Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

""Why are you not playing this game right now??!""

Resident Evil 4 first started off as another survival/horror that would surely freak people out. As to why the developers decided to scrap the entire idea and change it into an action/horror game, I have no idea, but I believe they had changed the series for the better. Sure, many fans were disappointed with the change, but the majority of people thought the change was amazing, myself included in that majority. After being ported over to both the PS2 and Pc from the Gamecube, Capcom decides to port this game to one final system: The Wii.

What makes the Wii version different from the others? You've probably read other reviews than this, saying that the Wii version is the definitive version. It has everything includes in the previous games all combined into one. The flaw with the Gamecube version is that it doesn't have extra features such as new weapons and costumes and a new game mode. The flaw with the PS2 version is that it contains some slowdown in situations and the graphics are more muddy. The Wii version erases all these flaws by combining the two games together; it has nice graphics, and bonus modes, and it even adds on Wii controls for players to experience play in a whole different view.

The game starts off with you controlling the main protagonist, Leon, who is in Spain to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of the United States president's daughter, Ashley. It is your mission to rescue her while discovering the horrors in the area where she is being held captive. Doesn't sound like much of a story, but it fits perfectly for this type of game: All killing, and no story. Just the way I like it. Besides, who plays these games for the story anyways?

The graphics have been tightened up for the Wii. Everything is clearer and more textured, but the graphics still show signs of aging. Don't bother comparing the graphics to something such as Gears of War cause it will blow it outta the water. This doesn't necessarily mean the graphics aren't good. They were excellent last-gen, and they still work well with the Wii, so you won't really think the graphics are horrible. Everything is nicely detailed, from heads exploding, to the atmospheric weather in the beginning parts of the game.

Sound has always been an important factor in playing survival/horror games, or any horror type game in general, and Resident Evil 4 can really freak some people out. The game sounds exactly the same as it did last-gen. Villagers still shout at you in Spanish, and explosions and guns blazing still sound as nice as before. The music also creates a chilling feeling down one's spine. Very eerie and mysterious.

Now the controls for this game are different from the Gamecube and PS2 versions. The main draw of the game is using the Wiimote controller to play. The transition actually works effectively and efficiently. Players actually aim at the screen to shoot villagers and shake the Wiimote the reload the gun, and the nun chuck is used to move around…simple as that. If you want to knife some people, just swing the Wiimote left and right, and you'll be cutting up chunks of body parts in no time! Occasionally, players will have to watch a cutscene of what is happening, but be sure not to put the controller down! You'll be shaking the Wiimote to run away from boulders and pressing buttons to dodge things. The only flaw with the control is that you cannot move the crosshair to the left and right while you are aiming to shoot, so if a person is secretly coming from the right side, you wouldn't be able to see. You would have to either back away and reposition your view to be able to shoot the guy on the very right, or move your viewing position to the right by using the analog stick on the nunchuck, which makes the whole process somewhat confusing to handle. Resident Evil 4 has a learning curve of about 10 to 15 minutes, so once you've learned the basics, you are good to go. If you never like using the Wiimote, then just plug in a Gamecube controller or Classic controller and you can play the game with those instead.

Once you've beaten the 20 hour single player mode, there are tons of weapons for you to unlock…as long as you have enough in-game currency to purchase them. A few new modes unlock, and you can choose to play them also to unlock some more weapons. New costumes are available for a second play, also, so there are numerous reasons why you should keep returning to this game, and for only $30, this game is practically a steal. If you have played Resident Evil 4 already, but have the cash to spend, buy it again just for the pure, exciting, action-packed fun and intuitive controls. If you haven't played Resident Evil 4 ever, then why are you reading this review right now? Go buy it, and then tell all your friends to buy it (Warning: if you are younger than 17 years old, I suggest you ask your parents first, before you buy this pretty violent game…don't want to get yelled at for telling kids to buy this game)! Resident Evil 4 was one of the best games last generation, and it is currently one of the best games on the Wii.

Un forastero
+ Definitive version: combines all into one
+ Wiimote controls transition well
+ Graphics updated from previous versions
+ Sound is still as creepy as ever
+ Excellent gameplay (kill, kill, kill, puzzle, kill some more)
+ Works with original Gamecube controller and Classic controller
+ Many unlockables keep you returning to the game
+ Only $30. 20 less than the average Wii game.

Los Ganados
- Graphics still look last-gen
- Um…..story?
- Minor flaws in the Wiimote control

10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/20/07, Updated 06/21/07