Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

"RE-imagined, Wii-imagined."

Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 4. Surely the gaming community has heard of Resident Evil 4. You know, Resident Evil 4, the groundbreaking horror action game, with its solid control, creepy presentation, over-the-top battles, and on and on. 2005 has long since gone, but Resident Evil 4 is still getting a great deal of talk. But why talk about the 2005 hit in 2007? Because Nintendo and Capcom are willing to release the game once more, this time on Nintendo's Wii system. So get your WiiMote ready; it's time to go Ganado-hunting in Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition.

For all of you who don't know, Resident Evil 4 is the fourth installment of the classic horror series Resident Evil. After the events of Resident Evil 2, hero Leon Kennedy is sent to rural Europe to find the president's daughter, Ashley Graham. Leon's simple rescue mission quickly escalates into another zombie-esque parasite outbreak and it's up to Leon to save the day once more. No Umbrella, you say? As simplistic as the scenario may be, Leon faces a slew of new and creepy creatures and characters. There's always something new around the corner, and the many plot-twists make this side story a must-see.

Resident Evil 4 made many dramatic changes in refining the tried-and-true horror formula. Swap out the tank-style controls with a solid over-the-shoulder firing sight to make shooting enemies much more complex. You can shoot an enemy in many places, whether to cripple, blind, or finish them off. Capcom also made environments much easier to explore thanks to context-sensitive action commands. Jumping out a window, climbing a ladder and even attacking enemies with a powerful kick is thanks to helpful icons that appear depending on when and where an action occurs. Capcom also loaded these actions into cutscenes, so dodging a near-death experience can make even the quietest scenes action-packed. There's an underlying tension throughout every moment in RE4, making it one of the scariest games yet. Local merchants also appear to sell new weapons and improve weapon performance, making the battles even more fun. There's so many ways that Resident Evil 4 improves upon the series and the Wii collectively shows off each and every new concept.

The biggest draw in this edition of the famous horror game is the Wii controls. The Gamecube controls in the original Resident Evil 4 redefined the horror game, so this change is not without its skepticism. The Wii Remote and Nunchuk do a good job of showing the controls of RE4. Expectedly, the Wii Remote can point and aim onscreen. Holding the B trigger brings up Leon's over-the-shoulder aiming screen and shooting works with the A button. Pressing the – button brings up the inventory and the 1 button shows the map. The Nunchuk handles the exploration. The analog stick can be used for movement; hold the Z button with the analog stick to run. The point-and-shoot controls are shown with a crosshair instead of the laser-sight, but despite original thoughts, there is a greater degree of control with the WiiMote. Shooting different enemies is fluid, and taking out a slew of enemies is easier. Capcom implemented some motion-sensing techniques as well. Simply waving the Wii Remote lets Leon use a quick knife attack (with stronger knife moves combined with the C button) and holding the B trigger and a quick shake of the WiiMote lets Leon reload. Rapid-fire cutscenes and dodging scenes can be seen with moving the Wii Remote at the right time. As small and dare I say, gimmicky as these may be, they do make combat faster. The controls do seem clumsy at first (it took me a while to get used to some of the motion-sensing scenarios) but there's plenty of learning room and the game's difficulty doesn't steep too much. They aren't as groundbreaking as before, but the controls still manage to show some fresh new concepts for RE4. The Wii controls are easy to learn and fun to master, especially in the spooky and high-intensity world of RE4.

Leon's journey is a rescue mission, and a major aspect is leading Ashley around. The + button stands as the basic command button, as you can tell Ashley to either wait or follow you into battle. Ashley's role is still the protected; if she dies or is captured, it's game over. But Ashley has a good habit of staying out of harm's way; she'll crouch down to dodge gunfire, or stay behind Leon during a firefight. She can also hide in certain areas, will hint to certain environment tricks, and even offer some teamwork in finding hidden areas. She will get captured, so dealing with her companionship isn't always a problem. It's not complex and it's not always fun, but it does show another new dimension in Resident Evil 4's gameplay.

Resident Evil 4 backs up its action factor with a healthy dose of atmosphere. The eerily quiet village shows off some brilliant graphics, full to the brim with creepy wind effects. Following up the graphics is some stellar sound design. The shouts of enemies, clangs of weapons, and slick reload sounds all surround a creepy score. Enemies sound off when Leon is spotted, and the heartbeat-like score makes exploring the world of Resident Evil 4 a creepy and scary excursion. And once the chainsaws start roaring, there's no doubt that Resident Evil 4 is a truly scary game.

When Resident Evil 4 was released on the PS2 in 2005, Resident Evil fans got a taste of some new adventures featuring the famous Ada Wong, and the Wii edition shows off all the extras that Gamecube owners didn't get to see. A new adventure in Separate Ways shows another side to Leon's journey, as Ada's travels fill in some gray areas that Leon's story leaves blank. Plenty of unlockable modes including the fan favorite Mercenaries and follow-up episode Assignment Ada offer plenty to do when the Story mode is complete. Throw in a bunch of unlockable weapons and costumes, and you see a complete game filled with Resident Evil fun.

Pros
+ The RE-imagining and Wii-imagining of an excellent horror game
+ Wii controls are fluid and fun
+ Plenty of unlockables

Cons
- Not enough reasons to purchase it again

Resident Evil 4 was an incredibly groundbreaking game in 2005, and although it's a little early for a Wii-make, the game still retains all of the things that made it fun and scary. From the spooky and haunting presentation to the white-knuckle exploration elements, everything that made RE4 fun is back in the Wii edition. The Wii controls do offer some fun and unique ways to deal damage and many of the re-imagined sequences work incredibly well with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. All the unlockables and bonus material from the PS2 edition return in their glory and there's plenty of minigames, unlockables, and game modes worth exploring again. Even for the most diligent and jaded of RE4 fans will find the Wii controls fun and going through the game once more is definitely a treat. Whether you've explored the haunting and dangerous village before, the Wii Edition is definitely worth a serious look. Resident Evil 4 manages to be fun and scary even after being released on many systems, and for all who still haven't played it, there's no better version right now. Pick it up today.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/13/07