Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Review

RE4PC-2

Perhaps no game in the history of the Resident Evil franchise has been ported quite as many times as Resident Evil 4. Initially released in 2005 on the Gamecube, RE4 has since been featured on the PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Windows PC (this would be the second time), mobile phones, iOS, as well as the ill-fated Zeebo. That’s a good amount of cross-platform promotion and Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD is only the latest in a long line of RE4 succession.

But is it the definitive version? I’m not so sure.

It’s very important to remember that the game is very much a product of its time — people who’ve played Resident Evil 4 will understand that Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD is the most modern version of a classic, but what about people who are just who are experiencing the title for the first time? They may have have heard all the hype, purchasing the latest RE4 iteration to try a piece of gaming history.

A lot of gamers more familiar with today’s twin-stick controls tend to find RE4‘s stop-and-shoot mentality difficult to adjust to, and much of it becomes a case of “you had to be there,” to really appreciate the control scheme. Typically, I’m of the mindset that prefers a slightly-awkward control setup; it encourages mastery, instead of just immediately opening itself to you. In 2005, Resident Evil 4 was a revolutionary masterpiece, but for people who have likely played countless titles that have since been influenced by RE4, it may not feel so fresh and new.

Resident Evil 4 has been a huge influence on what we expect from modern games — a persistent and slightly-offset over-the-shoulder camera (as opposed to centering the camera on your character), regular QTE’s (quick time events), and a more dedicated focus on action have all helped define games since RE4‘s release.

Unfortunately for players who have only heard of RE4‘s accomplishments via word of mouth and are experiencing them for the first time, these may be perceived as a little bit old-school. People who don’t like QTE’s will also find a lot to dislike — many QTEs happen suddenly during cutscenes or periods of relative calm, and failure almost always equals death. While it definitely adds tension and keeps you on your toes, plenty of players will hate having to replay the same sequence over and over again just because they failed a QTE.

Still, RE4 Ultimate HD adds a great deal of features to the venerable title, upgrading the frame rate to a smooth 60 frames per second. Additionally, the game features full Steam support, with Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, Steam Trading Cards, global leaderboards, and full game controller support. For those who would prefer to play in another language, the game features subtitle support in French, Italian, German, and Spanish as well as previously released bonus content such as the Separate Ways epilogue

As my third time playing through Resident Evil 4, I would have to say that while this version is the most technically accomplished, it’s just not as fun as the Wii version. Maybe it’s the controls, or maybe it’s game fatigue, but I have to say that the Wii version of RE4 just screamed excitement and kept me engaged throughout the entire experience, while Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD just didn’t.

While it definitely holds up as a venerable classic, it’s still just that. RE4 doesn’t offer anything exciting or new, and the plot and characters are still just as laughable now as they were back in 2005. There’s still something campy and hilarious about discovering the enemies’ plans in a poorly placed memo in a cabin in the woods, but it just didn’t have the same effect on me as it did in my first or second playthrough.

Atmospherically, the updated graphics heighten the immersion of rural Spain but it still feels like too little, too late. The new graphical features are nice, such as the motion blur, but ultimately cause too much slowdown, particularity in cut-scenes which can often become juddery, particularly on lower-spec machines. This is coming from someone who owns a recently purchased laptop with good specs, which, while not a behemoth of a gaming PC, has more than enough grunt under the hood to handle the game’s officially recommended specification requirements.

While the in-game graphics have been cleaned up nicely during gameplay, they aren’t as polished in the cut-scenes. The visual transition can be kind of jarring, especially in segments like the QTE-heavy knife fight between Leon and Krauser’s QTE. While the textures definitely seem improved, it’s never too long before you’re once again reminded of the game’s age and why stylized visuals, such as those in Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, age significantly better than attempts at the super-realistic.

At the very least, Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD is a solid attempt to bring the venerable classic to the modern age. While not nearly as groundbreaking as the original PS2 version, and not nearly as fun as the Wii version, the latest iteration proves to be the most technically polished of all, and is certainly leagues above the 2007 PC release, which required extensive modding to be playable at an even remotely technical level. While this version will likely satiate fan demand for a definitive HD version of RE4, it will also likely be the last time we see a port of the title. There’s only so much you can do with old graphics, old gameplay and old storytelling ,and Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD makes that abundantly clear.

Score:
7 Total Score
Users Score 0 (0 votes)
Score:

Daniel Horowitz

Daniel Horowitz

Contributor
Daniel doesn't just play and write about games, but he also writes his own comics. He can usually be found arguing with Dale about who the best member of the X-Men is (it's Jamie Madrox, obviously)
Written By
Developer
Publisher
Genre
Available On
 

Related posts

Top