Resident Evil 4: Ultimate HD Edition Reviews
Resident Evil 4 is still a masterful shooter nine years later. Occasional slowdown caused by the locked 60 fps framerate hampers an otherwise great port.
Still one of the best action games ever made and although this is technically the best-looking version it still doesn't really feel like the definitive one.
Resident Evil 4 finally gets the PC version it always deserved, with only a few visual stumbles to detract from its brilliance.
Graphically, Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Edition stands as the best port of Capcom's 2005 hit. It brings together all of the content found in earlier versions with new textures, all presented in 1080p (or above) and 60 FPS if your PC is strong enough. Unfortunately, Resident Evil 4's controller or mouse/keyboard options are a step back from the superior Wii Edition controls.
A bare-bones port of a nevertheless spectacular game.
Resident Evil 4 was a monumental achievement upon its release back in January 2005, and it is still one that video game connoisseurs appreciate today. What many of these connoisseurs forget is just how well the game holds up nine years later. Sure, it has frustrating elements that can throw you off your positive momentum, but the strong elements of the landmark release that was Resident Evil 4 still stand tall today. In all honesty, it just feels nice to play a great Resident Evil game, even if it is nine years old.
As it stands, Resident Evil 4 is as strong an experience as it was in 2005, no matter how pretty it looks. But as the "ultimate edition" of the game, this port stumbles where it doesn't have to, and invites criticism instead of silencing it once and for all. A shame, but for those who never played through the title, or those thinking of strolling (or sprinting) down memory lane, this one is a no-brainer.
Resident Evil 4 is still one of the best games ever made, but less-than-ideal mouse and keyboard controls and a barely noticeable texture upgrade keep this PC port from being the ultimate version of this masterpiece that it could have been.
As a near-decade old game, Resident Evil 4 is frequently amazing. As a first time player, there are more than a couple of moments that feel archaic, often frustrating to the point that you may give up playing. See it through to the end, however, and you'll come to realize just what an achievement Resident Evil 4 was for its time, and how well the large majority has held itself together across the last ten years.
Including the Mercenaries mode and previous bonus content featuring Ada Wong, it's well worth the price for anyone who hasn't experienced the game yet, or enjoyed the original release. For those who played the 360 or PS3 HD releases though, the visual differences here are negligible, and don't warrant another purchase.
Sadly, regardless of how well the gameplay holds up, there are still things that reveal the 9 year hiatus that RE4 has taken from gaming. Quick time events and button prompts in boss fights are the most frustrating but there are some other nit-picks, such as not being able to save where ever you want. Plus, it's hard to get immersed in a game when you're constantly exiting to look at another screen. In all honesty immersion is not RE4's strength, nor its story or characters. What really makes Resident Evil 4 work so well, even by today's standards, is the gameplay.
The perfect way to play Resident Evil 4 requires a time machine back to its time and place in 2005. For many of us this arrangement is impossible, and Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Edition defaults as the best way to enjoy a modern classic. The entire package aches for better consistency between its original modes and suite of upgrades, but these are minor complaints; from a historical standpoint or modern approach, Resident Evil 4 remains one of the finest ways to survive horror.
If you've never played Resident Evil 4, then you really need to experience this title, from both a gameplay and a design viewpoint, and understand the exhaustive craftsmanship that went into creating a video game masterpiece.
This is as good as Resident Evil 4 has ever been and that will likely be more than enough for anyone interested in the re-release.
Look, folks: Resident Evil 4 was a fantastic game when it first launch. It's still a fantastic game today, not only by 2005 standards but also 2014 standards.
But is Resident Evil 4: Ultimate HD edition the definitive version of the game? Well that's a hard question to answer. It has all the cool extras that every other version before it had, minus Wiimote motion controls of course, but it doesn't have much more. It's just as good looking at the Wii version, just as good sounding as pretty much every other version, and has all the content of the PS2 version. So, in the end, the definitive version of the game will depend on what style of controls you like more. If you dig motion controls, pick it up for the Wii, if not, pick it up on PC.
If you somehow have avoided Resident Evil 4 for this long, you may as well just get it over with and play the Ultimate HD Edition. The updated PC version is by far the one to get as the buttery smooth frame rate, true high definition resolutions and refined textures only add to the immersive experience.
There are always going to be some smartasses that claim that “Resident Evil 4 is a good game, but a bad Resident Evil game”. The further along the franchise goes, the less sense this premise makes. Being inconsistent is the one thing that gamers can reliably expect from Resident Evil. This has become a large part of its charm because the franchise is always changing and reinventing itself.
Unless you already own the HD remakes on the Xbox 360 or PS3, you should try Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Edition on PC. From the story to the gameplay, the title still resonates today and stands as one of the more harrowing entries in the series. The graphical improvements are welcome, and although they aren't overwhelmingly different, it's very nice to have a frame rate of 60fps. It really is the controls that make the new version worthwhile. Now that Resident Evil 4 has received a proper PC port, let's hope Capcom is willing to bring proper PC versions of the older games in the series.
Other than the slightly improved visuals and frame-rate that the PC allows, this version doesn't bring enough novelty when compared to the previous console HD versions.