Resident Evil 4's "Woke" Soundtrack Explained

Many films, books, and video games have been caught in the culture war between progressivism and conservatism, and the Resident Evil 4 Remake is no exception. While Resident Evil 4 has been met with critical acclaim, a conservative culture warrior has recently accused the game of promoting the so-called “woke agenda” through its soundtrack on social media. Here’s everything you need to know about Resident Evil 4’s “Woke controversy.

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The “Woke” Soundtrack of Resident Evil 4: Explained

The origin of Resident Evil 4’s “Woke Soundtrack” controversy lies in a tweet by Twitter user Ian Boudreau. The tweet consists of a screenshot of a post in Steam’s discussion forums by a user named Synnx asking if Resident Evil 4 Remake is influenced by progressive politics, backing their hostility towards the game up with claims that its soundtrack contains “woke” elements.

In their post, Synnx echoes similar complaints that have been made against the Dead Space Remake and Hogwarts Legacy. The Dead Space Remaster made all bathrooms on the U.S.G. Ishimura gender-neutral, and Hogwarts Legacy features the Harry Potter series’ first transgender character, Siorna Ryan. These inclusions of positive LGBTQ+ representation put both games in the crosshairs of far-right internet vigilantes, who retaliated by review-bombing them on multiple websites.

Related: What is the Village Chief’s Lock Code in Resident Evil 4 Remake?

In the hours since the tweet went live, it has become a meme within the Resident Evil fan community. Many Twitter users have mocked Synnx’s post by falsely claiming that Resident Evil 4 features many forms of what conservative hardliners see as staples of “woke” media. These range from users playing up the decision to present Ashley as a more confident and capable character to claims that the game allows you to change in-game blood from red to LGBTQ+ pride flag colors.

Perhaps the most amusing re-occurring element in the discussion surrounding Synnx’s post is that no one seems to understand what’s “woke” about Resident Evil 4’s soundtrack. While the remaster’s soundtrack makes some alterations to tracks featured in the original game, none of the songs strive to convey anything but the atmosphere of the moment they are played in. This has only caused the “controversy” to spread, giving Resident Evil fans more opportunities to mock Synnx and the toxic, elitist mentality they represent.

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