Alright, personal context for my review, I LOVE Resident Evil. It's my jam. I'll play whatever ridiculous mainline title they throw at us. I don't care. But, I have my preferences and biases. The original, fixed-camera, tank-controls will always be my favorites. And, to further my point, I've always loved horror movies that are just clearly bad films. Awful acting, terrible special effects, ridiculous killers or monsters. That's the height of cinema for me. And those are the original Resident Evil games up and down, through and through.
Resident Evil 4 has always stood out like a sore thumb to me. As it should. It was groundbreaking; it's an objective classic; it was the shock-to-the-chest the series needed for people, other than the diehards, to be interested. But, not so much for me. I recognize the series could have gone under without it. It's a fantastic game, but it was such a pivot from what I knew and loved that it broke my heart a little. I don't even have many complaints about the game itself other than, "this isn't really what I wanted, but thank you". But, it worked.
I watched some of Crowbcat's Youtube video comparing the OG and the Remake. I like the guy, but it seems he has a vested interest in tearing down newer games, often deservedly so, in favor of nostalgia while ignoring antiquated mechanics and QoL improvements. But, his video pointed out to me just how amazing the art direction of the original is. It's picturesque. Every frame looks like it could be a postcard. Working within the Gamecubes limitations and not having prerendered backgrounds to lean on must have been such a battle. But they did SO much with so little. While not overflowing with minute details like the newer titles, they opted for gorgeous composition of their set pieces and it makes the game infinitely more memorable. Every tree branch and lightning flash seems meticulously placed. Every grotesquerie is painted amongst its setting in stark contrast to an otherwise peaceful village. It all just stands out so easily. Not only that, but the music, the ambient background sounds, the sfx, the characters (down to the most insignificant villager "UN FORASTERO"), the locales: they are all amazing and burned into my brain in the best way. It all works with the perspective change, the new maneuverability, the absence of lock-on aiming, and the action. And here is where my personal gripes begin.
I never wanted "more action" out of an RE game. I never minded the interconnected item boxes or expendable ink ribbons or unpredictable angle changes or the desperate search for another box of ammo hidden away in the environment. I always loved the horror, the tension, the slow and purposeful gameplay and the obtuse puzzle-solving. It always gave me the feeling that I was in a horrible place where I didn't belong and I was not safe and I needed to escape immediately. I like being scared to death by media and it seemed like all that went away as soon as 4 came out. And I have never stopped resenting it for that reason. The new direction of the series put me off of it for years. I kinda hate 5 and everyone hates 6. And 7 and Village don't do much for me either.
Not only did I lose the gameplay that I liked, I lost the tone and setting as well. I mentioned awful horror movies earlier. If you're a fan of B-movies like I am, you know there is a HUGE difference between a movie that is not aware it's bad and trying hard to be really good, like The Room, opposed to something like, Cocaine Bear. A movie that KNOWS it's fucking stupid and leans into that, but loses everything endearing about it with its self-awareness. Now there are cues for laughter and any custom fun I can make with my friends is gone. There will never again be a RE1 Barry Burton or RE2 Robert Kendo. It'll always be a Salazar or whatever the fish guys name is from Village. "We know this is ludicrous, that's funny, right?" Ugh, I guess.
The game holds up to this day, except the dumb QTEs plaguing every bit of gameplay. There's a million admirable qualities about it, but it was a death knell for something I loved. You took a man with a polygon'd face, bizarre hand-gestures, and inexplicable speech cadence and put a pillow over his mouth and suffocated him in front of me to rousing applause. Yeah, it was a good show, but something unique died and I miss it terribly.
If you've never played RE4, ignore my self-pitying whining and go love it. Be free, little bird. You would probably find the ones I love unplayable and boring and I accept that.
Resident Evil 4 has always stood out like a sore thumb to me. As it should. It was groundbreaking; it's an objective classic; it was the shock-to-the-chest the series needed for people, other than the diehards, to be interested. But, not so much for me. I recognize the series could have gone under without it. It's a fantastic game, but it was such a pivot from what I knew and loved that it broke my heart a little. I don't even have many complaints about the game itself other than, "this isn't really what I wanted, but thank you". But, it worked.
I watched some of Crowbcat's Youtube video comparing the OG and the Remake. I like the guy, but it seems he has a vested interest in tearing down newer games, often deservedly so, in favor of nostalgia while ignoring antiquated mechanics and QoL improvements. But, his video pointed out to me just how amazing the art direction of the original is. It's picturesque. Every frame looks like it could be a postcard. Working within the Gamecubes limitations and not having prerendered backgrounds to lean on must have been such a battle. But they did SO much with so little. While not overflowing with minute details like the newer titles, they opted for gorgeous composition of their set pieces and it makes the game infinitely more memorable. Every tree branch and lightning flash seems meticulously placed. Every grotesquerie is painted amongst its setting in stark contrast to an otherwise peaceful village. It all just stands out so easily. Not only that, but the music, the ambient background sounds, the sfx, the characters (down to the most insignificant villager "UN FORASTERO"), the locales: they are all amazing and burned into my brain in the best way. It all works with the perspective change, the new maneuverability, the absence of lock-on aiming, and the action. And here is where my personal gripes begin.
I never wanted "more action" out of an RE game. I never minded the interconnected item boxes or expendable ink ribbons or unpredictable angle changes or the desperate search for another box of ammo hidden away in the environment. I always loved the horror, the tension, the slow and purposeful gameplay and the obtuse puzzle-solving. It always gave me the feeling that I was in a horrible place where I didn't belong and I was not safe and I needed to escape immediately. I like being scared to death by media and it seemed like all that went away as soon as 4 came out. And I have never stopped resenting it for that reason. The new direction of the series put me off of it for years. I kinda hate 5 and everyone hates 6. And 7 and Village don't do much for me either.
Not only did I lose the gameplay that I liked, I lost the tone and setting as well. I mentioned awful horror movies earlier. If you're a fan of B-movies like I am, you know there is a HUGE difference between a movie that is not aware it's bad and trying hard to be really good, like The Room, opposed to something like, Cocaine Bear. A movie that KNOWS it's fucking stupid and leans into that, but loses everything endearing about it with its self-awareness. Now there are cues for laughter and any custom fun I can make with my friends is gone. There will never again be a RE1 Barry Burton or RE2 Robert Kendo. It'll always be a Salazar or whatever the fish guys name is from Village. "We know this is ludicrous, that's funny, right?" Ugh, I guess.
The game holds up to this day, except the dumb QTEs plaguing every bit of gameplay. There's a million admirable qualities about it, but it was a death knell for something I loved. You took a man with a polygon'd face, bizarre hand-gestures, and inexplicable speech cadence and put a pillow over his mouth and suffocated him in front of me to rousing applause. Yeah, it was a good show, but something unique died and I miss it terribly.
If you've never played RE4, ignore my self-pitying whining and go love it. Be free, little bird. You would probably find the ones I love unplayable and boring and I accept that.