(I didn’t play it on the Wii unfortunately but this is more or less how I felt after Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and later Splatoon with gyro aiming on the Wii U. We’re back to rocks again!)
I had no idea about RE4 on the Wii; I played only the PS2 version, which had meh controls to me. have to try it out, since I got the console this year.
I hope it is not gyro though, because I have no idea how you manage those Geggis: they make me nauseous as hell, assuming I dont end up watching my feet or the sky and throw the controller in despair.
The trick is to dial down the sensitivity so small motions don’t translate to sky/feet vision! It’s for finessing aim, not broad movements. I use it in Monster Hunt Rise and it works a treat. Hey, Rise uses the same engine as Resident Evil: Village. Seamlessly back on topic! ;-)
I have a hard time with it in Rise (i am kinda forced to use it because i use type 2 controls for the bowgun). I dialed it back, but maybe not enough.
If I remember correctly, it doesn’t sound like the problem you’re talking about is a problem in RE4. But it’s been years!
Also, I don’t know why you guys are trying to control Wii games with a Greek sandwich, but you use the Wiimote like a light gun to aim your gun. The thumbstick in your other hand controls where you’re looking. Your gun sights don’t control the direction you’re looking.* That would be crazy! Anyway, play Resident Evil 4 on Wii. If you don’t, you don’t know Resident Evil.™
Specifically, the Wii’s control scheme is suited for Resident Evil 4’s game design in a way that seems absolutely perfect. You couldn’t just do a standard FPS this well on Wii (maybe that’s what y’all are thinking about). The character needs to be as slow and tank-like as Leon is for the thing to work. You need to be able to move, or shoot, but never both. And guess what? That’s Leon! I think this perfect synergy was an accident. After all, Resident Evil has a long tradition of “tank controls” and Nintendo certainly didn’t intend the Wii to be the perfect system for the game where you violently murder horror-movie creatures all day. And Resident Evil 4 itself came out for every other system before Wii. But it found its apotheosis – both in this particular title and the entire series – on Wii. Someone needs to write a longread on the whole thing. Not it!
*I think. It has been a long time.
Yeah, that’s why I mentioned Metroid Prime 3, because it had a similar control scheme (aiming with the Wii remote). I was just talking about alternatives to aiming with a clumsy thumbstick!
And: mmm, gyros…
I had to make an account just to point out that, IMO, any “professional” game reviewer who is really under the impression that RE5 is better than RE8 and RE4 and 7 mind you, shouldn’t have there review taken very seriously. To start Mercenaries was introduced RE:3 Nemesis though was honed in RE4. I don’t want to base my review of a game on giving it it tried something new points, as you seem to with RE5, unless that something new actually makes it a better game…
Like with RE7 and first person. that game while not perfect gameplay wise gave you horror in spades massively helped by the first person perspective. Being Set in Africa was a nice change of pace but did nothing to make the game more tense or scary in fact quiet the opposite. Fear of the dark and the unknown is hard to achieve in the sunny African vistas. Don’t get me wrong RE5 had some good fights and action, but soo much less horror and tension… Isn’t that what we are looking for from our Horror/ Survival games. I can agree with the sentiment of wanting to keep Lady D in the game longer and perhaps if her role and Heisenberg’s had been swapped almost the castle being latter in the game and popping in on you occasionally would have been fun. Either way sorry I couldn’t let it lie with somebody who wants the RE series to be a Monster killer action series. there are not enough good Horror games and so so many action shooters. In Short Giving RE8 2/5 is as mad as wanting the series to be more like RE5 going forward. you should let somebody else review your horror for your site. again all just one guys opinion.
Welcome! As you expressed your opinion, Tom did as well in his review - and we all love to disagree here, as you will see!
And welcome to you too! I haven’t played the game, only watched it in bits mind you, but I really liked your take on the Duke.
You just made me go buy a copy of Resident Evil 4 for Wii off eBay. You jerk.
Which is why horror movies that don’t rely on darkness are such a refreshing change of pace. Consider Wicker Man, Midsommar, Bone Tomahawk, Jaws, Tremors, Dawn of the Dead, and the Final Destination series. Consider the relationship of night and day during the excellent opening of 28 Weeks Later. I can’t stand Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which is one of the reasons Resident Evil 7 didn’t work for me, but I’m pretty that movie takes place mostly (entirely?) during the day. Sunlight horror is fascinating to me, and a good moviemaker knows that darkness can be a crutch. That’s my feeling about most of the Resident Evil games, and part of what I love about Resident Evil 5: it’s got nothing to hide.
As opposed to what? I mean, the Resident Evil games have morphed from survival puzzle clones of Alone in the Dark to straight-up shooters. The “find the next puzzle piece” stuff is about as transparent as the key hunts in Doom, the only difference being that they’ve got a little theming going on.
Speaking of, I still have no idea what the deal was with the four body part jars you need to get the giant stone chalice. What was in those jars? Rose essence or something?
Dude. We need to talk.
-Tom
I know, right? It sucks that I’ve just ruined every other Resident Evil game for you (and possibly all shooters in general). But in the long run, you’ll save so much time and money.
Hi Tom,
Didn’t really expect a reply so soon, just thought I would say I like your style. Don’t take me too seriously, with my rude suggestion! your just the first person I have discussed games with that holds RE5 up as a favourite. I have just been happy that Capcom are leaning into adding fear and tension back into one of my fave game series. I wanted to see where the voice against that sits and why.
You’re Joking right… A horror game! one that makes you feel some tension some fear even a bit of gore why not(ps re-reading i realise i sound like a broken record, Sorry). which at least for me RE5 completely lacked, I know I wasn’t alone in thinking RE 5 and 6 were a decline in the series, prompting the change of strategy for 7. (which for me at least was very scary)
Also yes I agree even the least transparent puzzle parts of RE8 were on the very simple side, though I personally thought the Beneviento house, was alright. more like that would have been great. Its hard to blame them games were almost just allowed to be more challenging when we were young. (assuming you’re not so young either, however incorrectly, based solely off the fact you even know the film Jaws)
Resident Evil 4 held by alot, as one of the all time best in the series over the years has that tension and great sense of atmosphere even though it wasn’t horror heavy its held up, and RE8 was defiantly trying to catch some of that. I just think they did a great job as someone whos been enjoying the series since I was too young to be I really thought it was good! I had to ask questions.
Can’t we like that they are striving to get away from that! and trying to give some horror. I feel like a lot of games could be boiled down to find the next puzzle piece / kill the next enemy… and theming counts for a lot. Walking into my first Licker in RE1/2 and MRX made me scared for my poor pixel self who I wanted to live.
from the look the story the way a game makes you feel can change a whole game for me at least Like that fear and tension of the scary enemies i know will send me back to my last typewritter. Don’t shoot me for my Opinion but i loved The last of us P2 and had somebody tell me similar about that he said too much of the same… its not just gameplay that makes some games.
Well you’re far more versed than me film wise, I’ve not seen Midsommar or Bone Tomahawk. the latter looks interesting. I don’t think RE8 relies on the dark it just uses at points and to good affect. I get my horror fix from games, as putting myself in the shoes lets me get a little more scared. Our fear of the Dark / the unknown is built into us… i think its part of what makes Jaws Great a personal favourite… you don’t see him for the first 80 mins of runtime. it lets you imagine something scary. I would say Final Destination does a similar thing, the Force killing people, Can’t be seen… its just an extension of our primal fear of the dark.
Again all just a guys opinion. and thanks for even responding.
- Calum
Hmm, I don’t know. It seems to me that the water takes the place of darkness, here.
What a strange thing to say. Resident Evil 4 was the biggest shift in the franchise. A survival horror game with puzzles and tank controls was now a full-blown over the shoulder action game. Even got the Dead Space guys to redesign their whole game!
Oh, I missed that earlier line from Tom. All I can say is… yep, that’s an LMFAO from me! (Again, especially on Wii. If you play it on anything else, you’re missing the best part!)
There’s also a pretty great Dead Space game on Wii. Which is neither here nor there, I suppose.
Resident Evil 5 was the innovative one and 4 was stuck in the past? Wait…wut???
I’ll echo malkav’s sentiment that 5 tried to be 4 with a new setting, poorly implemented and forced co-op, and all the cleverness, pacing, and freshness surgically removed. The story seemed like a left over Paul W. S. Anderson movie script rather than the self aware giggle inducing cheese of RE4. The turret sections were too many and too long, and the upgrade system obnoxious and grindy.
What really struck me though was how so many set pieces felt shrunk down. In RE4, you’re very quickly thrown into that early massive fight where you’re running all over the village. Everyone remembers it. Classic. The first big fight in RE5 felt confined to one small corner of a shanty with a couple rooftops. It felt like the difference in levels between Deus Ex and Invisible War. The only time RE5 opened up was in those tedious boat sections.
I agree with you about 4, but I never played enough 5 to have these specific opinions about it. Didn’t love what I played, though. Missed the superior gunplay of 4.