scene, Ada stood taller than Luis, reminding him of the terms of the deal, but at the end? the situation is clearly softening. Ada picks him up (helps him as a partner) by the hand and they are on the same level. the gesture itself (the way Ada lifted Luis) it seems to be what looks like a relationship of partners, allies (the bromance we've been waiting for).

it seems very likely to me that now Ada and Luis will really work together, and that now they will really be a team. I can see it even in the scene we saw in Leon's story. it will be strange to lose and not develop the dynamic that they gave Ada and Luis in this scene.

I think Luis didn't join Leon and Ashley at the castle because he was with Ada at that moment.

I can be bolder in my assumptions and suggest that the partnership of Ada and Luis may be stronger than the partnership of Leon and Luis. why? well, at least because Luis doesn't tell Leon anymore that he has a sample. he tells Leon what Leon needs to know, but no more. for example, he does not tell Leon about Ada (and does not talk about the sample that he hid in his pocket for Ada).

it is interesting that now Leon and Luis do not have such a strong connection as in the original, that now Luis does not come to Leon with a sample that he got for Ada, but hides it from Leon and keeps a sample for Ada, as Luis and Ada agreed. Luis withholds information from Leon for Ada's sake, but when he encounters Ada, he tells her that "there is something you should know about." is Luis more open with Ada than with Leon? well, so far it looks like it.

until we got "Separate Ways", I can assume that Luis and Ada are connected not only by their "deal", but also by the partnership that we will be watching in the DLS (based on what I said above).

Krauser killed Luis and took the sample from him (which Luis kept for Ada and which he did not tell Leon about), explaining that he was hunting for "a couple of rats". obviously, this couple consists of Luis and Ada (this also speaks in favor of the fact that they will be allies in "Separate Ways"). in the original, Ada was a witness to Luis' death. it seems inevitable that this will remain unchanged in the remake. at least because Luis got the sample, and he has to give it to Ada. it is unlikely that Ada will see the process of death, but she will definitely see Luis' dead body. if they really have a bromance, then this moment will be really touching.

in addition, it will add sharpness to the conflict between Ada and Krauser. Capcom changed the root cause of the conflict (because now it's not Ada, but Luis who saved Leon from Krauser), but set the route in which Krauser wants to eliminate Ada and Luis. he handled Luis. if Ada and Luis have developed a bromance, then Ada will have personal motives in her conflict with Krauser and the theme of revenge for her ally.

it can be said that Leon has already avenged Luis, but for Leon, his connection with Krauser is more than his connection with Luis. this is fair, because Krauser is the one who trained Leon, the one who had a great influence on Leon and other moments of their relationship in the remake. Ada doesn't have such a connection with Krauser, which for Leon is more than a connection with Luis, but Ada can have a connection with Luis, which (theoretically) can be more than a connection between Luis and Leon. this will work very well if Capcom keeps Ada and Krauser's fight in "Separate Ways" and that it was Ada who killed Krauser, not Leon.

because of the way Krauser's death was presented at Leon's hands, I'm not sure Ada will be the one to kill Krauser definitively. but I admit it possible, given that Krauser's phrase implied a conflict with Ada and that this conflict would be more personal for Ada if she developed a bromance with Luis. whatever it was, Leon's murder of Krauser did not look like revenge for Luis, but as their personal moment of farewell. but we can get revenge for Luis if they keep Ada and Krauser fight (and Ada has a bromance with Luis).

it is also important that if Ada and Luis really have a bromance in "Separate Ways", then her mention of Luis in the ending will carry a stronger message and sparkle with new colors (that we did not notice during the main game, because still we have not seen the bromance of Ada and Luis, which we will see in Separate Ways).

a small addition: also Luis can become a "shipper on deck". how Helena was to Leon when she saw his feelings for Ada. Luis can be the one who will see Ada's feelings for Leon, and now Ada will face something like "She is more than just a friend for you, isn't she?". and while I don't deny that one of the reasons Luis helped Leon was his sincere desire to "get better," I also think that this may be what Ada asked Luis (it doesn't diminish Luis' help for Leon and doesn't diminish his desire to become a better person).

[possessionisamyth]

So here's the thing. I do think Luis worked on Project Nemesis in the remake timeline. I tried double checking the in game evidence around this statement, and it's still a little vague but why not. At the time he is in his early 20s which, for a lot of people, is a very high pressure time of growth. Navigating adulthood, figuring your personhood out, and feeling like there's an invisible timer to accomplishing something important are pretty common experiences for that age range. Not to mention just trying to survive at all when living and supporting yourself is being balanced with the rest of that nonsense.

Before the project, I do think Luis was working on standard over the counter medicine. I think his genuine goal was to make something that hadn't been done yet. He wanted to make something there was a need for and he failed. He kept failing utterly at it, and his self-esteem took some heavy hits during this process. This meant when he was offered to start working with his team named on his lighter, he goes for it. He's also good at it. Great at it. For some reason, working with parasites comes completely natural to him. He makes a lot of breakthroughs, and the praise he receives in return diminishes the self-deprecation he might've been lumping on himself for past failures. He's pretty sure he's found his calling until he gets to see what they've made together.

And it's horrible. It's the opposite reaction of what Wesker has with the completed Tyrant. He's terrified. He's confused. He's maybe even angry with everything but especially angry with himself, and he knows what happens after this. He knows with a success there'll be more. He knows with a success they won't stop, so he runs away. He puts a lot of effort into vanishing since he knows he's the key to keeping a smooth manufacturing process, and he's right. They can only make the one, and the issues he theoretically could solve for duplicates he is no longer there to solve.

He probably mopes for a while, tries to tell himself there was nothing more he could've done, and he goes home to see the people he knew falling ill. With parasites. That's his thing! That's his thing he can do!!! That's his thing he can fix!!! The leaders, only one of which he did trust, gave him the gracious opportunity to fix it. To save people. To save the people he knew, and he succeeds. He makes something to save those people only to find out it was a lie. All of it.

It's not like the first time where he chose to make something horrible for the sake of needing a win only to run away from the consequences. This time he went in with good intentions to help people and stop a plague only to become a tool in progressing it. No wonder he was so desperate to help when we see him interacting with Ada in the DLC. He's trying so hard to do everything on his own terms to get the results he wants because the failure of upholding his code of ethics led to the production of a weapon of terror and the success of upholding his code of ethics led to the production of a weapon of terror, so when does it end!!!!! When do his intentions actually have the effect he desires? When can his mind, his skills, his abilities actually help people for once? And then Leon and Ashley appear, and his work helps them like he wants it to help people, and he never gets to bask in that accomplishment!!!!

[savior-of-humanity]

OH YEAH I bought the Separate Ways DLC for RE4R last night and finished it today, here's my thoughts on it below the cut (spoilers obviously);

To clarify; I've never actually played the OG RE4 or the OG Separate Ways story. I am aware of events that happen in OG RE4 though.

Anyways,

Starting off with a few issues I had with it, though they're relatively minor;

The bosses felt... okay. Like, they're not bad, but they didn't really feel like they stood out all that much. The El Gigante fight basically felt the same as the times you fight it in the main story, except there's the element of moving around on roofs. That bit is cool! But other than that it just felt basically same-y. The Black Coat is cool, and I liked the reveal of it not being a Verdugo but rather Something Else. My only complaint about it is that the arena you fight it in just feels really boring, at least in visuals. Let me elaborate. Using some notable examples (the first and last fights with Krauser, the Verdugo, the first El Gigante fight), something they always had were at least one of two things; interesting level layout, and interesting set design. For Krauser, you have the light coming up through the grill floors and the semi-maze of crates to navigate around, and the circular arena with upper levels to hop onto. For Verdugo, you had the claustrophobic hallways that I feel paired really well with its hyper-aggressive attack behavior. And for El Gigante, it's mainly just the ambience rain and lighting from the braziers and torches combined with the kinda-cramped arena. Black Coat had neither of those things. In the first phase, you're literally just fighting in a flat rocky area that's super grey, dull, and with no notable set pieces other than "oh this is underground and kind of industrial". In the second phase, it's another flat area, except it's bigger and circular, with basically the same boring feel. I though the fight with Saddler was cool as a concept but MAN were some of his attacks annoying. Maybe it's because I was low on ammo/had only one knife but he felt like a total fucking bullet sponge. It didn't really feel satisfying taking him down because he barely reacted to my attacks excluding the progression of dialogue and the handful of times he gave me an opening to stab him in the face.

I kinda wish Ada had more in-depth interactions with some of the characters? I liked what she had with Luis (especially the little tango they do in the beginning) but I feel like there could have been More. Luis probably should've reacted negatively to her mentioning Wesker but then again, I don't actually know if he would know about Wesker. I wish she had an actual interaction with Krauser that isn't just chasing him until we see him hand the Amber to Saddler. I also wish her interaction with Ashley wasn't literally just "leon needs help!!!" (nods)

My biggest gripe, however, out of the entirety of the DLC; what the fuck was the deal with her being infected with Las Plagas? Like, I think it's cool she was infected (and also because I am a weirdo sucker for whump shit). But the way they handled her being cured is just completely fucking bizarre. To clarify; the first time she fights the Black Coat, I'm pretty sure that's when she gets infected as she gets nicked by one of the explosive-orange-dart things. Later on, she starts showing symptoms, and helps Luis gather the ingredients needed to make a suppressant to buy her (and Leon/Ashley) more time to get rid of the Plagas. Except, after she kills the Black Coat, she... pukes up??? The parasite??? And then she's all fine and dandy??? Okay so like. On one hand, you could probably explain this as her having been infected with an alternate form of Las Plagas, which would make sense as she experiences dramatically distinct hallucinations that seem to be tied exclusively to the Black Robe (and are absolutely NOT the same as the hallucinations Leon gets). On the other hand... we KNOW that Las Plagas reside in the chest cavity and more or less connect themselves to the host's nervous system(?). Like a chestburster. If this was in fact supposed to be a REGULAR type of Las Plagas then she shouldn't have been PHYSICALLY ABLE TO VOMIT IT OUT IN THE FIRST PLACE, because it wouldn't be inside of her stomach. Idk. I'm just miffed that she literally vomited out this thing and went "lol I'm fine now" and went on her merry way and didn't have to visit the lab whatsoever.

Other than that though, I thought Separate Ways was pretty decent. It doesn't hold up as well compared to RE4R in terms of story but for what it offers, I'd say I got my 10 dollars worth.

[sapphire-weapon]

Do you have a problem with Luis stealing Ada's scenes? I noticed it's a bit of a hot button topic on twitter. I think that it kinda sucks for various reasons (less screentime for Ada, AKA less screentime for one of the only girl characters), but Ada still gets her chance to save Leon once and Luis REALLY needed to do something more in the plot. I think if we do end up getting Separate Ways it'll probably smooth everything over, but really: do you think the Krauser scene would've been better with Ada? Should they have made up a new scene for Luis to be a big damn hero in?

Luis didn't "steal" Ada's anything.

This is the whole problem with RE fandom in general and the discourse that goes on here. Everyone looks at these characters like they're in competition with each other for the prize of Leon's dick, and they're fucking not.

Ada's role in the story changed -- as did Krauser's. That's what happened. The point of Ada saving Leon in OG RE4 wasn't because "omg teh ship" -- it was because it was Ada's signal to both Krauser and Leon that she's intending on betraying Wesker. That's why her line of dialogue is "Looks like we have the upper hand here" instead of something more concerned with Leon's safety.

THAT'S NOT A THING IN RE4MAKE ANYMORE.

Ada does not intend to betray Wesker at all until after Saddler is dead. And, even if that wasn't the case, Capcom seems to want to keep Wesker's involvement in the story way more of a secret this time around. We don't know if Krauser's even still working for him in this version, and Leon doesn't seem to know about him at all -- so what's the point of Ada saving Leon, really, other than ship fodder?

So, with that in mind, Capcom had one of two choices: have Krauser give up and fuck off from the fight as his own independent choice, or have someone else save Leon. The former is a really bad idea from a characterization perspective, and the only viable candidate for the latter would've been Luis.

Like. That's it. That's all there is to it. It's not that deep.

Like, sure, Ada has less screen time in the main campaign now, but she's also getting an entire DLC dedicated to her that, according to leaks, is more akin to an expansion pack than a DLC and is the biggest undertaking for post-launch story content that Capcom has ever done for RE. So anyone trying to pull a sexism card is either ignorant of Separate Ways existing, or they're trolling.

This whole discourse is so goddamn disingenuous and divorced from the reality of how writing works that it's honestly mind-boggling.

RE4's story does not begin and end with Leon's affections. This fandom really needs to pull their heads out of each other's asses every once in a while.

[yngai]

SEPERATE WAYS (2023) INITIAL THOUGHTS - PART ONE :

while i think i set my expectations a little too high regarding this DLC & there are areas where i was left disappointed, aspects of the original story that begged for expansion which are either ignored or just as obtuse, i do enjoy the new additions & scenarios unique to her campaign ( resulting from it being given proper development time, when the original was always an afterthought, a quickfire rendition of the main scenario whose actual story is relegated to direct exposition from ada in between chapters + the attached guidebook offering context on her actions & allegiances ) . ada's characterization falls very much in line with how i've portrayed her . while capcom always delivers on engaging gameplay ( RE4R's combat is the franchise's best & ada's unique move-set sets this DLC apart ), characters & story can often take a backseat to the breakneck pacing of the action, to atmosphere & overall world, monster & sound design .

i wish this wasn't a consistent issue but having been a resident evil fan for at least half a decade now this is what i should've expected, there are some excellent moments hampered by wasted potential & while these are faults i am happy to see ada wong being given a chance to shine . separate ways was always setting up ada's own solo outing that was later backtracked & her narrative role reused for damnation, only somewhat realized with RE6 as ada's campaign carries the most story relevance as we learn the motivations & background of the game's villains, with ada confronting her own manufactured persona plastered onto another woman . this DLC feels like that promise fulfilled, ada unchained from her narrative dependance on leon as we relive the events of RE4R from her perspective . whereas for leon it's a horror, for ada it's just another day clocking in to work . everyone was left wanting for more & thinking ada robbed of her story relevance by luis, but even in the original her campaign is what cements her role in the narrative & it is the same here .

i don't tie my blog's canon exclusively to the remakes & as i've detailed here there will be a lot carried over from the original moving forward with my portrayal, especially in how resident evil 4 (2005) is a self-aware take on the american action movie, where ada plays & subverts the role of the femme fatale very plainly . this is something important to how i perceive & portray ada, because i think an issue regarding most analysis of her character is that despite her duplicitous, calculated nature, people take her & her words at face value . in this remake much like in her every appearance, there is a disconnect between her actions & the information she relies to other characters, it's what makes her interesting to me ( & why i've written her for as long as i've been a ressie fan ) . we've known since RE3 that ada wong is a cover, a mask worn by a woman that thrives on lies & deceit, & the weight of it, her existence in a world on the brink of self-destruction is what gives her life meaning .

separate ways (2023) doesn't truly pick up until after luis' death, sadly, i don't think her infection is given much proper development, but her relationship with luis going beyond one file & one cutscene is a welcome addition to her story & the interplay with luis' arc & theme of redemption adds a lot of context to ada's scenes in leon's campaign . the build up is a little middling but the payoff is worth it .

this isn't going to be an in-depth analysis post, i still need to gather my thoughts, think of this more as a rather long list of observations :

first off, i love that ada's introduction & approach to rescuing luis shows her undercover . this is the first time in the franchise we see ada, a spy, sneak into a situation not donning her signature raven black hair matching her usual red/black color scheme . while the leather gloves are a dead giveaway to eagle eyed viewers, it's a nice change of pace for a character we are told is a spy though we rarely see do proper espionage ( she is more akin to a gentleman thief ) . does make me wonder where she procured the outfit since the inhabitants of the castle are on high alert, & what she thinks of all the dead hitchhikers she walked past on her way down .

i also enjoy that ada humors luis by giving the chance to finish off his private dance number & that from her expression alone there's instant regret, an eye roll, placing a cigarette in his mouth to shut him up, later turning her head away to create distance as luis leans in, before her demeanor with him grows openly hostile as he continues testing her patience . i will say though, this scene does feel like it belongs later in the campaign, it makes little sense for ada's route throughout valdelobos to be castle -> village -> castle ( luis even mocks it, asking ada if she ever thought she'd come back to the castle later . seems like a cheeky nod from the developers hinting at the strangeness of the circling ), & it always felt like their cliffside chat was supposed to be their first meeting . in fact, this is hinted at by the code phrase used, one luis asks leon upon their introduction & later ada, stressed in the e-mails exchanged . which is absent here as i think originally the trouble luis got himself into that leon hears of in the prince charming radio call was getting recaptured . this is a writing decision made specifically for the DLC that, in my opinion, does conflict a little with the main scenario, but i can live with it .

i guess it's nice of ada to pick up a pack of cigarettes on the way to valdelobos, i just wish she smoked one or two in a cutscene, maybe they're not her brand .

some insights into ada's arms dealing background given from the descriptions of her springfield armory xd ( blacktail ac ), customed made for ada's personal use, she must know some excellent gunsmiths . interesting as well that her knife 'has meant the difference between life & death on more than a few missions', she is shown to be rather proficient with knives in later cutscenes too . really makes her expression when leon essentially mansplains the usefulness of knives in close quarters all the more understandable . she thinks it very funny, because she never initiated the fight with the intention to harm ( finger off the trigger, playful lilt to her voice, in the remake leon has openings ada doesn't exploit, leon is her distraction against los iluminados why would she harm him at all ) . in both renditions it's a part of her game to judge his training, how it has changed him & in the remake she does get caught off guard by how seriously leon takes the encounter, the build up of resentment of a six year old death & betrayal ( deserving, of course, a consequence for ada's actions in raccoon city that leaves little room for whatever lingering sentiment people misinterpret in their interactions ) only regaining her foothold when he tries to talk down to her . then she mocks what he's become .

after learning of ada's infection i first speculated it would coincide with her own capture by méndez's forces after rescuing leon at his home, sedated as in the original & injected with her own plaga instead of becoming a sacrifice . instead her infection happens first thing, resulting from a fairly surface level cut on her right arm that heals & vanishes ( along the damage to her sweater ) within minutes . while we are told that pesanta possess a unique form of plaga infection specific to her victims ( fitting with her name drawing from catalan folklore as a creature that causes breathing problems & nightmares by perching atop a person's chest ), plaga infections happen through the injection or forceful swallowing of a parasite into a host . in the remake the parasites survived incased in amber, preserved like the insects they are, in the original they became petrified & their spores infected miners hired by the salazar family, & now i guess an organic spike cutting someone slightly is enough for a parasite to start growing in your body . but hey, infection through a wound sustained on your forearm from a black-clad monster pursuing you throughout your mission, ada/jill parallels anyone ?

it's just a shame pesanta isn't a stalker enemy that irregularly pursues ada throughout the castle & village, an active threat that looms over the horizon . she is encountered three times, always alone ( sans illusions, which i suppose is a nice nod the hookman version of RE3.5 ) & the third time is the reimagined U3 boss fight, where ada is freed of her infection . this is told to us, & ada even comments on the usefulness of the information, in a file found in the display room, but it's almost kind of a copout as to end the infection plotline as soon as possible .

for leon it lingers until the very end, he goes to such great lengths to cure himself & ashley, ada vomits her parasite & brushes it off like it never happened, & it's such a shame because pesanta's ability to control her victims through waking nightmares would've been such a great chance to introduce some more horror to ada's journey, insight into her character by the nature her nightmares take, imagery & symbolism, maybe an even more overt series of hallucinations in the castle as a full on callback to RE3.5, something beyond her nightmares being a boss mechanic ( not asking for anything beyond a 5-10 minute sequence is a 3-4 hour long DLC ) . this is why i'm currently on the fence about retaining it as part of my canon, i guess until we see the story relevance of the blood sample wesker takes in their first encounter .

ada, to me, is a character that always struggles with her lingering humanity that gets in the way of her own selfish whims & her employers' desires . she finds herself getting invested & distracted by the people she comes across during her missions, by a moral line she is unwilling to cross no matter how beneficial it would be in the long run, which is bolstered here as she affirms luis' promise & need for redemption . while i won't bore you with the notion that her greatest flaw is that she cares too much or anything ( she doesn't ), it is an aspect of her character that makes her a more realized person but dampens her life of espionage . it's an operational failure, but not a personal one, something i would've loved to see reflected in her struggle against the plaga, her humanity succumbing to a power she can't truly comprehend . one that might be useful in her betrayal of wesker, a man who thinks himself as having surpassed humankind . a notion considered but ultimately discarded as she is self-assured enough to think she can stand against wesker on her own terms .

pleasantly surprised to see ada's glasses return in a superior form, one i'm definitely keeping, as the I.R.I.S. system is a gameplay feature & a fun little spy gadget that makes far too much sense as a tool in ada's arsenal . not just explaining her prowess with her grappling hook but scanning the environment for footprints & fingerprints, a gameplay feature i hope to see return in any prospective future instalment featuring ada . she is noted in a character blurb from the original RE2 to be an investigator, an information retrieval specialist, as both the g-virus & the dominant plaga are referred to as evidence that ada is tasked with collecting, rather than research material ( the former makes a lot more sense once you consider that ada's golgotha sample never resurfaces after RE2, while the g-virus itself does in dead aim, degeneration & RE6, it's always through other avenues, namely, HUNK's sample landing in the hands of umbrella europe's facilities in france, frederic downing escaping raccoon city with his own sample & carla radames extracting the lingering golgotha in sherry's system - the latter kept by ada for undisclosed purposes, the same file mentioning she has no desire being part of wesker's apocalyptic designs ) .

when i first played the demo for RE4R i immediately locked onto the game's present though underdeveloped stealth mechanics . i remember testing its limits seeing how far i could sneak into the village before initiating combat ( it wasn't very far ), & it set my mind ablaze with the possibility that separate ways would expand on its stealth system, making ada a more covert operative . while there's certainly opportunities for stealth, more than the base game, it would've been very neat to see the I.R.I.S. system implemented in such a way as to allow ada to scurry by undetected . enemy sightlines & alert levels, a ping system allowing you to see enemy movements behind walls, i'm just dreaming about an ada wong metal gear solid game .

does make me wonder though if this is just an ace in ada's deck that wesker is otherwise unaware of, as he could very easily tap into her eye to see her activities in real time, though i doubt it's in any way connected to any network ( los illuminados also has the facilities to interrupt any radio communication ) . ada keeps wesker updated to her progress via her radio & never removes the I.R.I.S. like she discards her sunglasses, i'm unsure yet if it is a contact lens or a permanent implant .

an incredibly goofy line but i think as ada's report unveils, ada isn't necessarily the most creative woman when it comes to word choice ( she leans too heavily on obvious metaphor & cliché even in her speech patterns ), i don't think this topples her equating umbrella's collapse with an umbrella folding & brining all of spencer's shadowy conspirators ( wesker included ) out into the light & their wretchedness into full view, their battle of light & darkness as they seek to erect a new umbrella, that's still my favorite ada wong-ism . i think her quips in this DLC make her out to be even more of a dweeb than ever before & believe me she thinks she is so clever .

very brief for an introductory monologue but i do like that RE4R's primary theme of change is carried over to ada's narrative through the lens of how raccoon city changed her, kind of been a long running aspect of my portrayal, the complete shift of the ada wong persona & the ideals of the woman underneath after a night that almost undid everything she was . this in tandem with the reputation garnered from her survival & the opportunities it presented her as a corporate spy is what molded ada into a much more efficient, smarter operative willing to reopen old wounds as to form scar tissue . her questioning wesker's designs with the amber here, as well as telling luis earlier she has yet to decide what to do with the amber, is also a very nice callback to death's door where ada's single thought following her discussion with wesker at the apple inn is the possibility of a g-virus outbreak on the scale of raccoon city ( 'if the t-virus did this, what would happen if the g-virus got out ?' ) .

she probably blessed whatever higher power she doesn't believe in that no such outbreak has ever occurred, a BSAA file on golgotha specifically states this fact & the disastrous consequences should one ever occur & as i've mentioned previously, her sample never amounted to much . this does tie into a point i will make once we reach the post credits scene, it's something that makes me very happy .

i don't think ada was ever fully prepared for raccoon city, even prior to the outbreak itself the darkness of the umbrella corporation was of an evil she had yet to encounter ( if you subscribe to her presence in arklay & stay in raccoon city up until the outbreak as i do, rather than being sent into RC on two separate occasions ) . while there was plenty of dread & deceit in her life, death & betrayal, petty crime & arms dealing that made her the perfect candidate to be a corporate spy on behalf of one of umbrella's rivals, the eugenics driven research into the t-virus which would eventually lead to the development of bioweapons for the us military was a revelation not easily stomached . she was in over her head with no out but to continue her mission until she found herself in a living nightmare with no real plan & no backup, a desperate woman donning lies trying & failing to manipulate her way to her mission's success . the desperation of her half-constructed lies that only a rookie like leon would believe ( & even he quickly formed doubts ) is what really cements RE2R as one of my favorite characterizations of ada, she lost control & paid for her failure with the life of her persona, only for that name to become her moniker once she managed to drag herself out of raccoon city's wreckage, one of the few survivors .

ada takes on a very cheeky matter-of-fact tone in this radio conversation, combined with the fact she must've already known about the kidnapping of ashley graham before going into valedobos, might be a hint towards ada herself having tipped off the us government towards ashley's location specifically to rile up the cult as a distraction ( 'couldn't have picked a worse time' ) . this does fall in line with a file from the original game, where the cult suggest a similar theory that i think ada's report on leon confirms outright, as she plans for his involvement in a starring role while she works in the background, mentioning how simple the structuring of the operation was prior to los iluminados capturing the us president's daughter . the kind of thing that tends to complicate matters, thanks krauser .

OH MY GOD HE SAID THE LINE !!!

[theonlyadawong]

Idk if you've played it yet but what'd you think of separate ways? 👁️👁️

:D

Short Answer: I really liked it!!!! Seeing Ada's relationships with Luis and Wesker get more fleshed out was great!

Long Answer (and I do mean long) below hehe

Okay so first things first, her outfit is so ridiculous it's not even funny. I know this has been a common critique since we first saw it, but seeing just her ripping and running in those boots really hammered it in. There's no fucking way she went to Spain in those heels. No fucking way. I thought she looked exceptionally stupid in her original 4 outfit, and I feel the same now.

Loved seeing hookshot being used to fight!!! Amazing!!! I loved it! This also made me wonder if Ada's left arm is fucked up from using it so much.

"What terrible actions will be done in its name, and who will pay it's dark cost? Because in this world, someone always pays. Best not to ask who or why. I understood that. Made my piece with it. Until that one night in Raccoon City... changed everything" YEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHA AMAZING! AMAZING! LOVELY! (the "dark cost" line is incredibly goofy but it gets the point across) IMMACULATE LINE!

I really enjoyed how the game made it Very Clear that Ada does not fucking like Wesker. The "nicest" lines she has to him aren't even nice, they're just her trying to appease him so she can get off her fucking back.

That being said, I greatly appreciate how

I really like how they handled her being infected, frankly I was expecting her to go through the same thing Leon did, so this was nice!

Frankly, the scene where Wesker saves Ada is so utterly ridiculous to me. You're telling me that Wesker, a white supremacist who has plans of genocide, risked his life to save a woman of color who he doesn't trust and doesn't fucking like? Not likely.

Also Ada waking up in a bed was Strange. Very Strange. Didn't like it one bit. And even if it wasn't strange... you're telling me wesker cared enough about Ada to take her all the way upstairs to a bed? No... no he would have dropped her on a couch or something. Maybe even the floor! Saving Ada and carrying her to the bed imply Wesker cares for her... which is weird... because the game shows us many times that he doesn't.

It was just very strange and frankly I can't give you a good reason why he needed to be there at all. It feels like they just wanted to make the most out of the Wesker model they no doubt poured an assload of money into.

"Easy with the threats, Wesker" <- literally one of my favorite lines from seperate ways.

I LOVED THE LASER ROOOOOOOOM AAAAAH!!!! I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!!!

The Ashley scene was unexpected, I thought the shot of her in the trailer was a misdirection, but no she and Ada had like 20 seconds together. This brings me to a question I've had for MONTHS!!! In 4r, Ashley sees Ada clear as day... so when she goes back to the states and gets interrogated... what happens with that? It's not like before when it was only Leon who saw her and he could just erase her from the reports, both he and Ashley are gonna have to admit they did get help... so what do they say? I Would Like To Know.

And finally another terrible part was when the dlc ended with Wesker and I was suddenly hit with the realization that they for sure are gonna remake 5. Which. I always knew would happen but please I can't deal with that (though I do believe 5 is one of the games that actually needs a remake. Because. Um. Well just look at it)

Another thing I appreciated was that they made it abundantly clear that Leon wasn't even close to being her priority. They are quite literally two people going their Seperate Ways (ba-dum tss.) Not only that, but (and this might totally be me) every time Leon was talking to her I just had to roll my eyes, because now I know the full context of what Ada was doing, so everything Leon was saying to her felt like bullshit lmao.

Reading all of this makes it seem like I didn't like it at all lmao, but no, these are just my critiques lol.

OH! ALSO! Not to promote "Ada should have her own game where she's a lead without leon" propaganda... but... well this version of seperate ways made it Very Clear she can do her own thing without that white parasite!!!

Ummmm I think that's everything... if it isn't I can promise you you'll see me talk about it hehehehe