Resident Evil 4 was a groundbreaking game that changed the industry forever.
It showed what could be done with action games while also keeping the survival horror elements
that kept the game tense all the way through.
It was a superb achievement in both game design and execution.
And after its release, countless number of games tried to follow up and breakthrough
off the success of RE4, including Resident Evil 4 itself.
The game has been ported to the Playstation 2, the PC and even given the Wii treatment
with motion controls and enhanced visuals.
Well, now it has gone the path of many other games and gotten an HD upgrade and been released
on the PSN and Xbox Live.
By now, everyone should know that the game is just incredible, but is this the version
to get or is it worth the second purchase.
The game follows Leon Kennedy, who after Raccoon City was given special training and now works
for the President.
Soon after, the President’s daughter is kidnapped and Leon find himself in rural Spain,
investing a local group and continuing to search for Ashley.
The story and action are the exact same as before, with nothing really being done to
change them.
Leon still stands still when shooting and the menus are still as frustrating as ever
to navigate.
To an outsider the game is clearly starting to feel dated, but a fan wouldn’t have it
any other way.
It is fun to go back and play this and see the things that were at first super innovative,
but by now have become industry mainstays for better or for worse.
Like quicktime events.
Were cool the first time but by now have become simply a nuisance.
As for the visuals, well they actually are not HD.
These are the same polygons as the first time it was released, and these are the same character
models and textures.
Instead of a true HD upgrade, everything has been enhanced.
The color contrast has been improved, and everything looks a lot smoother.
Sure the game does look better but the upgrade does not make for something you can’t live
without.
Another disappointing aspect comes in the way of extras, and by that I mean...
there are none.
Everything that was on the PS2 version is here, but nothing more.
You get the extra costumes and the Separate Ways campaign starring Ada but that’s it.
My final verdict is that this is a great version for someone who has never played RE4 before,
but the mild graphics enhancement does not justify a re-purchase, especially at the $20
price tag.