Resident Evil 4 (Remastered Edition) PS4 Review
Ok, to start things off, for those of you who have been living under a rock for the past 20 years and don't know the legacy of resident Evil or the legacy of this particular title RE4, well it was the talk of the town back in 2005 when it first released on PS2, both to the joy of some & chagrin & horror of others. While I won't pretend to not have been utterly disappointed back when I first got my chance to play it, because let's face it, I was, however having come back and played it start to finish all these years later, I must say to hate it and criticize it as bad as I did back then, it's actually an entertaining game in it's own right. I have to do away with my Resident Evil hardcore fanboy persona and be as bias free as possible. It has all the ingredients alot of other big name action titles have and then some, from big shootouts with some of the monsters of the game, plenty of QTE events to keep the pressure on, & an arsenal of weapons that make you feel way SAFER than any RE game has ever made me feel. And for those of you who have went into this game expecting more of the same as past titles such as RE Code Veronica X or Nemesis, well you may wanna do your homework on the game first as it MAY OR MAY NOT be pleasing to you.
The story begins with a report of the US President's daughter being kidnapped and held captive in a remote European region. The government throw caution to the wind and suspect that the crime could be an inside job, therefore the intel is highly classified and will not be released to the public. Due to these circumstances, however, instead of sending in an elite squad of soldiers to take back the prez's daughter, one solo operative is undergo this rescue mission. None other than Leon S. Kennedy, the rookie cop from Resident Evil 2 who has since went on to become a highly skilled solider and underwent special & critical training. He is no longer the naïve pretty boy we all remembered from RE2 (well, he kinda is still a pretty boy), but an agent who can handle himself and is versed in many forms of combat. And as if riding solo to a foreign country to rescue a hostage as vital as the presidents daughter wasn't daunting enough of a task, little does Leon know, but Umbrella is making their move from the shadows as well as some other dark forces at play. Leon appears overconfident if anything, a testament to his strong will & belief in his own abilities. And that is where the game kicks off, dropping players in the middle of nowhere. It doesn't take Leon long to realize that something is off with the surrounding populace, and it is at this point that he first encounters the new enemy in the Resident Evil bestiary, the cult known as the Las Plagas. Later, I will also reveal how this new enemy type affects the gameplay from a Resident Evil perspective, but just know that these enemies are basically humans with creepy mutations and "cult-like tendencies". The disturbing zombies of the glory days of Resident Evil are long gone, and here you will notice immediately that this makes the game play out much quicker and rowdier. The Las Plagas are people who are infected with this new virus, but unlike zombies, they have the ability to run, communicate, wield any weapons they please, and work together to halt your progress. Sure, some of the more memorable scenes from this whole experience will be the intense battle of wits of player versus hordes of the cult, but if you want to be realistic, that basically is all the game is. No more are the doors you are about to open have you on the edge of your seat in fear of what is on the other side, gone are the claustrophobic hallways with limited access, and gone are almost all of the scarier elements of the Resident Evils that came before. Sure, you will still have to manage your inventory, but ammo conservation is basically a thing of the past as not too far in the game a merchant is introduced who has an arsenal of weapons, healing items and ammunition he will sell in exchange for treasure found throughout the game. Treasure can also be obtained by defeating enemies and given the massive waves of the Las Plagas that you must blast through, obtaining treasure is an easy feat. Which makes buying anything you need an easy feat, not to mention customizing and upgrading weapons to the point of making them one-shot kills of most of the enemies you will encounter. By the time you get to the 3rd chapter, you will have the routine memorized and will have what it takes to finish the game. I know when thinking back on RE's of the past, that survival was always an issue and a comfort zone is never quite reached, whereas here you never do get to that level of feeling like you better conserve ammo or herbs. You will never be left hurting for ammo or supplies, and this is in turn ends up feeling like an entirely different type of game than what other Resident Evils did. This is my own personal opinion, but I also felt like the enemy you face is nowhere near as thrilling or creepy as zombies or Lickers or monsters from the good ol G Virus & T virus days. You will be shooting it out wit people and that is exactly what it feels like. No more being scared senseless of a sudden shrieking zombie popping around a corner to take a chunk out of you, it just all feels too average. Sure, there are a few surprise encounters here and there where you will face a new variety of enemies and creatures, but for the majority of the game, you will fight people who shoot, stab and throw weapons at you. It results in taking one of the most compelling pieces of RE & replacing it with the norm, non-scary boring encounter. I missed the gory zombies & terrifying Lickers of the old titles. This key factor will likely separate players and remain a huge argument for years to come. It has been welcomed by many newcomers to the series, while also turning many of the old-school fans off with its fast-action combat gameplay. Nevertheless, it is a fun experience & the ONE redeeming quality it does have going for it are the story & characters. Fans who loved the classics will appreciate the returning key characters that are seen, and it does set the tone for many Resident Evil games to come. Just dont expect to be scared out of your wits by anything in-game.
The game had top-of-the-line visuals for it's time, when you realize that the game is now 15 years old, it is an accomplishment to still look so good. The voice-acting is actually very well executed and you won't have to worry about sitting through anymore scenes of cringe-worthy dialog. These are minor things but albeit parts that were done well. It is clear Capcom put a lot of heart & soul into this game and in some ways, their work pays dividends. But at the same time, this game also marked the beginning of a bad streak of games to follow, each becoming more and more like a Hollywood blockbuster action flick. This stripped away what most fans including myself originally grew to adore about the world of Resident Evil. But, seeing as Capcom killed RE2 Remake and it gained critical success for bringing the survival horror back to the series, let us hope that they will move on from the mistaken identity this game introduced and go back to what made the series a household name in people's eyes. All in all, a fun and fast paced shooter that you will want to finish to see how it all plays out. No matter how much I dislike the new direction this put the series in, it's a great game that deserves to be played no matter what.