No new console generation would be complete without another RE4 port…
Resident Evil 4 was the groundbreaking game in the series after the original entry, it took the series in a new direction and while some will say it’s gone off the tracks after, resulting in the next entry being made in FPS to entice fans back into the fold, there’s no denying the impact that RE4 had when it was released on the good old GameCube.
Since then, it has been ported to PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii, as well as watered down versions for Zeebo (whatever the hell that is), iOS and Android before coming to PS4 and Xbox One. That’s a lot of different versions, but could this finally be the definitive version?
I’m reviewing the PS4 version as I have with past remakes and newer entries, which like the Xbox One version is based on the Ultimate version that came out on PC. It’s had a bit of spit and polish since then, running at 60fps for the first time out of any version. This is great, although the reloading animations are stuck at 30fps which can catch you out sometimes. Considering it’s quite an old game now, RE4 actually has never looked better…sure, it probably could with more time and resources, but this version is without a doubt the best looking there is.
The disappointment came from the PS3 and 360 versions, which were hardly HD in the first place…so I’m glad to see that Capcom have stayed true to their word here and given us the best looking version to date. The great gameplay from the original remains intact and is just as easy to control as before, even if they have made it identical so Leon cannot run and shoot at the same time. It will take some getting used to, but if you are a Resi veteran then you’ll be right at home.
The cheesy voice-acting and awkward cutscenes from the original remain intact too, for better or worse. I never understood the point of the radio conversations other than a nod to the codec calls from Metal Gear Solid and to introduce a few characters, but even now it feels out of place for me. That criticism aside, the presentation has been stepped up a lot from the original.
The Verdict
Capcom have delivered in bringing the ultimate version of Resident Evil 4 to PS4 and Xbox One. It’s crazy to think how many ports there have been of this one game, but let’s hope that finally they’ve mastered it enough now. I personally don’t think it can be improved upon unless they went and remade the game from the ground up, but that’d take a lot of effort and resources that would be better spent on the newest entry.
On the whole, a great port of a great game and not a simple cash-grab.