Introduction

Resident Evil 4 has already come out on the Gamecube and the Playstation 2 and has been highly rated on both platforms. The Wii version has the new content from the PS2 version and the addition of Wii controls, but do they justify the price?

Story

The President’s daughter has gone missing, and you are put in the shoes of Leon S. Kennedy, the police officer sent to track a lead on where she could be, as well as being the person who investigated the Racoon City incident in a previous Resident Evil title. Leon finds more than he wishes, as the whole village is flooded with a strange cult of people, who you must kill by any means necessary. His adventure will take you on a journey from the initial village to mysterious castles, littering epic boss fight after boss fight along the way. The story, while definitely not the main focus of the game, is not too shabby and will keep you guessing throughout the game.

Sound

The sound, for the most part, is excellent. The sound of your guns firing is satisfying, the ambiance keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the grunts of unseen enemies will have you spinning in circles wondering where they are. The voice acting, however, is good at some points, while laughable at others.

Graphics

The game’s graphics were stunning a few years ago, and it is still one of the better looking titles on the Wii. The lighting is nice, and, even though the textures are showing their age, this is still a fine looking title. The particle effects are good, and the explosion effects add a nice touch as well. The graphics, as a whole, make the experience much better by drawing you into the horrifying experience even more.

Controls

Now, for the question on everyone’s mind, are the Wii Controls actually better than the PS2/Gamecube controls? The answer is most definitely yes. You no longer have to follow the laser sight, which your gun projects, but, instead you will always see the reticule on screen, depending on where you are pointing with the Wiimote. This makes aiming a lot easier, as well as just making killing the zombies less of a hassle. You press the trigger button (B) to bring up your gun, and you press A to shoot, helping you dispatch enemies at medium to close range, and, when in close combat, you can use your knife by shaking the controller or by pressing C followed by pressing A. The only major complaint that people have been having is that the camera is controlled by moving the thumb stick on the nunchuc. I personally didn’t mind this, because of some game’s slow turning for wii gun controls, but some people criticize it because they are used to moving the camera with the Wiimote. The AI performs well most of the time, but the most challenge in the game comes from their sheer power, not they’re ability to outwit you. At times in the game, you will be required to press buttons during cut-scenes or to avoid massive damage. These are somewhat easier in the Wii edition because you are only required to ever press A, A + B, or shake the Wiimote. In the other versions of this game, there were more button combos, but these are still varied and present a decent challenge because of the way that they randomly appear. The campaign is a good length, and it will take most people 12-18 hours to beat.

Conclusion

This game was excellent a few years ago, and it’s still good today. While the graphics are showing signs of aging, they still provide some of the best quality on Wii, and the gameplay is still as fun as ever. For Wii owners that didn’t pick up this gem before, it’s a great game that has stood the test of time, not to mention being at a discounted price.
Overall Score: 9/10