Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

"Two and a half years later, it's still a masterpiece."

Resident Evil 4 is here... again. The game first appeared on the Gamecube more that two years ago, way back in January of 2005. Back then, the game was perfect; amazing gameplay, killer audio, and breathtaking graphics. Since that time, RE4 has been remade for the Playstation 2 and the PC. Now, however, it lands on the Wii with just as much sheer brilliance as last time around.

I'll talk about the story first, to fill you in a bit. Leon is the main character of the game. He arrives in a mysterious village in Europe after being picked personally by the President of the United States to discover where his daughter, Ashley, is. She was kidnapped on her way home from College and hasn't been seen since, but reports say that Ashley was seen around this village last. Leon's job is to rescue Ashley and to bring her to safety. Little does he know, a certain few people have other plans for him, but Leon is prepared to do whatever he can to escape with his objectives complete.

Even after so much time has passed, the graphics are brilliant. The atmosphere is chilling and intriguing, thanks not only to the audio, but the graphics. The little details and interactive parts of the environment really show how much attention to detail was used when Capcom started work on this game. The enemies looks fantastic, as do Leon, Ashley, and the multiple other main characters. The environments are fantastic, the weather effects realistic, and the world looks real, even though the situation is outrageous.

The sound is mindblowing, simple as that. The music is wonderfully composed and haunting. The scariest part of the game is the whole mood the sound gives the dark setting, which creates an unbelievable experience that cannot be missed. The only complaint I have is that a lot of the enemies repeat what they say, but the sound is still amazing and incredibly atmospheric.

The gameplay is amazing, to say the least. The battles with the Ganados and various other enemies are intense, to say the least. The boss battles are original and downright fun to play, the puzzles often give your brain a bit of a workout, and the exploration and minigames are excellent and really add to the atmosphere of the game. There is the shooting range to partake in and many treasures to find. These treasures can be sold to the merchant for money, which can then be used to buy weapons, weapon upgrades, recovery items, case enlargements (so you can fit more weapons and items in), and more. The only perhaps negative part of the gameplay is that most boss battles can easily be won with a quick shot of the Rocket Launcher. Mind you, it's expensive and single-shot, but it does make the game a hell of a lot easier than it would be without it. Some boss battles, however, it does not benefit whatsoever, and those moments shine through and make up for any slight downfalls elsewhere.

The controls really add to the game. The ability to aim the gun with the Wii Remote is fantastic. The actions are clever and work into cutscenes and battles really well, due to the excellent response from the Remote. The overall control layout works and meshes together greatly. I cannot complain about these at all, except that they perhaps lower the difficulty of the game slightly due to the new aiming system being so easily accessible.

There are many new additions to the game when compared to the Gamecube version. The extra modes from previously, as well as the PS2 remake, are included. These include Separate Ways, a telling of the story from an alternative point of view (Resident Evil nuts will eat this right up), as well as the minigames The Mercenaries and Assignment Ada. After beating the main game on Normal difficulty, new costumes, weapons, and a new difficulty mode (Professional) open up for you to enjoy. There is so much to do in Resident Evil 4 that you will be playing for many hours to come.

There's not much else I can say. If you haven't bought this game yet, do so now. For only $30 in the United States, or $40 in Canada, this game is an absolute steal. You won't get a better value for your money, nor a more enjoyable use for it. Resident Evil 4 is breathtaking and my third favourite game of all time (behind Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Goldeneye 007).

Graphics ~ 9.5 out of 10
Gameplay ~ 10 out of 10
Sound ~ 10 out of 10
Story ~ 8.5 out of 10
Controls ~ 10 out of 10
Replayability ~ 10 out of 10

Overall - A masterful game that is just as epic now as it was in the past, if not moreso.

10 out of 10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/05/07