At least it seems that an overwhelming majority of people consider RE4 one of the bests in the series. It was all the talk about RE4 being a great atmospheric game that did everything correct, and how many fans long for another resident evil game like number 4. I managed to grab the game in the steam summer sale, and having never played it before, I was very excited and ready to be blown away. Except I wasn’t, and I found myself annoyed and disappointed for the first half of the game.
The beginning was very rough, a clunky camera with a limited field view, awkward controls that take time getting used to, and humanoid enemies that aren’t completely zombie. The game has not aged well in my opinion, and the pacing in the first of the game for first time players, is in my opinion, rather poor and dull. It starts out slow, you get bombarded by enemies, combined with the poor camera movement and limited field of view, I found myself lost and running from enemies trying to get to next area. It took me a while to find out there was a map you could look at.
The game isn’t scary, is not as atmospheric as many people make it out to be and nor is it about survival. There were very few times I ran out of bullets, the game and enemies provide sufficient types of weapons and ammunitions that you really never run out of. It’s a good thing because there are a lot of enemies. The enemy AI is very poor and all of them are predictable. There is no sense of “what could be lurking behind that corner?” when the enemies are constantly making noises or talking to one another when they hear or see the player coming. Even later at the game the hooded figures are constantly praying and the soldier ganados from the island also scream and yell when the opponent is coming. The game always lets you know when you will face enemies and this breaks the surprise element and makes it easier to prepare accordingly.
There are many healing items in the game from fish to chicken eggs that unless you run directly to the enemies, you won’t be in much danger as long as you move. Keep distance, shoot from a safe space, rinse and repeat. It doesn’t force the player to move out of a comfort zone to tackle challenges differently in which they’ll have to risk themselves from time to time. It goes in hand with my sentiment about the enemies; many who will make sure you know that they are coming for you. Even some few enemies who do not make a lot of noise and will be waiting for you patiently need to be nose-to-nose with the player to hit and do damage, something one can react to quickly enough. Enemies take a lot of time for their hits to connect.
As far as atmosphere, it doesn’t feel scary or a sense of suspense for most of the game. Only in some levels, for example when the player reaches the island and there are the regenerator enemies who regenerate themselves and do considerable damage. There are cells and blood on the floor, with some bags dripping blood and you get to an area and open a container and a bag is moving. I never got to know what that was; I shot it and stopped moving. It was freaky and somewhat disturbing moment. I couldn't stop thinking what that thing was. I thought to myself that if that level was expanded and made as the premise of the whole game, then it would have been much more atmospheric, creepy and suspenseful, something that I have come to expect from resident evil games.
I hate to say this, but I don’t think Resident Evil 4 is a great game at all. In fact it feels like a less polished less refined, a rough draft of Resident Evil 5. So many elements of Resident Evil 4 are present in 5.
Last but not least, Quick Time Events (QTE’s). There are a lot of quick time events, and I don’t really mind them. But I hated having to press RT and LT, followed by X and A followed by RT and LT once again. It caught me off guard many times and it felt annoying at certain points in the game. For all the disdain that Resident Evil 6 got for its QTE’s, I never felt that in 6 the QTE’s were as annoying as 4.
Resident Evil 4 was a good game, I enjoyed it. Yet it was a forgettable experience. A very weak plot for my taste, and definitely not what I expected from the praise this game has gotten.
Dear gaf brethren, what do you think? Do you think that RE4 was one of the best in the series or that perhaps other games were much better?
Call me cray but for me, Resident Evil 6 and 5 were some of the best in the series (not the best, but some of the best), and Leon’s Campaign in RE6 is one of the best moments in the Resident Evil franchise. But I guess that’s another topic for another day.
TLDR; RE4 doesn't really feel like one of the best, it's very rough in some areas, especially in the gameplay, and certain aspects of the game. Definitely not as great as people (some - though feels like the majority) make it out to be.
The beginning was very rough, a clunky camera with a limited field view, awkward controls that take time getting used to, and humanoid enemies that aren’t completely zombie. The game has not aged well in my opinion, and the pacing in the first of the game for first time players, is in my opinion, rather poor and dull. It starts out slow, you get bombarded by enemies, combined with the poor camera movement and limited field of view, I found myself lost and running from enemies trying to get to next area. It took me a while to find out there was a map you could look at.
The game isn’t scary, is not as atmospheric as many people make it out to be and nor is it about survival. There were very few times I ran out of bullets, the game and enemies provide sufficient types of weapons and ammunitions that you really never run out of. It’s a good thing because there are a lot of enemies. The enemy AI is very poor and all of them are predictable. There is no sense of “what could be lurking behind that corner?” when the enemies are constantly making noises or talking to one another when they hear or see the player coming. Even later at the game the hooded figures are constantly praying and the soldier ganados from the island also scream and yell when the opponent is coming. The game always lets you know when you will face enemies and this breaks the surprise element and makes it easier to prepare accordingly.
There are many healing items in the game from fish to chicken eggs that unless you run directly to the enemies, you won’t be in much danger as long as you move. Keep distance, shoot from a safe space, rinse and repeat. It doesn’t force the player to move out of a comfort zone to tackle challenges differently in which they’ll have to risk themselves from time to time. It goes in hand with my sentiment about the enemies; many who will make sure you know that they are coming for you. Even some few enemies who do not make a lot of noise and will be waiting for you patiently need to be nose-to-nose with the player to hit and do damage, something one can react to quickly enough. Enemies take a lot of time for their hits to connect.
As far as atmosphere, it doesn’t feel scary or a sense of suspense for most of the game. Only in some levels, for example when the player reaches the island and there are the regenerator enemies who regenerate themselves and do considerable damage. There are cells and blood on the floor, with some bags dripping blood and you get to an area and open a container and a bag is moving. I never got to know what that was; I shot it and stopped moving. It was freaky and somewhat disturbing moment. I couldn't stop thinking what that thing was. I thought to myself that if that level was expanded and made as the premise of the whole game, then it would have been much more atmospheric, creepy and suspenseful, something that I have come to expect from resident evil games.
I hate to say this, but I don’t think Resident Evil 4 is a great game at all. In fact it feels like a less polished less refined, a rough draft of Resident Evil 5. So many elements of Resident Evil 4 are present in 5.
Last but not least, Quick Time Events (QTE’s). There are a lot of quick time events, and I don’t really mind them. But I hated having to press RT and LT, followed by X and A followed by RT and LT once again. It caught me off guard many times and it felt annoying at certain points in the game. For all the disdain that Resident Evil 6 got for its QTE’s, I never felt that in 6 the QTE’s were as annoying as 4.
Resident Evil 4 was a good game, I enjoyed it. Yet it was a forgettable experience. A very weak plot for my taste, and definitely not what I expected from the praise this game has gotten.
Dear gaf brethren, what do you think? Do you think that RE4 was one of the best in the series or that perhaps other games were much better?
Call me cray but for me, Resident Evil 6 and 5 were some of the best in the series (not the best, but some of the best), and Leon’s Campaign in RE6 is one of the best moments in the Resident Evil franchise. But I guess that’s another topic for another day.
TLDR; RE4 doesn't really feel like one of the best, it's very rough in some areas, especially in the gameplay, and certain aspects of the game. Definitely not as great as people (some - though feels like the majority) make it out to be.
