Resident Evil 4 Comments by Kristan Reed

I don't think it's worth the embarrassment of owning a Gamecube for 1 decent game, I'll be waiting for the PS2 version.

Tosser

I for one like that eurogamer are as negative as possjble. At least that means they are honest and don't have to fill the review with vague compliments which hardly say anoything useful.



Though I get the feeling reviews of this game are a bit too exaggerated all around. I haven't played it yet, of course, but looking at the graphics alone (screenshots, movies) they don't look as magnificent as most people seem to be pretending. TThey are certainly pretty, but not the best thing I have ever seen. But that's just one aspect. The controls, though improved are still not perfect. Puzzles are apparently almost completely removed (something silent hill was berated for, but resi? oh no, hurrah!). I'll have to see for myself.

>krudster,

I think rev9of8 is right though - this review doesn't really seem to contain much in the way of excitement induced by playing the game. You've criticised the control system, and in doing so down-played what makes the game so much fun in the first place. The on-the-spot, over-the-shoulder, laser-pointed targetting system feels genuinely intuitive, and REALLY makes this game stand out from all other 3rd person games. It's innaccuracy and the fact that you have to abandon your ability to run away to use it add a big layer of risk to the proceedings and thus make pulling it off incredibily satisfying. I think the "wooden" control system is totally the point - I found it generally unnerving that I had a blind spot and could only use the sound effects to help me in that regard. I certainly didn't find it to be much of a hindrance to the game as a whole, as the over-the-shoulder targetting more than made up for it. It's a wonderful blend of the old and the new!

Just one extra point. You've not really mentioned the bosses. That is, this review does mention them, but there's nothing in there that refers to just how impressive they are. The boss characters are bigger, better and more varied than of those in any other game I can think of at the moment.

A 9.5 out of 10 for me. Not that my score differs much from your own. But I'm certainly a lot more enthusiastic about it ;)

andy you've been on here long enough to realise when someone is taking the piss.. surely? if not them you really do need to learn about sarcasm, try reading Mick's post again.

As for my so called odd comments and them not being relevant, exactly what have you added to this thread apart from this crap:

"HAHA!!!! mystic_mick aka thick_mick"

Nothing constructive, as usual. Thicko.

Stop having a go at the man - He writes a good review. He gave it 9. Full stop.

Anyone know where I can get a cube for £40? Argos have sold out.

Fuck! I don't know what to do! The game that makes a GameCube worth buying and I go and already have one.

I just fundamentally disagree that Capcom's control system is "the point". Surely the *point* is to make a game intutive and fun to play, not force people to spend an hour or more having to adapt to the disabilities you're faced with? I've seen a few other people trying to play this who are not uber hardcore gamers, but far from being casual either, and noting their frustration is very telling.

A lot of people won't have the patience or persistent nature to stick with what is an unusual and intially fiddly control system. Yes, like everyone who sticks with this game, I got used to it, got good at it, and eventually loved the game warts and all. But denying the controls are in any way problematic is head in the sand fanboyism to the extreme.

It's a lovely game, but ignoring fundamentals and claiming that its broken design is all part of the fun is an argument no one can truly win. The point really is whether we still loved the game despite having to work against a control design that doesn't really feel as natural as it could, and of course the answer is yes.

As for not mentioning bosses; Yes they're big, look lovely, and aren't as hard as other Ressies.

>krud, thanks for replying! :)

I wonder if RE4's control system could be compared to the flashlight in Doom 3? Both are irksome to use - even somebody new to gaming would see an opportunity for improvement - but both force you to rethink your approach to the game. Whether or not this is a good - re: intentional - thing could be argued until the cows come home. In Capcom's case, they must be well aware of how the arguments against their aging control system are stacking up, yet they still insist on using it. It makes me wonder whether the game would be too EASY were they to implement an analogue, pin-point responsive system, or whether it might drop the level of suspense by a peg or two.

On the subject of difficulty, you're dead right about the bosses. Perhaps I should save this for the forums, but I think several games of late are guilty of letting their challenges slip (*cough* GTA:SA *cough* *phlegm* um not nice). Does this indicate a future of dumbing down for the general masses? I hope not :(

It is worth pointing out if the control scheme is needlessly old school and clunky, imho.

For example, I resisted buying Onimushas 1 or 2, but caved in just before 3 came out, so I'd be up to speed with the storyline.

Though I soon adapted to the control scheme, and thoroughly enjoyed both games, by God I was glad when they finely got the dual analogues involved with 3. The D pad only controls weren't the best in the world, even if they worked just fine.

Same applies to any game that could just have easily had an up-to-date control scheme as opposed to an old clunker.

Spot on about the headshots.

Atm, this is a gritty and real as ingame gunplay gets. Which can only be a good thing :)

Its the first comment i've ever seen mystic_mick post! the only thing that could be assumed sarcasm, though it is more of an irony, is the mystic part of the name. The post appears to be mindless drivel - its difficult to differentiate between truth and piss-taking when they are essentially the same thing, although a smiley or two to notify the reader or greater exaggerations tend to help.

The reason i picked up on your previous comment was because in referring to me as your 'son', i assumed you were being demeaning. Blerk basically pointed out the same thing as me; he didn't think it was sarcasm

I think if you change the control mechanics in Resident Evil too much, then you might as well change the games name.

noway Wrote: I hope Xbox gets a port too as all console gamers deserve to play this and Capcom deserve the sales, the game is one hell of a ride from start to finish and I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a single player game as much.

No way noway, there's enough good games on the Gamecube to justify a purchase of a Cube and Resident Evil 4. By the time an Xbox version was developed, it would be lost in the Xbox 2 hype. If I want to play exclusives, then I buy the relevant console. Personally I hope the PS2 version will turn out crap, in the hope that this game boosts the Gamecube's user base in the UK. I'm a bit pissed off that Europe won't be getting Alien Hominid on the Cube, the game is already out in the US on the Gamecube. It looks as though I'm going to have to import the game, something that Nintendo asked its fans not to do. :)

But you've still added nothing to this thread, why are you here?

This may well already be well into development for the XBox.

Personally I've never had a problem with the control schemes in Resi games, but most of you seem to really hate it. However the control has always been fundamental to the gameplay, and I believe Capcom designed it this way for effect as other people have already mentioned. Of course they could change it, but they don't because like film directors they want people to experience the action in a particular way. If all games had the same control scheme it would be rather dull...

Here's a couple of questions...
1: How many discs does it come on?
2: With the pistol, I know you aim with a laser sight, but how do you aim with other weapons? Is there a laser on every weapon?

2 discs.

You pretty much get a laser sight on every weapon, bar your knife. Those without have a first-person scope.

There is a sight on the shot gun, which is one of the most satisfying weapons in a game ever.
Though using the pistol to shoot a grenade from the hand of a 'zombie' thus blowing a group of the buggers into bits is mighty close as well.

The controls are strange, I don't have any problem with the ones in this game, but I could never get on with Metroid Prime which works in a similar way.

A side step would be nice, even if it was just a lurch like the villagers do. Having said that, in the Edge interview this month the developers say that in a previous build they did have a sidestep/strafe, and it changed the atmosphere too much.

Krudster: I just re-read the review and found it wasn't as negative as I read it first time, still a good review.

I argue AGAINST decapitations after the first chapter. Not that they're bad - fastest disposal of 50% of baddies... just... err... about that other 50%...

NOTE: TECHNICAL ASPECTS TO WORRY ABOUT FOR IMPORT PLAYERS.

Please remember that UK TV's are not usually setup to handle NTSC signals from your console. There are certain issues to contend with when you play an import game. There are three main scenarios to this:

First of all, you may find your TV doesn't support NTSC at all. If this is the case, you're s**t outta luck and you'll need a newer TV. Although a few TV's before 1995 -MIGHT- handle NTSC, I doubt it.

Secondly, your TV may handle NTSC but still dumb it down to a PAL50 signal. Basically, this means an approximate 17% slowdown issue. I know there are meant to be ways to fix this, but I've never found a tried and trusted method, so I put up with slowdown - not on all games, but RE4 is definately one of them. If anyone has suggestions, I'm open to 'em.

Lastly, if you're one of lucky/rich/clever (delete where applicable) people to have either a TV which is fully capable in handling NTSC60, or you have an American TV with a stepdown transformer, then rejoice. You're going to have a ball.

This could have been a 10 for me if the last two thirds of the game were as brilliant and exciting as the Village. I can actually understand why a review would score RE4 so highly yet be so downbeat because a few hours before the end I was wishing the game would come to a close already.

Best part of the game for me was when the storm kicked in and you rappel down a rope, that bit there was just so atmospheric with all the water.

I'll buy it for my Xbox

I'm on 5-3 now. I fear I'm near the end.

10/10 for me so far, unless it takes a serious quality dive in the last few hours.

Also, Ashley is probably the best escort mission character ever. She never got in the way or got herself killed.

I'll buy it for my Xbox

You'll need the new version of TardLoader for that.

Haven't played it yet but I definitely will and yes while the score was upbeat the review sounded depressing. No offence Krud, I still think you have IGN kicked to bits :).
The last 2 Capcom-Gamecube exclusives (Viewtiful Joe 1&2) that got ported to PS2 didn't do well even with their "extras" and I think the reason why is because the exclusiveness of the game probably boosts a games fanbase. Do you really think Metroid could be more popular if ported to the PS2 or XBox? I don't.
I personally believe that gamers have gotten lazier and generic that they probably would prefer if all games had the same control schemes.

My tuppence.

My fried just pointed out something that I didn't know, and it has relevance to the import subject.

You can buy NTSC to Pal Convertors, and PAL Boosters - these little devices will set you back £30-£40, and from what I hear, work extremely well. He tells me that the game ran juddery and slow on his TV normally, but the PAL Booster they got now means it runs silky smooth.

Gonna find one and order it now. No more 17% slowdown for me!

"No more 17% slowdown for me"

If the gamecube is outputting a 60Hz signal, there is no slowdown. Your TV isnt slowing the game down but dropping frames and there is a difference. You get jerky playback, but everything is at the right speed.

Think about it, if the TV was slowing it down you wouldnt be able to play at all as after 1 mins play, what you were seeing onscreen would be 20 seconds behind whats happening.

"But you've still added nothing to this thread, why are you here? "

Hmmm; editorial slant from someone who isn't actually an editor......puzzling. I'm here for games related news and discussion. Why are you here?

The problem I have is this.

The graphics and the sound don't play at the right speed. When I get them to do that, the whole lot loses colour, visual quality and slows down considerably.

However, I can run the game very nicely. It runs smooth, but I have the sound and visuals not running in sync with each other. My TV is a year old, and cost £350 - and it SHOULD run perfectly well. But it doesn't.


I was told a PAL Booster may help - but if you've got another suggestion, I'd love to hear it. Not that it's a terrible problem, but of course I'd rather play this game all the way through without that issue.


For your reference if you wanna try and help, I'm using Freeloader v1.4, on a PAL Gamecube (Which I got the day it was launched - yep, it's STILL going.) and on a Bush Widescreen TV. The TV has the strange option to recieve TV signals from USA and Canada, so theoretically it should be fine with an import game, but it's not.


I'm floundering because usually my imports are either PC games or GBA games (which work fine, of course) or PS2 games (Where I have no problems either). I'm totally stumped, and I'm willing to try (almost) anything to sort it out.

If anyone has a clue, I'm all ears.

Cheers mate. Didn't realise that.

... time to upgrade...

thank god it seems to work ok with Freeloader 1.06b anyhow. I still ahvent got mine, ordered from play-asia. i know it was shipped ont he 18th. maybe it'll come tomorrow when i have the day off work :) .. the free umbrella with it may be handy too judging by the weather recently.

the only thing i dont like is no widescreen mode, (as in PROPEr widescreen, not 4:3 ws)yet the game is in wiodescreen. i liek how xbox does it alll the time. but not so with PS2 or cube. F zero and Soul Calibur 2 are the only cube games i have where i know they have a ws mode

But cant wait to get to grips with this game. so many 9/10 10/10 type scores. woudl ahve liked to have suported nintendo here in the uk, but i just couldnt wait till March i have to admit!

neosalad

There is a reason the controls are this way....it's supposed to give you a feeling of being there where you aren't always at the top of your wits, you aren't playing a frecking platformer here...this is survival horror...and the controls add that definition to the game. It works brilliantly!

I'm near the end of Chapter 3 right now, i would have finished it if i hadn't been so busy with work, bloody work.
Anyway, the game is top quality, definatey one of the best i've played in a very long time. No one should miss this game, and I don't mean just horror fans...all gamers should play this game.

That includes MGS3 and DMC3 as well

"Hmmm; editorial slant from someone who isn't actually an editor......puzzling. I'm here for games related news and discussion. Why are you here?"

I asked why you were in this thread as you've added nothing whatsoever and still you continue to add, well, nothing. Nice trolling.

Good to see Capcom really getting impressive results out of the little box, with the right marketing this could shift some cubes off the shelves.

Does it work on freeloader?
edit: never mind, my question was already answered above

Only marketing I needed was seeing footage on TV and reading the reviews. :) And the only other GC game I'm interested in is Resident Evil... I rented that on the PSOne years ago and didn't have time to finish it.

I can't quite fathom the number of people who still seem to be convinced that 'bad controls' are somehow part of what makes Resident Evil 'Resident Evil'. I've played and enjoyed ALL of the Resident Evil games so far, but hell's teeth - you've got to be insane if you think that better controls could do anything other than enhance the experience further!

There are many other survival horror titles which borrow the Resi gameplay mechanic but marry it to a perfectly usable control set. Bad controls don't 'improve tension', they 'create irritation'. It's a completely different thing - you get worked up not because the game is scary but because you can't make your character do what you want him to do quickly enough.

Tell me, if you were in a deserted mansion and a zombie lurched at you from nowhere, would you rotate slowly on the spot and hit every chair, table and door frame on your way out?

You tell 'em Blerk. You're talking my language. I keep trying to patiently explain all this, but they keep putting their fingers in their ears and going "LALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA"

They drive me nuts, Kristan - honestly, they do. It's like they're making excuses for Capcom. Surely nobody really, truly believes that the game wouldn't be the same or better if you could control the characters easily?

Have none of you played Obscure?

And another thing that cracks me up is how some people can't bear reading *any* criticism of a game, even when you go onto spell out how you're enjoying the overall experience so much that you forgive the flaws.

Madness I tell thee!

Tired getting into RE on the Dreamcast, but the controls put me off. The character animation looked stupid because of the way it played, combined with the "run along the wall mashing X incase theres an item you need hidden somewhere" put me right off. An old flatmate was a fan of the series, and I must say when he got the last Cube one, I was impressed, it looked buitiful, but there was still the wall mashing problems and the controls were still there. This time though I think im really going to have to have a go at gettting to grips with it.

I think it's probably a good job I didn't point out how Silent Hill and Project Zero are far finer examples of survival horror, then. :-)

if you haven't played the game yet blerk, ; then you can't talk.

The controls are vastly different from all the previous games and the gameplay is much improved. It doesn't need to feel like a platformer or whatever you guys want it to feel like, this isn't devil may cry. Perhaps the only addition I would have liked is a strafe...but I can easily live without it. Don't open your mouth until you try it for a bit.
Just because one person doesn't seem to be absolutely convinced doesn't meen that one person is always right....

if you haven't played the game yet blerk, ; then you can't talk.

I wasn't speaking of this game - I was speaking of the previous ones, as were the posters I was berating.

I've yet to see this and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how it compares to both the other Resi Evils and the other survival horror games.

But Kristan said the controls weren't perfect, people countered that 'non-perfect controls were what made Resident Evil'. I say 'bilge'.

Since I don't have a copy of RE4 I decided to try out the Non-Strafing problem IRL. I went for a walk around the office with out strafing and then I toook the same rout relying heavily on the strafe function. To my big suprise I found it quite difficult to strafe. But then I realized that what I was missing was a z-loc. So my question is: Is there a z-loc function in RE4?

There is no z-button lock.

BTW Blerk, the only real problem now with RE4's control systems is that there is still no true analogue movement. However throughout my 20 hours of play, I didn't encounter ANY problem whatsoever with the controls. But then the older ones barely gave me problems too ;)

The controls work fine this time, it makes more sense.

Oh an Krudster, nice review, i agree with most of what you said ;)

Never had any problems with the controls, apart from the time getting used to them. I don't think people agree with your view of the controls as 'imperfect', Blerk. I just think they're 'different'. I've grown quite fond of them.

^^^Same here :-)

I prefer to think of them as 'cack'. :-)

You do get used to them, but I'm forever cursing them under my breath while playing.

I'm hoping that the different perspective in Resi4 will improve matters somewhat, so fingers crossed. Despite what it may sound like, I am very excited about the game! Really!

Garth.de wrote
'Being set in Spain, Pesetas are the currency of choice in RE4...'

Haven't they been using the Euro for a while now?


Heh. Yep, and they definitely used it in the autumn of 2004.

/points at Capcom

Duuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I'm hoping that the different perspective in Resi4 will improve matters somewhat, so fingers crossed.

Yes, yes it does! That was my whole point (above) :)