Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Edition (PC) Review Redux

The Final Chapter

Every reviewer, hell, every gamer, has that one game. The one they can’t figure out what the hell to do with. Do we love it? Do we hate it? Do we even know what to do with it? Resident Evil 4 is that game for me.

You guys have seen me lambaste this game with all the unforgiving heartlessness of some ancient deity hell-bent on destruction. In my last review for this game, I said I’d probably never play it to the end, I’d probably never actually enjoy it. I thought this would be the case, but someone close to me convinced me to sit down and play it because we were going through all the Resident Evil games and of course had to do this one. They’d never really played any of the RE games before, so I figured I’d just grin and bear it with 4 and get it over with.

This review is the result of the time I spent with RE4 during my “running the gauntlet” of the series, and it’s going to be the final one. After this review, I’m officially done fighting with this game.

There might be spoilers, too, so…don’t whine about it. The game’s 11 fucking years old.

Note: Yes, I’ll be reusing some of my old screenshots, so…shuddupaboutitscrub.

The Kennedy Comeback

Looking for things to like about this game…found it!

Where do I even begin this time? Screw it, controls, it is.

You all know that my biggest issue with RE4 was always the control scheme. In the last review I did for the game, I said I actually didn’t mind them too much on this particular version. That’s still true, but my opinion on it has changed a bit. Quite a bit, actually.

It took some time for me to get used to the seemingly awkward turning, wide-but-limited mouse look, but when it set in, holy shit. Look out Ganados, Kennedy is coming for y’ass.

I feel like this play-through led to me finally really, really enjoying the game. Partially because I was playing it for someone else’s entertainment which meant I had to stop fucking around and actually try. The other part being that when I did become more accustomed to the controls, I actually started to enjoy playing. I wanted to see where the story went, I wanted to keep going, I actually wanted to play the game. I was having fun with a game that I never thought I’d have fun with.

Now, feel free to point and laugh, because let’s face it, it’s my own damn fault for not giving it more of a shot sooner. In my defense, the controls are still worthy of being called dog-shit in the other versions (The Wii version is still getting a free pass). So, yea, shaddapaboutit.

Oh, wait, there is one thing I really couldn’t stand, and that was that the Del Lago fight didn’t use an inverted mouse setting at all. It’s ok, though, I still harpooned that floating, potato-shaped fuckwit into Oblivion. Stupid Lake Potato.

Rolling Rocks, Train Rides, and Secret Villain Bases On Tiny Islands

I know at least one person is gonna want to do this to me after reading the story part of the review.

What more could a Saturday morning cartoon show writer ask for in a story setup?

It was alright, I suppose. I didn’t feel incredibly invested in it. It wasn’t deep or moving, not that it really needed to be. It’s Resident fuckin’ Evil, after all. There were some pretty neat elements, like the Salazar family supporting Los Illuminados. That was pretty cool, but most of it seemed to just be funneling you from point A to point B. I mean, that’s generally the point of the story in any game, but this one still didn’t do much for me. I just didn’t find it as entertaining as I found most of the other storylines in mainline Resident Evil games. I was going to say that I like the other RE games for their incredibly outlandish stories and silly situations, but then I realized that I’m playing a game wherein the main character is dressed like a gangster from the 1920’s, using MegaMan’s arm cannon and his cohort is wearing medieval armor, all while sitting on a nice Victorian styled mine cart with plush red leather seats.

Even before that situation becomes an option, the whole thing really does fall right into the series’ bowl of insane situations. Leon always seems to get the weirdest shit too. A giant, toothy turd that’s trying to eat him on the train ride out of Raccoon City. A floating lake-potato that’s also trying to eat him. A fucking skeletal T-Rex also trying to eat him on top floor of a skyscraper.

Why is everything trying to eat him?

…anyway.

I was far more interested in the relationship between Leon and Krauser than anything related to what was actually happening during the story of 4. I’ll have to go play one of the light gun games that details this in more depth sometime.

Honestly, I was surprised at how little Ashley was used as I got farther into the game. It seemed to me, from what I’d read everywhere else, that she’d be a constant annoyance, but she wasn’t that bad. Definitely not bad when you stuff her into a suit of armor Freddy Fazbear style.

Suit up and shut up, kiddo. …and stop looking like a grumpy Transformer.

Not much more to say about that, really. Moving on.

Queue The Eye-Candy

The game still looks pretty good. That, obviously, hasn’t changed. And won’t. Not until we get the RE4 remaster that Capcom is no doubt going to do about 15 years from now.

I don’t have much to add to that, so have some screenshots.

I did say I’d be reusing old screenshots.

The Sound of Music

The game still sounds fine, too. What? It’s a re-re-re-review. I don’t have anything to add! Hush!

Ok, except maybe that Ramon Salazar’s voice is on par with nails on a chalkboard and I was glad to put that obnoxious little bastard down. Saddler’s voice actor did a pretty damn good job, too! He perfectly fit the hammy, campy atmosphere.

King Kennedy, Lord of The Swag

So, I’ve absolutely been more positive with this review. I may even, le gasp, enjoy the game now!

After my play-through, I just felt like I needed to have one final go with RE4. You know, settle it once and for all. It’s kinda funny to look back at the past reviews and slowly see the change between where I started with it, and where I’ve wound up with it. It’s become my favorite of the second trilogy, followed by 5, and then 6. So, yea, in order.

Like Capcom with the RE5 PC DLC, I’m late to the party, and I’m ok with that. I had plenty of fun with RE4’s base game, and even more with the Ada missions, and then professional difficulty. It was even better with I got the PRL 412. That thing is stupidly fun, and makes repeated runs even more entertaining. Some of the glitches add a lot of entertainment value, as well. Ditman, Double Gigante skip, Waterfall skip. All the others that I couldn’t pull off. It’s fun. Just plain, simple, pure fun.

There you have it, Resident Evil 4 and I have finally come to good standings with each other. Like I said, this is the final review of this game. I’m putting it to rest.

That’s all for now.

You folks have fun, take care, and I’ll see you next time.

See you next time, Mr. Kennedy.

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