Resident Evil 4 HD (PC) Review

A timeless classic.

 

 Over the years, Resident Evil 4 has been lauded as one of the best games of all-time. That's no mistake as it was a ground-breaking game back in 2005 for the Nintendo GameCube, introducing gameplay mechanics that would influence games in the shooter and survival-horror genres like Dead Space and The Evil Within. It was also a reinvention of the ageing series, forgoing the classic "Tank"-style controls for a more streamlined one. Now 18 years after its release, Resident Evil 4 is getting a remake this year, which is an exciting prospect being a fan. In celebration, I decided to re-REview the game with updated thoughts since my old review is... well, pretty old. Anyway, it's time to dive back into the eerie world of Resident Evil 4!

 Six years after the Raccoon City outbreak, Resident Evil 2 star Leon S. Kennedy is now a badass government operative whose on a mission to save the U.S. president's daughter, Ashely Graham, from a sinister cult living in Spain. Things aren't as normal as they appear when the villagers are infected with a parasite that turns them hostile. Naturally, it's up to our charming hero to quickly locate Ashley and uncover the mystery of the situation. The story was straightforward and while nonsensical at times, it packed lots of twists to keep you engaged. The characters were great, especially Leon with his witty one-liners. Side characters like Ashley, Luis Sera, and even Ada Wong were great too. The villains-- while one-note-- were memorable notably Salazar's wild antics and Saddler with his condescending demeanor. 

Leon's journey is yet another wild one.

 

 Resident Evil 4 is an action third-person shooter that introduced the over-the-shoulder view seen in many games today. Your guns have laser-sights that allow you to accurately shoot enemies while your knife can kill enemies up close. The survival-horror elements of the series are here with health herbs and ammo being scarce, forcing you to carefully manage your resources while traversing through ominous areas. Some Tank controls quirks are present with you only aiming without moving though the camera now is behind your character. RE4 is more action-oriented than prior games as you'll occasionally fight-off enemy hordes in over-the-top segments to advance through levels. Thankfully, there's a sizeable selection of guns to choose from like pistols, rifles, shotguns, and rocket launchers that you can buy from the creepy-looking merchant, whom also sells you weapon upgrades, first-aid sprays, and other goodies. 

The gameplay holds up and is fun to play years later.

 Just like classic RE games, Leon's inventory space is limited and you'll need to organize your case to fit all the guns, ammo, grenades, and health items. I always enjoyed sorting through my items with it feeling like a game of Tetris at times. Fortunately, you get to buy more space from the merchant for a hefty price. Enemy variety was good as the game brings up new enemy types just when you're getting used to the current ones. The likes of the chainsaws, plagas, and regenerators are terrifying as they can quickly kill you with no effort (and they're just plain creepy too). The boss fights were cool and had you planning a strategy to bring them down. My favorite was against Leon's former comrade Krauser as you get to fight him in a secluded area while avoiding his ambushes. 

 There are occasional light puzzle segments that you'll need to solve to progress and some even utilize Ashley. Speaking of her, she'll accompany you throughout most of the adventure and you'll need to keep her safe at all times. If she dies or an enemy carries her, then it's an instant "Game Over". Luckily, you can tell her to stay at a specified spot and she ends up being kidnapped often due to story reasons, so dealing with her isn't all that bad. A downside of RE4 are the numerous QTE instances in cut-scenes and gameplay where you're suddenly required to either mash or press buttons to get out of danger. They're cool at first, but become annoying during the games later levels and I feel the game could've done without them.

RE4 packs lots of gameplay variety and side content. 

 RE4 took a grand total of 15 hours to clear and it's loaded with a slew of content to increase replay-value. "Separate Ways" has you playing as Ada as it offers backstory to the plot and does a good job of fleshing out her character. It's about 3 hrs in length with you retreading past levels in the campaign yet was a solid time and you get to unlock new costumes as well. "The Mercenaries" and "Assignment Ada" are arcade-style modes with you fighting-off hordes of enemies and quickly finish levels. All that and the main game itself is replayable with you trying out new weapon types, aiming for the fastest clear time, chasing after treasures, and collecting all bottle-caps from the shooting gallery mini-game.

 Resident Evil 4 looked amazing by late 6th gen. standards, featuring impressive character designs and levels like the village and castle, which were a nice change of view. Yeah, the visuals are slightly dated by today's standards but that didn't stop me from enjoying the game. The Steam release features updated HD textures and 60fps, though I've encountered frequent drops when too many enemies were on screen and annoying audio glitch-- but thankfully the experience was a mostly stable one overall. The voicework is great with many solid performances though Paul Mercier takes the cake as the best voice of Leon and the friendly Merchant. The creepy Ganados and their yelling in Spanish was oddly memorable too. The soundtrack was equally great, creating a tense and broody atmosphere that nailed the game's action-horror tone. 

Despite its age, the game's a stunner.

 

 Resident Evil 4 was a fantastic game that I've enjoyed many times over the years. With its endless fun gameplay, nice story, cool characters, and production values that hold up today, it's no surprise why it's often regarded as the best in the series. While I wasn't too thrilled when the remake was announced (personally, the game didn't need one), I'm now excited since it's yet another reason to jump back into the world of RE4. If you still somehow didn't manage to play Resident Evil 4, then need I say more?