Would not be surprised if that section was built from the remnants of Resident Evil 3.5 where you were meant to explore Spencer's castle.
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Resident Evil 4 is still a fine game but the last third of the game gets worse every time I play it
- Thread starter Dreamboum
- Start date
Would not be surprised if that section was built from the remnants of Resident Evil 3.5 where you were meant to explore Spencer's castle.
It was definetly less interesting visually but over all I liked it a lot.
If a remake happens then I hope they pull a "Shadow of the Colossus" and keep everything the same.
If a remake happens then I hope they pull a "Shadow of the Colossus" and keep everything the same.
I'm fine all the way up until the end of the Castle. From that point, it's mostly underwhelming (a few highlights notwithstanding).
I think it's definitely the weakest chunk of the game but I don't think it drags down the overall experience too much.
I've only played RE4 once, when it first released on GCN. I enjoyed my time with the game, but I do remember feeling like it dragged on. I've bought the remaster on Switch and am looking forward to playing it again at some point soon-especially with all the praise that has been heaped upon the game over the years.
Yeah, after the village and castle (which are both fantastic), the island is such a slog. On my last couple of playthroughs I've pretty much ended up dropping the game at that point because my interest just isn't there anymore.
The atmosphere of the island may leave a bit to be desired, but... It has some great highlights: the Krauser fight, the scorpion-monster fight, regenerators, and the burning fridge man.
Also I still think the pacing of the gameplay holds up. Do a little trash truck driving here. A little mine cart nonsense here. Ohhhh spooky regenerators here. I'm into it all. Of course anything can be improved, but I'll take the island from RE4 over most games any day
Also I still think the pacing of the gameplay holds up. Do a little trash truck driving here. A little mine cart nonsense here. Ohhhh spooky regenerators here. I'm into it all. Of course anything can be improved, but I'll take the island from RE4 over most games any day
I've never fallen in line with this. Aesthetically it's definitely the low point but I actually like a lot of the encounters there more than many of the castle encounters. Shit like fighting up the tower at the end of the castle section, fighting around the statue, the catapults early on I find all to be more tedious than fun and Ashley is such a pain during the castle section in a way that she isn't anywhere else in the game.
Agreed... and confirms Mikami is an ideas man that can't close the deal.
Same with The Evil Within.
More competent people have made better RE games, but RE1 and 2/3 of RE4 made Mikami a visible figure in game development and he can ride that basically forever.
I have yet to play a Mikami game that felt like the complete package. And yeah. I played Vanquish. ;)
Same with The Evil Within.
More competent people have made better RE games, but RE1 and 2/3 of RE4 made Mikami a visible figure in game development and he can ride that basically forever.
I have yet to play a Mikami game that felt like the complete package. And yeah. I played Vanquish. ;)
I actually consider it kind of endemic to the Resident Evil series, to have environments and scenarios that gradually get less interesting over the course of the game. Even when the level design and gameplay manages to sustain the initial level of quality, the fact they almost all seem to end up in some kind of sterile lab or industrial setup doesn't help with keeping up the intrigue.
But yeah, the island in RE4 definitely feels weak compared to what comes before, and it's a game that starts astonishingly strong right out of the gate, so the sheer contrast hurts it. I think when you get to the top of the climb along the cliffside into that sorta bunker-looking arena is when I first suspected it was becoming a more typical action game.
But yeah, the island in RE4 definitely feels weak compared to what comes before, and it's a game that starts astonishingly strong right out of the gate, so the sheer contrast hurts it. I think when you get to the top of the climb along the cliffside into that sorta bunker-looking arena is when I first suspected it was becoming a more typical action game.
Thought it even back on Gamecube when it opens up with damn machine gun zombies lololol. A far cry from the near 9/10 Village and Castle shenanigans.
Agreed!
This game is great as a standalone, but it's baffling and disappointing that it's the sequel to the RE series of playstation. It's really something else completely.
It's why I don't think the entire game is as perfectly paced as it's often made out to be. In fact, I think RE4 starts to wear out its welcome about halfway through the castle or thereabouts. I've beaten the game about a dozen times, but there are probably another 15-20 times where I played up until a few hours into the castle and burned out on it.
Granted, the Village is flawless and represents the greatest ~5 hours in video gaming, and it's hard to maintain that momentum for several more hours. That said, I've always found the Island to be pretty bland all around outside of the lab section. I agree with OP that this section gets less and less appealing on each playthrough.
(A big reason why I didn't like RE5 very much; at least 2/3 of the game felt very much like a continuation of RE4's Island area).
Granted, the Village is flawless and represents the greatest ~5 hours in video gaming, and it's hard to maintain that momentum for several more hours. That said, I've always found the Island to be pretty bland all around outside of the lab section. I agree with OP that this section gets less and less appealing on each playthrough.
(A big reason why I didn't like RE5 very much; at least 2/3 of the game felt very much like a continuation of RE4's Island area).
I've always had issues with RE4 when it comes to length/pacing (and is why I haven't revisited it all that often).
It starts off super strong in the village and then goes downhill from there.
It's a pretty revolutionary game all things considered.
As for why it's so different to classic RE, that's because the RE devs were bored of the classic formula. It was to the point where staff were leaving the team to work on something else.
It starts off super strong in the village and then goes downhill from there.
It's a pretty revolutionary game all things considered.
As for why it's so different to classic RE, that's because the RE devs were bored of the classic formula. It was to the point where staff were leaving the team to work on something else.
What was that section where you find a mini-village or a 'trial run' area of the first third of the game? I think villagers returned in that bit too?
Was that castle or island?
Was that castle or island?
Honestly, i think it falls apart when you get to the Castle. The Village felt so different at the time compared to previous RE games, then you arrive at the castle and it goes back to some of the same old nonsense puzzles.
I recently played RE4 for the 7th time....
...and no, the island is great and your are wrong OP.
...and no, the island is great and your are wrong OP.
I'm playing it again for the first time since launch. Just got Ashley following me. She's crazy annoying to keep out of the hands of the baddies.
It's like clockwork... every time I finish a game, a LTTP of the same game appears the same day.
I agree that the game ends up dragging, but I still enjoyed it more than than most of what of the games I've played this year. I can't believe anybody could hate the laser hallway. It takes all of 1 minute and has one of the best trolls in the game!
I also had a LOT of fun with inventory management by the end
I agree that the game ends up dragging, but I still enjoyed it more than than most of what of the games I've played this year. I can't believe anybody could hate the laser hallway. It takes all of 1 minute and has one of the best trolls in the game!
I also had a LOT of fun with inventory management by the end
I disagree. I am playing it on Switch right now and am close to the end. I've played it a number of times on GameCube and Wii. The game is incredibly well placed, and the stakes only get higher as you keep going. The "Mike" helicopter section was great (I personally love that the first thing the chopper does isn't open fire, but bump into an oil tower to knock it over, it's ridiculous and funny). Regenerators are seriously a great enemy design and give a very unsettling feeling. I remember my first playthrough when I couldn't kill that first one because I had no way to see the parasites until I got the infra-red scope. Their audible breathing pattern is great too, and you know when you hear that shit to get ready for it to be around a corner or something.
The J.J.'s (the minigun guys) are really neat, you have to have a weapon with enough punch to actually stun them to keep them from firing.
I honestly think the Castle is the best section of the game overall though. It feels like it drags on the longest, but I remember when I got out of it I kind of wanted there to be more. There's so many ridiculous traps and room setups in it that bring a lot of neat ideas to the combat, and most don't overstay their welcome. Why is there a lava room in the castle? Who cares, why not! Why is there a part where you have to jump across swinging chandeliers over a group of cultists having a ritual? Why the hell not. Why is there a statue of Salazar that chases you? Why the hell not. It also housed some of the best bosses too: Verdugo was really tense, the double El Gigante was great, that room where your have a cage match with a Garrador and many cultists was a fun combat situation. The "water room" was excellent and shows you right of the bat that the castle ain't fucking around. Playing as Ashley and using improvised weaponry with the lanterns was a neat section, and then promptly running from the plaga-infested suits of armor.
For me it's Castle > Village > Island. I do think overall the island was the weakest of the three, but it's not much and still is up to RE4's high standards it keeps through the whole game.
When I finish I plan on doing an RttP thread about it, I fucking love this game.
The J.J.'s (the minigun guys) are really neat, you have to have a weapon with enough punch to actually stun them to keep them from firing.
I honestly think the Castle is the best section of the game overall though. It feels like it drags on the longest, but I remember when I got out of it I kind of wanted there to be more. There's so many ridiculous traps and room setups in it that bring a lot of neat ideas to the combat, and most don't overstay their welcome. Why is there a lava room in the castle? Who cares, why not! Why is there a part where you have to jump across swinging chandeliers over a group of cultists having a ritual? Why the hell not. Why is there a statue of Salazar that chases you? Why the hell not. It also housed some of the best bosses too: Verdugo was really tense, the double El Gigante was great, that room where your have a cage match with a Garrador and many cultists was a fun combat situation. The "water room" was excellent and shows you right of the bat that the castle ain't fucking around. Playing as Ashley and using improvised weaponry with the lanterns was a neat section, and then promptly running from the plaga-infested suits of armor.
For me it's Castle > Village > Island. I do think overall the island was the weakest of the three, but it's not much and still is up to RE4's high standards it keeps through the whole game.
When I finish I plan on doing an RttP thread about it, I fucking love this game.
She usually stays close enough behind Leon where it's not an issue. Don't forget you can talk her to stand still or follow you.
And then the nice thing is every time you get sick of her, she gets recaptured and you'll get her back later. This happens a few times.
Is there none? I'm probably remembering wrong then, its been probably 10 years since I played it. There was something about that segment that rubbed me the wrong way.
In the section where you control Ashley, there's a sliding puzzle that's a real pain in the ass. But that's the only noteworthy puzzle in the entire castle from what I recall š
The third act has always been the weakest part of the RE games for me. They always open up strong with interesting environments and puzzles and then you get into the boring science stuff where you uncover the truth about everything in some kind of lab or secondary environment. I just played RE2 and everything took a giant nosedive after you left the police station.
I always love RE games when they stay in the main hub building because that's where all the effort seems to have gone into. But unfortunately you always have to leave at some point and I'm always immediately less interested when that happens.
I always love RE games when they stay in the main hub building because that's where all the effort seems to have gone into. But unfortunately you always have to leave at some point and I'm always immediately less interested when that happens.
I just finished my very first playthrough of re4 ever. I played the original GCN version. I'm left with mixed feelings
I know it's acclaimed as a classic which revolutionised third person action, and its legacy is palpable. and usually I don't have much trouble revisiting older titles, but I can't help but leave somewhat disappointed. obviously it's the first action RE, and I shouldn't expect otherwise, but coming hot off the horror/action masterpiece that is re:make 2, re4 was pretty bland in places.
I'm of the opinion that it hasn't aged as well as other landmark influential titles - mechanically it's fine, but the visuals are very uniformly muddy-brown (even before that was the next generation's norm) and the cheesy action influence clashes hard with the game's greatest strength, which is its starting tone - of the outsider in the murderous village
and even that main strength of the game was largely lost on me given that...... I happen to be Spanish, and this bizzaro take of rural spain with mexican not-zombies and tricorne-wearing villains with clockwork giants and just god-awful grammar and names everywhere just butchered the exoticism and tone. one of those things where you're better off not knowing...
so yeah, the village was the strongest point by far for me. a strange eeriness and unreality to it all. the castle was just, absurdist strangeness, but that fittingly jives with a lot of RE so whatever I guess. but by the island I had 100% checked out - I play these games for tone and atmosphere, not to shoot bazooka "zombies" and thumbs up a chopper buddy mowing down hordes as an infallible action hero. (of course I know the franchise has deep roots to action films and camp, but it just lost me here with the machine gunners, the quips, the silliness)
so I guess RE4 disappoints me for its genre change in large part; at least I can just wash my hands of it and say it's just not for me. I agree with the 7/10 that was suggested earlier, maybe 8 for the camera innovation
I know it's acclaimed as a classic which revolutionised third person action, and its legacy is palpable. and usually I don't have much trouble revisiting older titles, but I can't help but leave somewhat disappointed. obviously it's the first action RE, and I shouldn't expect otherwise, but coming hot off the horror/action masterpiece that is re:make 2, re4 was pretty bland in places.
I'm of the opinion that it hasn't aged as well as other landmark influential titles - mechanically it's fine, but the visuals are very uniformly muddy-brown (even before that was the next generation's norm) and the cheesy action influence clashes hard with the game's greatest strength, which is its starting tone - of the outsider in the murderous village
and even that main strength of the game was largely lost on me given that...... I happen to be Spanish, and this bizzaro take of rural spain with mexican not-zombies and tricorne-wearing villains with clockwork giants and just god-awful grammar and names everywhere just butchered the exoticism and tone. one of those things where you're better off not knowing...
so yeah, the village was the strongest point by far for me. a strange eeriness and unreality to it all. the castle was just, absurdist strangeness, but that fittingly jives with a lot of RE so whatever I guess. but by the island I had 100% checked out - I play these games for tone and atmosphere, not to shoot bazooka "zombies" and thumbs up a chopper buddy mowing down hordes as an infallible action hero. (of course I know the franchise has deep roots to action films and camp, but it just lost me here with the machine gunners, the quips, the silliness)
so I guess RE4 disappoints me for its genre change in large part; at least I can just wash my hands of it and say it's just not for me. I agree with the 7/10 that was suggested earlier, maybe 8 for the camera innovation
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