I finally had time to track down the demo today, and got some good playtime in with it. If anyone knows my gameplay tastes I tend to like games with lots of action in them. Once I started taking notice that RE4 was going more of an fast paced action route I took a much bigger interest in the game. I played through it to get a good feel of how the game controlled in its new perspective. I found much of the demo done very well, but I do have a few gripes. I'm going to try and break it down into the good and bad I noticed with this demo. You may even see some overlap.
First, the good:
+The new Perspective
I've seen the videos, and read some impressions about on how the letterboxing changed the feel of this game. And this is definitely true. Not only does the wide screen view give you a better sample of the enviorment, but it makes controlling Leon easier. Which leads too..
+The controls
Even though the old tried and true tank controls returned, the work much, MUCH better in this new format. Seriously, the game feels nothing like the old and slow Resident Evil of past. Leon moves faster, responds to turning better, and in general everything is much quicker. The aiming system is far and away more responsive than any other Resident Evil game. I tried out the old Resident Evil on PSONE after and I couldn't play it anymore. For those of you who finished MGS3, it is like trying to play MGS2 right after.
+The new fast paced setting
RE4 has more enemies on screen plus they move a hell of a lot quicker now! Defintely helps with the adrenaline factor setting.
+Enemy AI
The enemies appear in bigger numbers, plus they are much smarter! Through my multiple playthroughs of the demo, I've had those baddies dodge and weave my bullets, and also try to flank me from the sides while I'm fighting those in front of me. Pretty impressive
+The graphics
Oh yeah, this game looks beautiful, no doubt about it. Everything is very detailed from the character designs to the enviroments. Impressive.
+Interactivity
All RE games have had a modest amount of interactivty, but RE4 takes it to a new level. Being able to jump over logs, jump out of windows, kick down locked doors, moving bookshelfs in front of doors to block them from the enemy getting in, some nice detail is packed in. Being able to kick enemies when they get up close to try to grab you is a nice touch. But this leads to one of my small complaints later on.
+Voice acting
Now, I can't understand what the villagers said, but I was actually pretty impressed by Leon's voice actor in this game. No more campy voice acting from previous games. The delivery is good. I hope the final version is just as good.
Ok, enough gushing, I do have a couple compaints:
- The ammo meter
Now maybe the final version will be different, but I don't like how it is implemented in the demo. You have an onscreen display that shows you how many shots left in a clip, but you don't have a meter showing the total number of bullets left. You have to go into the menu to see this stat. A tiny complaint at best but still a minor quibble.
- The controls
You may have noticed I mentioned that I liked the improved controls so why am I also listing this as a complaint? While I think what Capcom has done to improve the controls is good, it still isn't enough. Especially after I've seen all the cool new interactivty added to the game. First of all, why can't Leon strafe? The turning speed while aiming is better, but it still isn't fast enough. Especially around corners. If Leon could strafe it would alleviate some of the pain when trying to aim around a corner. Strafing would also help when you are trying to fight off more than one guy at a time. Also, why can't Leon roll to get away from attacks? He can roll to jump out of window, somtimes from two stories up, but he can't roll away from incoming melee attacks. He is an ELITE STARS member. He should act like it. Finally, is there a quick 180 turn button? I couldn't find one in the demo and this is disappointing. Like I mentioned before, the turning is too slow. This is especially apparent when you are getting attacked from in front and behind. A quick 180 turn button would help out. Overall, while the perspective has changed for the better in the existing control scheme, it is too bad Leon still acts like a walking tank in battle. He has great acrobatic ability when being interactive with the enviroment, but not when he is fighting enemies. It is this one area I don't think Capcom pushed the game as far as they could have.
I really enjoyed the RE4 demo. I felt this series has faltered in the past, but RE4 shows the series has made a turn for the better. I really do feel Capcom played it too safe with Leon's controls by not upping his repetoire of moves. But on a whole the additions made to this game have been fantastic. The setting is intriguing, the story surrounding the village looks interesting, and the action has made a turn for the better, quibbles and all. From what I have read, there is nothing new added to the control scheme in the final version which is too bad. This could be the one item that keeps RE4 in very, very good status instead of elite status. Based on the demo, this is a very good game that is worth playing come Januray 11!
First, the good:
+The new Perspective
I've seen the videos, and read some impressions about on how the letterboxing changed the feel of this game. And this is definitely true. Not only does the wide screen view give you a better sample of the enviorment, but it makes controlling Leon easier. Which leads too..
+The controls
Even though the old tried and true tank controls returned, the work much, MUCH better in this new format. Seriously, the game feels nothing like the old and slow Resident Evil of past. Leon moves faster, responds to turning better, and in general everything is much quicker. The aiming system is far and away more responsive than any other Resident Evil game. I tried out the old Resident Evil on PSONE after and I couldn't play it anymore. For those of you who finished MGS3, it is like trying to play MGS2 right after.
+The new fast paced setting
RE4 has more enemies on screen plus they move a hell of a lot quicker now! Defintely helps with the adrenaline factor setting.
+Enemy AI
The enemies appear in bigger numbers, plus they are much smarter! Through my multiple playthroughs of the demo, I've had those baddies dodge and weave my bullets, and also try to flank me from the sides while I'm fighting those in front of me. Pretty impressive
+The graphics
Oh yeah, this game looks beautiful, no doubt about it. Everything is very detailed from the character designs to the enviroments. Impressive.
+Interactivity
All RE games have had a modest amount of interactivty, but RE4 takes it to a new level. Being able to jump over logs, jump out of windows, kick down locked doors, moving bookshelfs in front of doors to block them from the enemy getting in, some nice detail is packed in. Being able to kick enemies when they get up close to try to grab you is a nice touch. But this leads to one of my small complaints later on.
+Voice acting
Now, I can't understand what the villagers said, but I was actually pretty impressed by Leon's voice actor in this game. No more campy voice acting from previous games. The delivery is good. I hope the final version is just as good.
Ok, enough gushing, I do have a couple compaints:
- The ammo meter
Now maybe the final version will be different, but I don't like how it is implemented in the demo. You have an onscreen display that shows you how many shots left in a clip, but you don't have a meter showing the total number of bullets left. You have to go into the menu to see this stat. A tiny complaint at best but still a minor quibble.
- The controls
You may have noticed I mentioned that I liked the improved controls so why am I also listing this as a complaint? While I think what Capcom has done to improve the controls is good, it still isn't enough. Especially after I've seen all the cool new interactivty added to the game. First of all, why can't Leon strafe? The turning speed while aiming is better, but it still isn't fast enough. Especially around corners. If Leon could strafe it would alleviate some of the pain when trying to aim around a corner. Strafing would also help when you are trying to fight off more than one guy at a time. Also, why can't Leon roll to get away from attacks? He can roll to jump out of window, somtimes from two stories up, but he can't roll away from incoming melee attacks. He is an ELITE STARS member. He should act like it. Finally, is there a quick 180 turn button? I couldn't find one in the demo and this is disappointing. Like I mentioned before, the turning is too slow. This is especially apparent when you are getting attacked from in front and behind. A quick 180 turn button would help out. Overall, while the perspective has changed for the better in the existing control scheme, it is too bad Leon still acts like a walking tank in battle. He has great acrobatic ability when being interactive with the enviroment, but not when he is fighting enemies. It is this one area I don't think Capcom pushed the game as far as they could have.
I really enjoyed the RE4 demo. I felt this series has faltered in the past, but RE4 shows the series has made a turn for the better. I really do feel Capcom played it too safe with Leon's controls by not upping his repetoire of moves. But on a whole the additions made to this game have been fantastic. The setting is intriguing, the story surrounding the village looks interesting, and the action has made a turn for the better, quibbles and all. From what I have read, there is nothing new added to the control scheme in the final version which is too bad. This could be the one item that keeps RE4 in very, very good status instead of elite status. Based on the demo, this is a very good game that is worth playing come Januray 11!
I'll keep on hitting A and try that out. I also like when those villagers try to pick you up and slam you down. You hit A after they grab Leon and lift him up he kicks them in the face and knocks them down! :lol
If you are having trouble running from a baddie... or reloading... it's all on purpose. Quite frankly, my most memorable moments from the RE series have been with me struggling with it. Once you finally, barely, beat a part of the game that, before, was hard to beat because of the whole control scheme... you feel so good. It's like: Fuck you game.
