With every upcoming release of a Resident Evil game on the horizon, the interest in previous titles rises up again. Of the many titles in this franchise, Resident Evil 4 is considered to be the pinnacle of achievement. Resident Evil 8: The Village will have a steep mountain to climb.
There’s hardly any criticism one hears about the fourth mainline entry. This is for good reason, too, as the game has aged extremely well in many aspects. Still, that doesn’t mean everything about it can stand tall in the modern gaming industry. Due to the passage of time, and changes in gamers’ preferences, there are certain elements that haven’t aged the best either.
10 Aged Well: The Over-The-Shoulder Perspective
None of the nifty weapons found in the series would be possible had Resident Evil 4 not revamped the gameplay style. Today, every third-person shooter employs the over-the-shoulder perspective.
So, not only has this feature aged well, it’s been made a mainstay in the industry only because Resident Evil 4 introduced it. This style ensures players feel they’re in the shoes of the protagonists, with combat coming across as realistic. Handing camera angles in the hands of the player is another feature that has become commonplace.
9 Hasn't Aged Well: The Quick-Time Events
In today’s landscape, the presence of Quick-time events evokes frustration out of players more than anything else. Gamers tend to see it as a lazy way of progressing the playthrough, making it a weak point in Resident Evil 4 replays.
The game has frequent QTEs to dole out, with most of them feeling unnecessary and an interruption of pace. Add to that, it just feels comedic to see these sequences now, as the button-mashing is pretty silly.
8 Aged Well: The Antagonists
As far as scary moments go, this is delivered very well by the antagonists in this game. Each boss fight has a horror theme attached to it. It takes a certain level of skill to overcome them. Games of today revel in bringing unique identity to the boss fights, making Resident Evil 4 very modern in this regard.
Nothing about these bad guys feels dated, and their personalities seem just as sinister as they did back then. Not to mention how beating them in boss fights is still a real adrenaline rush.
7 Hasn't Aged Well: Ashley's Flat Characterization
Ashley is an absolute chore to protect. Gamers gave Resident Evil 4 a pass back then due to its other original aspects, but not so much today as Ashley comes across as total baggage.
Her lack of characterization is another reason why some argue that this game might not be the best in the series. With quality storytelling being the norm now, Ashley’s flat personality has lost what little value it had over the years.
6 Aged Well: The Runtime
While it certainly doesn’t last as long as the open-world offerings gamers have these days, Resident Evil 4’s runtime falls under the “just right” category. With about 15-20 hours’ worth of entertainment, it can easily stand tall among modern games.
Upon release, the title was considered enormously large for playthroughs. This easily makes it well ahead of its time. Gamers these days expect more value out of their purchases and Resident Evil 4, with its lengthy campaign coupled with additional content, is more than worth the price even today.
5 Hasn't Aged Well: Sequel Hooks
Sequel hooks were common during the sixth generation of video game consoles. Now, however, they’re seen as leaving plot threads incomplete, which takes away from following the storyline. Resident Evil 4 had a significant subplot involving Albert Wesker, something that was revisited in Resident Evil 5.
Those who play the game for the first time these days won’t take kindly to the unresolved angle where Wesker employs Ada to get the virus strain for him. Wesker’s intentions aren’t clear either. This ends up looking like lazy writing.
4 Aged Well: Ada's Role
A strong female character is paramount in today’s industry. Gamers have grown to enjoy such characters, especially since a lot of games these days feature female leads. Ada Wong clearly was something revolutionary, being a kickass female who could easily contend with any monster or enemy.
She’s proven to be an extremely popular figure over the years, having fans from cosplayers and gamers alike. Her role is further noteworthy due to Ada being a good contrast to the helpless Ashley.
3 Hasn't Aged Well: Goofy Dialogue
There’s no doubt that Resident Evil 4 is the best reviewed title in the series ever, but that title is dubious when considering dialogue. A lot of conversations feel goofy in nature, with some awkward bits of comedy not feeling right among the horror.
You can even find jokes during sequences where people are dying, and there’s always a pun or two to be heard from the antagonists. At a time where fans like to have more serious material to play through, Resident Evil 4’s goofy charm just doesn’t sit right.
2 Aged Well: Bactracking In Revamped Levels
Sixth generation games, especially those under the survival genre, had backtracking in abundance. This was second nature for gamers back then, not so much today. Nowadays, gamers perceive this as simply treading the same ground.
Resident Evil 4 brings superb creativity here, as the sequences featuring backtracking are completely modified with new enemies and level design that it feels completely original. There’s not much backtracking in any case, which is a fine achievement for a game that lasts so long.
1 Hasn't Aged Well: Sudden Ending
All things considered, Resident Evil 4 does provide a definite conclusion in that Ashley is rescued and Leon’s mission is complete. And yet, it’s all too sudden, seeing as they leave the island and the story ends abruptly.
Due to so many DLCs, post-credit scenes, and extended endings these days in games, Resident Evil 4’s sudden end doesn’t fully satisfy. It’s made worse because of the fact that Leon doesn’t even show up again until Resident Evil 6 in a wholly new story. With fans of today seeking that note of finality, this game hasn’t aged well enough to provide that.