Capcom confirmed that the game would be darker and scarier than the original game. It features more terrifying character designs, more realism, a tenser atmosphere, and enhanced environments. It also allows the player to walk while crouched and perform stealth kills, and use knives as defensive weapons when grabbed by enemies (similar to Resident Evil (2002), another remake). The remake also minimizes the use of quick time events, and adds several mini quests for which the player can earn additional credits from the merchant, such as additional Blue Medallion quests beyond the village area.
When examining the knife Leon carries, it's suggested that it's the same one given to him by Marvin in Resident Evil 2 (2019).
Development of this remake had already started in 2018. Capcom collaborated with studio M-Two, but they eventually cut ties following creative differences. M-Two wanted to stay very faithful to the original game, while Capcom wanted to take the remake into a different direction. In early 2021, Capcom moved the development in-house, and many team members that have already worked on Resident Evil 2 (2019) returned.
Late in the game after unlocking a door for you, Ashley mentions she's "pretty much the master of unlocking." This is a reference to one of the most (in)famous lines in Resident Evil history, said by Barry to Jill in the original Resident Evil (1996).
In the original game, completing the main story could unlock two game modes: "Assignment Ada" and "The Mercenaries." Additionally, "Separate Ways" was a new campaign included in the PS2 port. However, in the remake, they were released as DLCs. "The Mercenaries" was released as a free update in April 2023, and "Separate Ways" was released in September 2023. A remastered version of "Assignment Ada" has not yet been released.