First of all, I just wanted to point out that this review is very much “spoiler free” as I wanted to take into account any Nintendo Wii owning readers that may not have already played the Gamecube or Playstation 2 versions of the game.
Overview
The Resident Evil series of games have been without any doubt, one of the most influential and successful game franchises, spawning a multitude of sequels on various gaming platforms and three big screen movies. If you’re into computer games, it is a fair bet that you have played at least one of the games, or at the very least heard of the series (unless you’ve been under a rock).
The Wii Edition is basically the same game as the Gamecube and subsequent Playstation 2 release, but with the extras from the Playstation 2 version and controls specifically for the Wii (more on this in a bit). The basic plot setup is that it has been 6 years since the tragic events in Racoon City and the Umbrella Corp is now pretty much bankrupt. You initially play the game as Leon S. Kennedy, a former cop, now working as an agent for the U.S government and you have been sent on a special mission somewhere in Europe to find the U.S president’s daughter, who has been kidnapped. The opening of the game is set very nicely with a cutscene, using the very capable game engine, where Leon is being driven to a remote village by a couple of local police. The police drop Leon off near the village and it quickly becomes apparent that there is something not quite right about this place or its inhabitants. I will not say any more than this regarding the plot as I do not want to spoil it, but suffice to say that its very engaging, creepy, exciting and well written stuff.
If you’re new to this version of the game and if you’ve played the earlier titles, the first thing that will make you think “wow”, is the switch from trademark static camera angles of the series, to a fully fledged 3d game engine. You view the action just behind Leon in a third person perspective view and when important events happen, cutscenes kick in using the in-game engine to further the plot, so the transition from playable sections to narrative and vice-versa are seamless. The graphics, while being a step up from the Playstation 2 version are maybe not quite cutting edge compared to newer titles on say X360 or Playstation 3, but they certainly do the job here and you are presented with a chilling, gritty world as a result. Animation and sound are both well done also and there is a slightly haunting, unnerving sound track that plays in sections when you are not in combat, that switches to a more upbeat dramatic piece when the action kicks in.
Resident Evil 4 is still all about survival horror, with you facing off against various nasties (both “human” and other things), with limited ammo, of course! There’s also a fair share of puzzle solving and exploration and the usual finding of notes to put in your journal, which in turn help to further the plot. The main new thing with the transition of the franchise to the Wii is of course the controls and Capcom have done a pretty good job with this. You move Leon around with the analogue stick on the Nunchuck . Holding down the Z button while pushing forward puts you into a run and holding the Z button while pulling back on the analogue turns Leon 180 degrees. Holding down the B button on the Wii Remote puts Leon into a targeting mode where he raises the equipped weapon and a targeting crosshair onscreen moves around as you move the Wii Remote. The only drawback to this system is that you cannot move and aim/fire your weapon at the same time. There are also set sequences where you have to manically wave the Wii Remote to avoid certain hazards (I don’t want to give away any spoilers here!).
The whole system is very well implemented and the use of the Wii Remote for things like the targeting really immerses you nicely into the action. You also, of course have access to the usual stuff like inventory and map via other button presses. The “typewriter” style save system is still present, but this time you do not need to find an accompanying ribbon to use the typewriter to save. I always found the old system rather annoying as I feel that any game save system should be very simple, so this is a welcome change. The other new change is the concept of money and a kind of “shop”. Some enemies leave behind treasure when you kill them and treasure can also be found in some crates and barrels when you smash them. You also find various other valuable items such as gems. Dotted around the maps are a number of rather dodgy merchant guys where you can buy and sell various items. You can also upgrade your weapons firepower, reload time and ammo capacity. I found this system worked quite well as it added an extra tactical level to the game as you only of course have limited inventory space and cash on hand.
The Good Stuff
There is a great deal to like about this game. The visuals and audio are great, the locations, puzzles and combat are varied, the plot is very engaging and well written and the addition of the Wii controls are very well done. The game lasts a decent amount of time with a solid 20 hours plus of adventuring and throughout that time you will be captivated and on the edge of your seat, with sweaty palms and a raised heartbeat!
The Bad Stuff
To be perfectly honest, there isn’t really much about this release to gripe about. Capcom have taken what was already a fantastic game on the Gamecube and Playstation 2 and successfully ported the whole thing over to the Wii. One thing that is slightly disappointing is that while the graphics are still excellent and certainly pushed the Gamecube and Playstation 2 to their limits, they don’t really stretch the significantly greater capabilities of the Wii and I think it would have been nice if they had been overhauled or given a “new lick of paint” to take advantage of the extra power for the Wii Edition of the game. The other minor gripe that I have is the very old and clichéd mechanic of “breaking the crates/barrels” to find stuff. I know its still a mechanic that works in action/adventure games, but it would have been nice to see something a bit different in a title that gets so much right.
Conclusion
Resident Evil 4 is still a great game and is worthy of a purchase even if you have played the original Gamecube or Playstation 2 versions, as the new Wii controls really do enhance the experience. The gun aiming with the Wii Remote does take a bit of time to get used to, but once you do you will be moving around and lining up that next head shot in no time! If you own a Nintendo Wii then you should own this game, its that simple as this game really is that good.
Score: 9 out 10
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