An absolute masterclass in how to remake a game from several generations back, Resident Evil 4 keeps everything you remember being cool and updating things you forgot were outdated and does it all with style and perfection.
The story is B movie excellence and I love every second of it. Leon is a quip machine and a hell of a hero and every other character is wonderfully realized. Ashley, in particular, is someone I truly care about getting off the island alive and well. Luis is a suave and shady wingman. Ada, despite some flat voicework now and again, is a perfect self-serving yet still on-your-side counterpart. Even Mike the chopper pilot is a great addition and you can't even see his face! The story and characters sing at every moment, and the villains also bring a much needed screen-chewing presence. I love Krauser a LOT.
The gameplay is also top notch, setting a standard that I'm sure will be replicated for years to come. Precise aiming controls, great change ups to how you fight enemies throughout the game, and some truly memorable boss fights culminate in an absolutely stunning experience for the full playthrough.
I'm a big fat dumb baby when it comes to horror, but the balance between scary moments and action thrills is JUST right here. The Regenerators had me pausing the game and just cursing to myself, like it would make them go away. But an hour later I'd be blasting ganados with a shotgun and grinning as they all flew down a staircase.
I watched other people play the original 2005 game (see: big fat dumb baby) and the changes they made here like removing QTEs and updating character dialog and story (Ashley is massively improved) are all exactly what it needed to maintain both a remembrance for what came and an update for what is.
RE4 is a blat to play from beginning to end. Highly recommend. (It also has a gun called Killer7 which not only kicks ass as a weapon, but references one of my absolute favorite games.)
The story is B movie excellence and I love every second of it. Leon is a quip machine and a hell of a hero and every other character is wonderfully realized. Ashley, in particular, is someone I truly care about getting off the island alive and well. Luis is a suave and shady wingman. Ada, despite some flat voicework now and again, is a perfect self-serving yet still on-your-side counterpart. Even Mike the chopper pilot is a great addition and you can't even see his face! The story and characters sing at every moment, and the villains also bring a much needed screen-chewing presence. I love Krauser a LOT.
The gameplay is also top notch, setting a standard that I'm sure will be replicated for years to come. Precise aiming controls, great change ups to how you fight enemies throughout the game, and some truly memorable boss fights culminate in an absolutely stunning experience for the full playthrough.
I'm a big fat dumb baby when it comes to horror, but the balance between scary moments and action thrills is JUST right here. The Regenerators had me pausing the game and just cursing to myself, like it would make them go away. But an hour later I'd be blasting ganados with a shotgun and grinning as they all flew down a staircase.
I watched other people play the original 2005 game (see: big fat dumb baby) and the changes they made here like removing QTEs and updating character dialog and story (Ashley is massively improved) are all exactly what it needed to maintain both a remembrance for what came and an update for what is.
RE4 is a blat to play from beginning to end. Highly recommend. (It also has a gun called Killer7 which not only kicks ass as a weapon, but references one of my absolute favorite games.)