Resident Evil 4 : Wii Edition

Review: Resident Evil 4: Wii

Wii Review


"Much as the DS has proven its worth against more powerful competition, so too has the Wii remote revealed hidden depths."

Resident Evil 4… what more can be said about this excellent video game? Released in 2004 and 2005 to critical and consumer acclaim the world over, it single-handedly revived a franchise that had become tired and unappealing to gamers through repetition and an unchanging style that was never that effective in the first place. True, the original games were good, but Resi 4 was really something else.

So, is it really worth buying the game all over again three years after original release? The answer very much depends on your devotion to the franchise and the love you have for the game when it was first released, and of course how desperate you are to play it with a Wii remote.

Of course, if this is your first time around with the game, then there should be nothing stopping you from buying it. In fact, why aren't you buying it right now? Don't bother reading the review, just scroll down to the bottom of the page to read the score and confirm what everybody else knows but you. Crawl out from the rock you've been hiding under for the last five years, get your coat and buy the game. Now.

Still reading? Ah, well I guess it's those of you who want to know how effective the Wii remote controls are and how they enhance the game ho are still here. The Wii remote has proven time and again that critics were wrong about it as just a gimmick and a stupid phase that people would go through before buying a 360 or PS3. Much as the DS has proven its worth against more powerful competition, so too has the Wii remote revealed hidden depths: it is almost perfectly suited to any action game. Resident Evil 4 is no exception.

Pressing the B Trigger takes you into an over-the-shoulder point of view to use Leon's chosen weapon. Gone is the (rather cool) laser sight, replace by the hovering green cursor of the Wii remote. When the cursor is placed over an enemy, it turns from green to red in order to distinguish friend from foe, and inanimate object from lurking monstrosity. The targeting is just as accurate as you are, so the uncoordinated should be aware that from time to time you will completely misjudge your aim. Otherwise it is perfectly suited to the Wii. Reloading is also a simple process of shaking the remote when in target mode – when you get as good as me (which you never will) you can make up cool swinging motions when reloading. Another cool feature is that the speaker makes reload and firing noises at the right time.

The remainder of the Wii controls are… okay. They work, but are unspectacular. Turning handles involves turning the Wii remote, shaking off enemies necessitates a whole lot of shaking. Even running sees you shaking frantically. These controls work well, but you cannot help but feel that maybe a little more originality could have been applied in the execution. There's nothing wrong with the controls as such, they just feel tacked-on.

The only major gripe I have with the game is that the extra features have to be unlocked after completing the main game once. I don't mind waiting for the Mercenaries and the Assignment: Ada mini-venture. But I would have liked for the Ada missions to be available from the very start. For new players, and those who have not played it at least 10 times through, this will make no difference. And some reviewers may gripe about the graphics: yes, they are 3 years old and looking a little dated, but what more can you expect? The game is not a graphical update, just an old game with new packaging.

So is this really worth your money? Yes. Yes it is. It was worth the money three years ago, and it will be worth the money three years from now. I still have to have someone in the room with me when playing as Ashley and I still squirm every time I hear the tell-tale buzz of a chainsaw. There is not much new in the game, but as the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

N-Europe Final Verdict

Retooled, and still brilliant.

  • Gameplay4
  • Playability5
  • Visuals4
  • Audio4
  • Lifespan3
Final Score

9

Pros

A modern classic
Wiimote targetting nice and tight
Extra features great fun

Cons

Unoriginal use of Wiimote at times
Nothing new beyond Wiimote control
Extras do not significantly extend the game


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