Resident Evil 4

[John Beaulieu]

djjimbob - thats no excuse for what Capcom have done.

its like saying that we can't all afford to import so we should be happy with the borders of PAL games .... something which all (as in the site) have campaigned against for many years .... even going so far as to start a website proclaiming the value of import gaming

[Concept]

There isn't a 4:3 mode.

The boss set-pieces are amazingly well thought out, tense and completely wonderful in terms of their execution. I'm 12 hours in and...

->Open Spoiler<-

I've been stalked by this alien-cross-predator monster while waiting for a lift to arrive. It has to have been one of the most anxious four minutes I've ever had in a game, and the mix of running about for cover, using the nitrogen cylinders, the QTE's, the knife-edge atmosphere...

Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

The great thing about Resident Evil 4 is that it offers you various different tactics within the environment that you can use to approach situations to your own preference. This is best demonstrated during the boss battles I feel.

They're exceptionally cinematic, and this is coming from someone who usually loathes boss fights due to difficulty and repetition. The fact is that they're gargantuan set-pieces that have clearly been meticulously designed.

Each one is different, but honestly...

I've not enjoyed ingeniously thought out boss battles since the orignal Metal Gear Solid.

Yes - they're that well thought out, and probably even better.

There's a sense of cohesive diversity in Resident Evil 4, where, although you're often moving from place to place quickly, it all feels part of the same universe. But as with the best games, you get a tremendous sense of progression that fluctuates in terms of the way it delivers the 'feel' of the game in a highly gripping fashion.

[Concept]

djjimbob - thats no excuse for what Capcom have done.

its like saying that we can't all afford to import so we should be happy with the borders of PAL games .... something which all (as in the site) have campaigned against for many years .... even going so far as to start a website proclaiming the value of import gaming

I wouldn't hold your breath for the PS2 version to be full screen. It's clear to me that Capcom have made Resident Evil 4 widescreen to make best use of the Gamecube's hardware.

The trade-off is worth it in my view. I've never seen visuals of this high quality before on a console. They're eye-melting, blisteringly good.

[marcus]

We can't all afford a few plasmas dotted around our house Marcus.

Some of us make do with TVs and stuff and just get on with the game.

Whats that supposed to mean? Im not expecting anyone to feel sorry for me, Im just saying that its ridiculous that a game such as this lacks a blatantly necessary mode. And dont think for a minute that Ive spent my life gaming on a 50" plasma, Ive done my time with tiny 4:3 screens as much as anyone else here.

[John Beaulieu]

dude - if it was widescreen there would be no complaint .... its not widescreen though, its a letterboxed 4:3 picture that needs to be zoomed to get widescreen, resulting in a ****ty picture

[Concept]

dude - if it was widescreen there would be no complaint .... its not widescreen though, its a letterboxed 4:3 picture that needs to be zoomed to get widescreen, resulting in a ****ty picture

Aye. I know what you mean. On a 16:9, then the picture will be postage-stamped.

On my 4:3 (28"), the borders are quick to get used to. It was the same with Beyond Good & Evil - you forget they're there.

I'd be bitching if this was a PAL conversion, but everyone on the planet will have to put up with the borders, and it's clear Capcom have had to face some tough decisions between image quality and screen usage with the game.

[djjimbob]

Whats that supposed to mean? Im not expecting anyone to feel sorry for me, Im just saying that its ridiculous that a game such as this lacks a blatantly necessary mode. And dont think for a minute that Ive spent my life gaming on a 50" plasma, Ive done my time with tiny 4:3 screens as much as anyone else here.

I'm sure the truth will out in the end - as to why Capcom didn't do widescreen. Maybe it's a case of can't be arsed or maybe they had to compromise to get it to work properly. There is a lot of talk in this thread as to how fantastic it looks (bar aspect ratio) - maybe Capcom were really squeezing the Cube to get this.

I wasn't casting aspersions on your rise to the plasma kingdom - I'm as impressed as the next man when I look Gaming Setups.

Jimbob

[John Beaulieu]

not everyone is putting up with this though - people with 4:3 screens have a superior picture than those 'unfortunate' enough to own a 16:9 screen .... pro-scan in 'postage stamp' mode is ****ing gorgeous - zoom it out and its gash

[Combination]

Do you guys reckon this will be playable in japanese? Obviously the gun ho part is easy enough to understand :P but story and other bits of info communicated through text, that is if there is any of that going on in the game?

[Concept]

I'm sure the truth will out in the end - as to why Capcom didn't do widescreen. Maybe it's a case of can't be arsed or maybe they had to compromise to get it to work properly. There is a lot of talk in this thread as to how fantastic it looks (bar aspect ratio) - maybe Capcom were really squeezing the Cube to get this.

I wasn't casting aspersions on your rise to the plasma kingdom - I'm as impressed as the next man when I look Gaming Setups.

Jimbob

It's clear to me there's a good reason why a third of the screen is missing. And that's probably to keep the game running at a decent frame rate. When Capcom were asked about the borders before release they said it was to give the game 'cinematic' appeal, but that's something I doubt.

Put it like this... compared to every other Cube game I've played, Resident Evil 4 is in a whole generation of its own visually.

I don't know why Capcom haven't wanted to admit they've used borders because they're pushing the Cube too hard, as it would have shown to people how far they have. On the other hand, maybe they feel admitting to it would be to acknowledge failure to get the game running in full screen.

Either way... I'm in awe of Resident Evil 4. It's a shame it didn't come out late last year - because it would have absolutely walked away with console game of the year without question.

[marcus]

Id forgive them if the game had the visuals of say MP2 Echoes, but nothing Ive seen yet suggests it does. You are a lot further than me though, Ive just gone past the church section.

Do the zombies (or whatever they turn out to be) vary much more through the towns, there seems to be a handful of identical ones which are reused over and over? Also is it worth saving to purchase the rocket launcher so early in the game?

Ive noticed that the game leads you in terms of puzzles a lot more than previous in the series, particularly when you come across a door which you have the right object from your inventory to use the game will automatically switch to the inventory to highlight that very item. In that sense its been dumbed down, which personally speaking is a good thing as for the most part I hate puzzles in these sorts of games. So far theres been nothing brain-taxing, I dont even need to watch my ammo, which is fine but it takes away the feeling of being on a knife-edge somewhat, I guess that can be expected of a game which is more action-orientated than previous in the series.

[Concept]

Do you guys reckon this will be playable in japanese? Obviously the gun ho part is easy enough to understand :P but story and other bits of info communicated through text, that is if there is any of that going on in the game?

There aren't any difficult puzzles, and unlike past Resident Evil's, there's less reliance on journals/notes/clippings (although they're still around to a point).

[marcus]

It's clear to me there's a good reason why a third of the screen is missing. And that's probably to keep the game running at a decent frame rate.

Isnt this 30fps? It looks it to me, especially when 'turning'. I mentioned this earlier but dont think anyone replied, Im pretty sure it is 30fps looking at it.

[Concept]

There aren't any difficult puzzles, and unlike past Resident Evil's, there's less reliance on journals/notes/clippings (although they're still around to a point).

Marcus - the zombie's vary and the visuals get progressively better. In my view, this wipes the floor with Echoes.

[Concept]

Isnt this 30fps? It looks it to me, especially when 'turning'. I mentioned this earlier but dont think anyone replied, Im pretty sure it is 30fps looking at it.

It's 30 frames per second, yes, with borders. That should tell anyone more than enough that Capcom are absolutely hammering the Gamecube.