A Formal Apology For My Resident Evil 4 (2005) Opinions

[Oliver Onions]

I was going to post this in the thread where I originally had the argument but I can't remember where that was so I'm making a new thread instead.

A while back I made the bold statement that the original Resident Evil 4 from 2005 was unplayable by today's standards because of the lack of strafing and inability to move while aiming, among other things. I largely based this opinion on the fact I tried to play it on Steam a few years ago and couldn't make it past the very first village siege.

Recently, though, I've been watching a lot of speedrun content for the Resident Evil series and RE4 kept popping up so since I already owned it I figured what the hell: let's give it another shot. Having now completed my playthrough (on easy, I got absolutely filtered at the cabin siege,) I've decided to re-evaluate (most of) my positions.

RE4 is still an extremely fun game, with a lot of great ideas and attention to detail that even modern games can't match. Having said that, I am sticking to my guns on a couple things, mainly the QTEs fucking suck and I'd still like to be able to strafe, but I can live with being planted to the ground when shooting.

Anyway, whoever you were I argued with I am gifting you the rarest Internet currency of all...an apology.

TL;DR RE4(2005) good game. Sorry.

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

I think it does kinda suck unless you're playing the Wii version. The GC one is too hard otherwise, which wouldn't have been an issue if you could move and aim, but just having faster, more accurate aiming via Wiimote is sufficient.

 

[MrTroll]

Apology NOT accepted.

 

[Oliver Onions]

I think it does kinda suck unless you're playing the Wii version.

The only true way to play is with the chainsaw controller and we all know it.

Apology NOT accepted.

 

[Calandrino]

A while back I made the bold statement that the original Resident Evil 4 from 2005 was unplayable by today's standards because of the lack of strafing and inability to move while aiming, among other things.

They already had strafing and the ability to move while aiming in games, so it was also unplayable by 1995 standards.

 

[Merton J. Dingle]

I think it does kinda suck unless you're playing the Wii version. The GC one is too hard otherwise, which wouldn't have been an issue if you could move and aim, but just having faster, more accurate aiming via Wiimote is sufficient.

Or, you know, just play the second PC release and aim with a mouse.

 

[ovenmath]

Thank you, og re4 is one of the greatest of all time. You were right about qtes though, they fucking suck. Iirc the knife fight and the statue scenes are much worse on modern hardware because of frame rate stuff, though I may be mistaken.

Looks like it’s time to play through the game again. It’s a shame it’s hard to mod.

 

[Grub]

I never really liked RE4 even when it first came out. I tried playing it again a year or two ago and still don't really like it. I wasn't really a fan of the direction the series went in. I preferred the slow methodical gameplay and the darker, gloomier more claustrophobic setting in RE2. The village cult shit in RE4 was dumb and cliche even for the time.

 

[Oliver Onions]

Iirc the knife fight and the statue scenes are much worse on modern hardware because of frame rate stuff, though I may be mistaken.

From a video I watched recently QTEs that require mashing can become impossible because they're tied to framerate, but I'm not sure about anything else. I'm a console pleb so my options were brightness and that's it.

The village cult shit in RE4 was dumb and cliche even for the time.

It is all very silly, but similar to DMC3 around about the same time I liked the over-the-top absurdity. I think the atmosphere is better in the earlier games (and 7) but sometimes I just want dumb fun.

 

[Grub]

It is all very silly, but similar to DMC3 around about the same time

Funny enough, I never got into the devil may cry series at all.

 

[Oliver Onions]

Funny enough, I never got into the devil may cry series at all.

I might start a new argument with this, but I'd suggest starting with 3 and watching a longplay of 1 because it feels like the scrapped Resident Evil project that it is. 3 is where they nailed the gameplay format that defined the series, and 4 and 5 are both great (even though 4 is laughably unfinished).

DMC2 is only worth playing to experience the peak of early-aughts edginess.

 

[3deadniggers]

It was a fun game when it came out but the mechanics are annoying. It sits between tank controls in fixed camera games and full action third person shooters. It's an uncomfortable middle child and it's issues can't be ignored.

I might start a new argument with this, but I'd suggest starting with 3 and watching a longplay of 1 because it feels like the scrapped Resident Evil project that it is. 3 is where they nailed the gameplay format that defined the series, and 4 and 5 are both great (even though 4 is laughably unfinished).

DMC2 is only worth playing to experience the peak of early-aughts edginess.

Stop posting garbage. DMC1 is a good game, it's not all about the action mechanics and watching someone else play it spoils the experience. 2 is a generic hack and slash with great atmosphere and terrible bosses (Lucia players better than Dante in this one). 3 lacks the original 2 games artistic style while improving on the game play in almost every way. You shouldn't skip any of them and you shouldn't be watching longplays. The HD collection is cheap and you can play through all of them in order and make up your own mind.

 

[Grub]

I might start a new argument with this, but I'd suggest starting with 3 and watching a longplay of 1 because it feels like the scrapped Resident Evil project that it is. 3 is where they nailed the gameplay format that defined the series, and 4 and 5 are both great (even though 4 is laughably unfinished).

DMC2 is only worth playing to experience the peak of early-aughts edginess.

I never really liked any of those hack and slash type games from that time. Same with stuff like God of War. I never really got into them. They always felt like glorified arcade games with added cut scenes and qtes to me. The gameplay just always felt so mindless. I don't really like beat em ups for the same reason, 2d or 3d. They're all just kind of the same shit. Push a button and watch endless hordes of shit die in flashy ways. Newer games let you unlock cooler, flashier ways to kill shit and have a bit more story justifying why you need to kill endless hordes of things but really that whole style of game really is just the same shit it's been since the 80's.

 

[TATE MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODE!!]

I like the camera control is extremely limited to just where Leon can turn his head. Keeps you on your toes and in motion.

 

[Calandrino]

It was a fun game when it came out but the mechanics are annoying. It sits between tank controls in fixed camera games and full action third person shooters. It's an uncomfortable middle child and it's issues can't be ignored.

I never get tired of pointing out that it still uses entirely digital tank controls for movement. Same with RE5! I can only assume they copy-pasted the same code from earlier REs and decided it was "good enough".

Conker's BFD back on N64 legit had better 3rd person shooter controls, allowing you to turn any direction on a dime and move while aiming, so it's not even a product of its time.

 

[3deadniggers]

I never get tired of pointing out that it still uses entirely digital tank controls for movement. Same with RE5! I can only assume they copy-pasted the same code from earlier REs and decided it was "good enough".

Conker's BFD back on N64 legit had better 3rd person shooter controls, allowing you to turn any direction on a dime and move while aiming, so it's not even a product of its time.

Tank controls in 3d games isn't a problem if you build around it. Tomb Raider doesn't work with the full movement of the remasters because it's not designed for it. Putting it in a shooter is just weird and then they make God hand which does it as a beat 'em up. It's Capcom being out of touch with gaming.

 

[BiggestKai]

(on easy, I got absolutely filtered at the cabin siege,)

A senior moment, perhaps?

Spoiler

I actually haven't played any RE games yet, only just recently installed the OG RE1.

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

I am always glad to see people willing to at least re-evaluate their views.

Go have a Kiwi Shaped Cookie.

 

[Oliver Onions]

Stop posting garbage. DMC1 is a good game

It is, but it's extremely clunky and the fixed camera angles make the platforming and combat sections harder than they need to be. I abandoned my replay of it in the HD Collection at the second Nightmare encounter.

A senior moment, perhaps?

I think I played myself by abusing the shit out of the knecap-and-knife combat loop, so my Difficulty Adjustment was so high by the time I reached the cabin I was getting two-shotted at full health.

Probably also didn't help I was deliberately not upgrading my weapons because they were getting sold once I got to the castle any way.

 

[TATE MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODE!!]

Putting it in a shooter is just weird and then they make God hand which does it as a beat 'em up.

I think God Hand was intentional because once you got the right thumb stick ducking and weaving down you feel like a true pimp.

They were smart enough to have the camera clip through everything as well to never let the backgrounds get in your way.