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RE4 Hands on impressions from IGN

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Doom_Bringer

Banned
August 17, 2005 - With the official U.S. release of Resident Evil 4 for PS2 just around the corner -- October 25, in fact -- it was high time Capcom let us play the augmented GameCube port for ourselves. We'd seen it up and running, but weren't allowed to touch it. Thankfully, Europe is all about experimenting and here in Leipzig, Germany we had our way with it. The demo was, unfortunately, the exact same first level that was demonstrated with GameCube, but it gave us a good feel for the controls and overall translation. The downside is, of course, that we didn't see any of the new twists and additions. Well, outside of one particular room that was missing a window. Considering there were windows to jump through elsewhere, it's likely Capcom creators made such a change to screw with those that played the original. Let us tell you, when a half-dozen insane villagers are on your tale, getting trapped in a room you thought you could escape adds a lot of tension.

The build we played looked visually polished and had the German language implemented into it, so we suspect it's a newer version. Those that played the GameCube version earlier this year would be surprised to see how close the graphics are by comparison. There's some changes, too. The villagers don't disappear anymore, bubbling away into acid, but instead stay lying on the ground. We were unable to determine how many villagers there are compared to the original, but the amounts seemed similar. One possible difference we picked up on that may be related to the graphics engine was the behavior and reaction of shooting villagers. Perhaps it was their slightly less detailed models, some missing animations, or something more subtle that we haven't knowingly picked up on yet, but the shooting (and villagers' reactions to it) seemed slightly less refined.

Likewise, the controls seem a bit stiffer than the GCN version. The title isn't final, so we can't be sure how it will end up, but the turning and aiming could use some tightening up. In a game that's all about honing in on what limb or extremity you want to fire a bullet into, it's important Capcom gets all the tweaks just right.


Having said all this, however, the translation of RE4 to PlayStation 2 seems to be going extremely well. The visuals are better than what some skeptics predicted and the overall experience seems very true to original form; the AI behaves right, the environments are interactive, and weapon collisions feel good, to name a few major elements.

If Capcom can make the fine-tuned adjustments for the final version, PS2 owners should be in for a treat come Halloween time. Look for more hands-on time with RE4 in the coming months.
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Can't wait!
 
villagers don't disappear? wtf? i call bs on that. maybe it just takes longer for them to disappear or only happens when there aren't many enemies on screen
 
In the cube version the villagers don't disappear in the beginning of the game, they started to disapper during the big village fight. Mabye thats why IGN is mistaken.
 
you should have bolded the important parts::


"Perhaps it was their slightly less detailed models, some missing animations, or something more subtle that we haven't knowingly picked up on yet, but the shooting (and villagers' reactions to it) seemed slightly less refined.

Likewise, the controls seem a bit stiffer than the GCN version."



but sounds good i guess.
 
quadriplegicjon said:
you should have bolded the important parts::


"Perhaps it was their slightly less detailed models, some missing animations, or something more subtle that we haven't knowingly picked up on yet, but the shooting (and villagers' reactions to it) seemed slightly less refined.

Likewise, the controls seem a bit stiffer than the GCN version."



but sounds good i guess.
Click to expand...

they will probably fix that by october.
 
God, will you people please shut the hell up with the words "superior version" and the PS2 version of RE4!

-_-

Yeah, we get it, the PS2 gets a version with extras.
 
yoopoo said:
In the cube version the villagers don't disappear in the beginning of the game, they started to disapper during the big village fight. Mabye thats why IGN is mistaken.
Click to expand...

Perhaps, but than again in the succeeding paragraph they talk about being chased by a half dozen villagers and getting freaked out realizing that a window was no longer there for their escape.
 
CVXFREAK said:
God, will you people please shut the hell up with the words "superior version" and the PS2 version of RE4!

-_-

Yeah, we get it, the PS2 gets a version with extras.
Click to expand...


Can we call it the exceptional version?
 
quadriplegicjon said:
you should have bolded the important parts::


"Perhaps it was their slightly less detailed models, some missing animations, or something more subtle that we haven't knowingly picked up on yet, but the shooting (and villagers' reactions to it) seemed slightly less refined.

Likewise, the controls seem a bit stiffer than the GCN version."



but sounds good i guess.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind they said perhaps, meaning they aren't really sure what the differences are.
I suspect the game not being finished has something to do with it.
 
I'm all for the bodies sticking around! I can't believe it's that way in the village. I must have killed 20 people there.
 
Wario64 said:
villagers don't disappear? wtf? i call bs on that. maybe it just takes longer for them to disappear or only happens when there aren't many enemies on screen
Click to expand...

I'm tempted to make a joke about how the framerate of the PS2 version is so slow they thought the villagers didn't disappear, but I won't do that.
 
CVXFREAK said:
God, will you people please shut the hell up with the words "superior version" and the PS2 version of RE4!

-_-

Yeah, we get it, the PS2 gets a version with extras.
Click to expand...

well it's true, we're getting the superior version of Biohazard 4

oh i'm so evil, arent i
 
I actually liked the disolving bodies. For once there was a good reason for the bodies to disappear while you were away from an area. But I'm thinking the PS2 people just didn't play the GCN game, because there were areas in the original version where the bodies didn't disappear.
 
Culex said:
I don't understand the big deal. Now everyone can enjoy this awesome game.
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note4pz.jpg
 
Whatever this version should be called, I'd love to hear it when the title screen comes up in that awesome evil "RESIDENT EVIL 4" voice.

Something like.. "RESIDENT EVIL 4 DIRECTOR'S PS2 SEMI ENHANCED VERSION!"
It just screams "SSSSCCCAAARRRYYYYY!!!"

Or maybe "RESIDENT EVIL 4.1"
 
EternalDarko said:
why not call it the executives cut? since the director and pretty much all designers have now left the studio.
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:lol :lol :lol

I'm not laughing at the quote because it's funny, but because you enjoy talking out of your ass like a bumbling idiot. :lol

Mikami did leave to Clover, but Clover was already fully established, manned, and up and running before/during RE4's GCN development. Thus, "the many designers" of Studio 4 who worked on RE4, omg--are still at Studio 4! By the Gods! Why? Because as I said Clover was up and running well before RE4 was even finished. Any additional hiring done by Clover is probably through them and only them, as Clover has it's own bottom-line finicial standings.
 
Whatever; I saw an interview a while back (sometime earlier in the year) from Hiroyuki Kobayashi stating that Mikami and many PS4 staff have now left, both for Clover and other developers. Just because Mikami went to Clover does not mean that all others that left would follow him to it aswell.
 
More Like the late as hell version. No matter tho, hope you guys that waited on the PS2 version have as much fun as we did on the GC version. Thats all that matters.
 
Perhaps it was their slightly less detailed models, some missing animations, or something more subtle that we haven't knowingly picked up on yet, but the shooting (and villagers' reactions to it) seemed slightly less refined.
Click to expand...

I can not wait!
 
Even if they could've finished the PS2 version faster, Nintendo still would have some timeframe for exclusivity.
 
I don't get the people who waited this long to play RE4. Gamecube is dirt cheap by now isn't it?

STUPIDITY.

Hope it sells well .
 
Had a go with RE4 for PS2. Looks pretty good for PS2 game, but definitely not as good as GC. Then again, it could be the murkiness of having it blown up on a large screen.

the Joystick didn't feel quite ....right...like aiming was a bit off.
 
While I'm here, I forgot to take notice of the bodies, but something that really stood out was that after going to the inventory, and chainging a weapon or something, the game wuld go to a black screen for 3-5 seconds to return to the game. I hope that's not in the final build, because that would REALLY ruin the game. Probably.
 
i think to all intents and purposes the game will be as good as the gc version, which is commendable for capcom. it looks very similar and has extra features, which is nice.

re4 on ps2 makes all kinds of sense.

anyone buying the ps2 game in addition to the gc version?
 
I should recieve my free game cube version I won tomorrow, good since I lack a ps2 currently.

Interested to see how the ps2 version sells, any news on the ps2 european release dates?
 
mrkgoo said:
While I'm here, I forgot to take notice of the bodies, but something that really stood out was that after going to the inventory, and chainging a weapon or something, the game wuld go to a black screen for 3-5 seconds to return to the game. I hope that's not in the final build, because that would REALLY ruin the game. Probably.
Click to expand...
Yes, that WOULD ruin the game. I think most people could deal with a couple extras seconds between areas...but not for menu entry. There is no reason why they can't fix that problem, though, but it would be a shame if they did not. Especially after all of the work that they did to pull off the visuals.
 
Apenheul said:
OMG!! Aren't you all decieved :D
I actually played the superior version 5 months ago :lol
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Does anyone else find people posting laughies at their own comments a little sad. It's like laughing at your own jokes when nobody else does.

It's something I've noticed an increase of on the board recently.
 
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