Back in 2005, I could do nothing but praise the Gamecube version of Resident Evil 4. The incredible gaming experience it delivered pushed me so far as to call it a "masterpiece" and a "new benchmark." That praise was well-deserved. Almost two-and-a-half years have passed since then, and Resident Evil 4 has been ported to the PS2, PC, and now the Wii. Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (RE4:WE) brings with it a budget price ($29.99) and the biggest overhaul the game has seen yet. The control scheme has been adapted to fit the unique console, resulting in what turns out to be the definitive version of the game.
RE4:WE is essentially the best of all previous iterations of the game. It features the graphical quality of the Gamecube version, with the bonus content of the PS2 version, a true 16:9 widescreen mode, and of course the the new - and old - control schemes. Otherwise, the game is completely unchanged. It is the same action-oriented quest it was two years ago, when it reinvented the series, and the survival horror genre as a whole.
Resident Evil 4 stars Leon S. Kennedy, who is on a mission to rescue the president's daughter Ashley from a remote location in the European countryside. What he runs into is a nefarious plot involving ancient parasites, mind control, and world domination. He gets his hands on a wide variety of weapons along the way, and finds himself in all kinds of places, ranging from forests and caves to a castle and a military base. The locales are all very well designed, and the game flows like butter.
The Wii Edition retains the camera system found in previous versions, where all the action is viewed from behind Leon, so the old Resident Evil control annoyances never become an issue. Up always moves forward, down always moves backward, and left and right always turn our hero in the proper direction. Because the camera always follows Leon, this is a more optimal and intuitive setup. Unfortunately, it isn't perfect - navigating through halls, turning corners, and avoiding enemies can feel pretty clunky when compared to the average FPS setup. The lack of strafing was somewhat of an issue when the game was initially released, and is even more blatant now. Another gripe was that Leon cannot move while aiming, leaving him more vulnerable to attack - especially from behind. This is a different type of game, however, and changing the basic movement controls would make for a very different experience, and might ultimately detract from the game's intended feel.
The adjustments to the control scheme for the Wii Edition are centered mainly around combat. Now, rather than moving Leon's laser sight with the control stick, players simply hold the B button, aim at a target on screen, and fire with the A button. The level of control is much improved as a result, and RE4 veterans will find themselves executing gunplay they never thought possible. Another big, but under-advertised addition to the game is the quick knife attack. Simply slashing with the Wii-mote without holding the aim button makes Leon turn to face the nearest enemy or environmental object and take a quick hack. This small change actually does a great deal to better the game's already fine pacing. Smashing barrels and boxes is as simple as standing nearby and swinging, rather than turning, aiming, and slicing. Close quarters combat benefits greatly, as well. Now there is a quick way to stunt an encroaching enemy's assault without any hesitation.
To reload Leon's gun, players either wave the remote or by tap the d-pad while holding the B button. Other changes to the control scheme are as simple as remapping buttons. Running is now accomplished by holding the nunchuk's Z trigger, and the map, inventory, and pause screens are accessed via the remote's face buttons. Finally, if none of this newfangled control scheme seems to work for you, Capcom has included the old style, too, which is automatically selected if the Wii's classic controller is plugged in. The Gamecube controller is NOT supported at all.
If you have gotten used to the older versions of Resident Evil 4, then be forewarned that the switch to Wii-world may not come as second nature. It took me a good 10-20 minutes and a few deaths to really get the hang of the new combat controls. After that jarring transition phase it was smooth sailing, though, and has become my preferred style of play. Don't give up on it too quickly, RE4 veterans. As for new players, I imagine it would be less of a problem, but still allow a bit of time for the learning curve. The new style is definitely the better of the two.
When it comes to Resident Evil 4's context sensitive actions, a few changes really work to the Wii Edition's advantage. No longer will players be asked to mash on the A button to run, slice, or break free from an enemy's clutches - those have all been re-assigned to a continuous shake of the Wii-mote. This is a much more natural and intuitive motion, and using the large muscles of one's arms make these segments easier to complete than the thumb-crippling action of the older versions.
RE4:WE does include all of the extra content and gameplay modes of the older versions, meaning the Assignment Ada, Mercenaries, and Separate Ways campaigns, as well as all of the new weapons, new costumes, and the movie browser are in there. I wouldn't exactly call this a bonus, but if the extras hadn't all been included, Capcom would not soon be forgiven. In any event, all of the new gameplay modes and options that are unlocked after the first play-through are excellent, and really complete the RE4 experience.
So if the original game was a "masterpiece" and a "new benchmark," then what is this enhanced port? Well, it is just that - a combination of all the best features of the previous releases, improved by a better control scheme and the addition of a small, but very useful command. It all comes at a discounted price, which is good, but expected for a two-year-old piece of software. Is it worth the purchase? If you haven't played Resident Evil 4, then there is absolutely no reason not to grab this game, and if you are a fan of the title, then you might want this definitive version in your library, anyway, but if you've played it before, and aren't drooling already, then save your money for something new.
(For a fully detailed review of the original game, please see the Smashing Bricks Resident Evil 4 Gamecube Review)
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