Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Resident Evil 4 HD Review
At this point Resident Evil 4 shouldn’t need an introduction. The 2005 title’s perfect pacing and spot-on gunplay not only reinvigorated the struggling survival horror series, it set a new standard for third-person shooters. Leon S. Kennedy’s quest to rescue the President’s daughter from a cult of infected freaks has cemented itself on countless top 20 lists. Whether you overlooked this gem or are itching to stomp out the Las Plagas once again, Resident Evil 4 in HD is a beautiful thing.
Not much has changed gameplay-wise between Resident Evil 4 and 5, so core fans won’t have much trouble returning to the creepy Spanish village. Leon’s tank-like movements aren’t the most intuitive, but pegging foes in the legs and taking potshots at their vulnerable heads is still a rewarding process. The variety of firearms isn’t overwhelming, but each has unique characteristics and are still fun to upgrade. I was shocked by how much I still enjoy Resident Evil 4’s puzzle-like inventory system. You get to know your gear pretty well when you have to shove it all in a single attaché case.
The thrill of Resident Evil 4’s gonzo moments lives on in full force thanks to updated visuals. Conquering a mutated sea creature on a tiny wooden boat still gets the blood pumping, especially without the fuzzy haze of last-gen graphics. It’s still terrifying to flee from frenzied mobs only to be greeted head-on (or should I say head-off?) by a chainsaw-wielding maniac. Though the textures and character models are much sharper than previous versions, some may find the lack of detail and muted colors dull.
The updated visuals aren’t mind-blowing, but they present the best way to return to this already stellar game. If you somehow missed out on Resident Evil 4 when it turned heads on the GameCube, this is the perfect time to give it a download and see what all the fuss is about.
Products In This Article
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
