Every time, there are questions.
First, would a PS2 port retain the quality of the original?
Then, would a version with motion control work, and would a port two years later even
be relevant?
Now, does HD warrant another look at a game released only seven years ago?
And every single time, Resident Evil 4 offers a retort as forceful and...curt as a well-placed
headshot.
“Yes, Virginia.
There is a Leon Kennedy.”
“And he’s still better than everyone else.”
You can praise this game for a million different things and be correct on all counts.
In fact, if you want to hear us do precisely that for nearly eight minutes, watch our review
of the GameCube original.
But suffice to say, Resident Evil 4 is a modern masterpiece and a real landmark in contemporary
game design, not to mention one of my favorite games of all-time.
But of course, this is not the original version.
This is the so-titled Wii Edition, which released in 2007.
A lot of Wii owners—myself included—were very disappointed back then to learn that,
as other systems got Resident Evil 5, we were getting a remake of a game many of us had
just played dozens of times.
But looking back on the situation years later, I mean...Wii owners kind of got the better
end of the deal.
This is the best version of one of the best games ever.
If you’ve never played it, please do so.
You play as Leon Kennedy, you’re off to an isolated part of Europe to rescue the president’s
daughter, you’re playing one of the greatest horror games of all freaking time.
And yes, I call it a horror game because Resident Evil 4 is scary, unsettling, creepy...any
number of adjectives work here, provided they denote the attributes of a horror game.
Cojelo!
What’s really remarkable about this particular version is how it plays.
The same stunning art, masterful use of mood and stellar game design apply, only with controls
that actually improve the gameplay experience.
Leon’s tank-like movement remains, and as long as Resident Evil lives, so will that.
But the revelation is how shooting a weapon benefits from pointing at the screen.
At first, it feels strange.
So does walking when you’re a toddler.
But for aiming in a shooter, the Wii Remote truly is walking to dual analog’s crawling.
You get used to it in minutes, and afterward, there’s no going back.
The accuracy, the speed, the swiftness of control...all superior.
In fact, it’s almost to the detriment of the game.
Shooting your enemies in the face has never been easier.
Nor has shooting those damn birds.
Motion is kept minimal, and when applied, you’re glad it is.
It’s never a benefit to the game, at least not to the degree the pointer is...another
example of why the pointer has always been the real revolution of Nintendo’s console.
But another big improvement is the addition of widescreen support, which the GameCube
version didn’t have.
In fact, this version has all the extra content of the PS2 port, but with the GameCube’s
superior graphics and real-time cut scenes.
Add the widescreen, the improved controls and the fact that is truly is a benchmark
for modern game design, and Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition may be a port, but it’s also
a must-have for any Wii owner.
Morir es vivir!