Resident Evil 4: Remake, a review. One of the best games in the series remade and, somehow, improved. A game I spent a silly amount of time playing first time around, and couldn't put it down once I started again.

 

Resident Evil 4: Remake, a review.

    Resident Evil 4 was a masterpiece and still is. The original garnered praise from fans and critics alike and is probably the best game in the series. After the remake of Resident Evil 2, there was hope that more of them would be remade, and four seemed like an obvious choice. They went on to remake Resident Evil 3 and, though it is a beautiful game, was a step back on what had been achieved with Resident Evil 2. There was worry that they would be unable to remake 4 in all its glory. Thankfully, that proved to be an unfounded fear. This is one of the best games they have ever made, an improvement on the original in many ways. With the recent release of mercenaries mode, the gaming experience has expanded and proven to be a great addition to the single-player experience.

    Opening up six years after the events of Raccoon City, Leon has been sent to track down the President's daughter, Ashley Graham, in Spain. It's not a spoiler to say that things don't start well for our hero and inevitably get worse for him. The game's story stays close to the original, with minor alterations, a missing boss, and changes to some level designs. The gameplay and graphics have been updated, and it now plays like any modern title. And speaking of the graphics, this game is beautifully made, and even on my near potato of a desktop, it runs brilliantly. I experienced no issues with the game, no bugs or stuttering that has become commonplace in recent releases. There have been several changes to the gameplay, with the use of the knife now a vital part of your playthrough. A well-placed parry can keep you alive, staggering your attacker and leaving them open to a melee counter. Thankfully the shooting is fluid, and the ability to actually move whilst aiming makes it easier than I remember. All the guns return from the original, though some of their specs have changed, and there are different ways to find or unlock them now. The merchant returns with his familiar catchphrase still in use and proves as handy as ever. The most obvious change comes with how Ashley now plays. No longer the pain that made the game frustrating in some sections. She feels like a real character now, with decent voice acting and better writing. Leon remains his witty self, with many of his one-liners still in place. The voice actor is the same as the Resident Evil 2 remake, and though I prefer Matt Mercer's version, he does a great job. Some characters have had redesigns and have improved on what was done in the original. In most ways, the game is a significant improvement on the game released in 2005. The bosses remain a highlight of this game, with Salazar and Sadler being chief among them. I would have preferred they kept in some of the previous dialogue between them and Leon, but that is a nitpick on my behalf. There have been complaints about the new voice actor for Ada, but I saw no issue with her performance.

    I have sunk many hours into the game, though I lack the skill to become one of the many speedrunners posting videos on youtube. I loved the game the first time, and I feel the same about this version. It is instantly replayable with a new game plus, using all you have unlocked in your first playthrough. This was one of the best things about it the first time around. And with them adding Mercenaries mode back, there is more fun to be had. And we will be getting Ada's campaign at some point which was a great highlight of the initial release. Replayable has remained a core element of this entry.

    This game is easily 10 out of 10, and I recommend it to any gamer, not just fans of the original. This is a great game that hints at the next entry in the series heading for a similar remake, which is something I look forward to. I hope that they continue the series after Village, taking lessons from the process of making these remakes. With recent successes, it appears that they have hit on a winning formula. Though 3 was a bit of a disappointment by comparison. I will continue to enjoy playing this entry, racking up more game time, and hoping that Resident Evil 5 is in development.

    

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, a review. What did I just watch and what's with all the character assassination in this film? How can all the previous films be so much better than this?

 

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, a review.

    Having just played through the remake of Resident Evil 4, I was feeling nostalgic for the Resident Evil universe. I wanted to look at this film and see what it brought to the table. Having thought the Mila Jovovich films were fun but not linked to the games remotely, I wondered if this closer adaptation would be any good. Unfortunately, it falls short. That's not to say there aren't good moments in there, but it feels like a poor copy of richer material. Now the game is over twenty years old, and there is room for a reinterpretation, but they fail to hold true to what makes some of these characters interesting and even change their backstories to fit this new narrative. Of course, this is my opinion and not something that may bother others. In all aspects, this film takes itself more seriously than the previous entries but lacks the entertainment value that at least made them fun.

    

    This is a retelling of the story from Resident Evil one and two, with the main protagonists from both games here. There are set pieces used directly from the games along with characters. Now some people had issues with the castings for some of the characters, most noticeable Leon, as he now looks nothing like the character, but I had no issue with that. My issue is more about the change in his character, how he interacts with the world, and the person he is. And Leon is just one of the several that has been changed into a poor copy of the game character. Leon is a bumbling, heavy-drinking idiot, Wesker is a dumb arse, and even Jill is changed to more of a cocky, arrogant individual. Not film ruining, but it takes something away from what I enjoyed about them originally. Wesker was intelligent, manipulative, and in on the whole thing. Here, he is nothing more than a mercenary for hire and something of an idiot. They've thrown in a poor attempt at a love triangle between Wesker, Jill, and Chris, which goes nowhere. I don't mind the changes with Claire, as she is more of a badass here, but the backstory changes for her and Chris seem a bit forced and contrived. Chris and Claire were raised in the orphanage in Raccoon City, where Dr William Birkin worked. This orphanage was sponsored by Umbrella, and we can assume that some bad things were done here. It turns out that Claire ran away whilst Chris stayed, with Dr Birkin becoming something akin to a father figure. There is tension between the siblings, with Claire not speaking to Chris in five years. And Raccoon city is no longer a city. At least that's how it looks when panned out, looking more like a desolate town than a city.

    So we get to Racoon city and see that people are showing signs of illness, often blood running from their eyes. Claire is back because of what she believes Umbrella has done to their home, and Chris is a member of Stars, a separate branch of the police force. We get the ream going to Spencer manor whilst the events at the police station unfold. If you have played the games, then you know how things will play out. There are a few minor tweaks, but it follows how the games played out, though Leon is just about useless and would die without Claire. The other team splits up in the mansion, and things quickly devolve into a fight for their lives, with several of them dying. There are some decent action sequences here, but they are all too brief. Things quickly spiral, with hordes of the infected after the Stars members and Leon and Claire. It becomes a desperate struggle to find a way free of it, and we get the Birkin family attempting to flee with a quick detour to retrieve some of the doctor's work. It turns out that Wesker is after the same thing, phials of the G-virus. This confrontation doesn't go well, leading to the deaths of the adult Birkins and Wesker. Unfortunately, William managed to inject himself with the G-virus before being shot. And he begins to mutate as the others flee. We inevitably race towards the ending, with Birkin continuing to mutate and Claire reuniting with her brother. All of this before the end boss battle. It is like the game in many ways, with Leon finally being useful and putting down the devolved Birkin.

    This film could have been so much better. If you're going to stick to the original story and characters, then stick to them. The changes to the characters were cringe-worthy, turning Leon into a complete idiot and the others nothing more than caricatures. The action was okay, but there wasn't a lot of it. It's an okay watch if you've got nothing else to do on a rainy day and want to turn your brain off. I'd give this a 4 out of 10, a below-average film that had the potential to be much better.