Resident Evil 4 VR

[it290]

Preamble: Apologies in advance if a topic exists on this game already, couldn't be arsed to look right now.

Content: I've been playing this a bit recently on the godforsaken Oculus Quest 2 device, and it's pretty brilliant. The devs obviously took considerable pains to make sure things translated to VR ok, but the revelation for me is just how unmodified the overall experience is and how well it works in VR. It really speaks to the genius of Resi4 in its game design — it's just a series of short, little, satisfying vignettes, but what's shocking is that changing the core input method, camera, overall experience in its entirety in a way that completely alters the challenge and experience of the game has no detrimental effect and is on the whole completely positive. I was just reading the open world thread in this subforum and several members mentioned how bespoke, one-off encounter design was so much more engaging than the 'sprinkle a bunch of random enemies around a map' design of so many open world games and this game really seems like the perfect addition to that argument. Nothing the VR devs did fundamentally changes the way the encounters are designed; they just work, because they were wholly creative and good to begin with.

This sparks an interesting point to me around challenge. RE4VR is, with the right settings—the settings are by necessity endlessly configurable and tailored to one's personal preference—undeniably much easier than the original game. In spite of that, it manages to be equally if not more fun. It makes me wonder.. how much of successful game design is due to creating a space where the player can and should experiment, within boundaries, with set parameters for failure, and with creative design that empathizes with their experience within each moment? I feel most successful games do this, divorced from their challenge, it's not about how mechanically hard they are but how they make you feel. Much of modern blockbuster game design on the other hand seems to me a slave beast of Hollywood film production and consumeristic desire wrangling — high production value, giving you rewards for completing a list of things — without an ounce of soul to be found.

The reason this is interesting to me is because I've always thought that quality game design was intrinsically linked to challenge, but RE4VR has proven this not to be so, for me subjectively. It works because someone thought through each moment of how it should work and feel, not because it's hard or easy to move the joystick and press buttons in a particular way.

Sorry this post has little to do with RE4, but I'm curious what others think about this particular aspect of games.

[BIL]

I had a blast revisiting RE4's PS4 version over the summer. I'd not played in a good 10+ years, and I'd really forgotten how expertly crafted an action/adventure it is. For such a long game, it's fiendishly easy to marathon - there's next to no dead air or recycled ground, and it keeps a deceptively arcadey aspect front and center for virtually the entire runtime. I was taking the piss out of this article a few months back... as I say, I love RE4, but it's nothing elusive. It's oldschool tank control RE with an Operation Wolf button. Wolf on, Wolf off. Maneuver around the lumbering, grabby enemies until you find a nice spot, then enter the GUN SHOOTING world and have a ball pinging away incoming projectiles, blowing heads off, exploding dynamite in its would-be throwers' hands... and if things get hairy, kneecap a motherfucker and superkick the bejesus outta him, flattening the crowd and hauling ass to the next sturdy wall or easily-defensible corner. You can Wolf wherever you want to, just don't be a dafty and do it with your back or sides open!

"Final Defensive Line?" More like WOLFIN TYME

While you really have to go looking for genuine pressure in the main campaign, THE MERCENARIES distills this perfectly into coinop format, with its timer incentive and aggressively encroaching crowds.

All this to say, while it may be a mainstream darling, it's also an exemplar of traditionally hand-crafted videogaming, with an unmistakable basis in classically high-precision/high-yield Gun Shooting. This reminds me that I've been meaning to play The Evil Within on SuperDeadite's rec, hoping for something similar from Mikami.

[SuperDeadite]

Evil Within is what RE5 should have been. It's seriously great. And it gets better each play as you up the difficulty. Finishing it on Akumu was one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in years. Really makes you feel like a total badass.

As for Re4. Love the game. But will wait until fans hack in all the censored material before I touch VR. Cause it would just feel weird without it.

[it290]

While you really have to go looking for genuine pressure in the main campaign, THE MERCENARIES distills this perfectly into coinop format, with its timer incentive and aggressively encroaching crowds.

Sadly the VR version lacks MERCENARIES. I hope they will add it at some point, though I imagine the freneticness may be barf-inducing for some (not me!).

[it290]

BIL, I feel like you'd really get a kick out of the VR version for the ability to execute shenanigans like those shown here.

https://gfycat.com/fortunateliveleafwin ... -re4vr-re4

[BIL]

Evil Within is what RE5 should have been. It's seriously great. And it gets better each play as you up the difficulty. Finishing it on Akumu was one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in years. Really makes you feel like a total badass.

I think I'm gonna take advantage of the long nights to finally get this one done over Christmas. (I'm always like this with followups to milestone works... revisit the old stuff, then wonder why I never followed up on things their creators did later)

BIL, I feel like you'd really get a kick out of the VR version for the ability to execute shenanigans like those shown here.

https://gfycat.com/fortunateliveleafwin ... -re4vr-re4

Haha, yeah. (I had no idea you could chuck eggs until this most recent revisit - so many charming little secrets, it's almost SOTNesque that way)

[SuperDeadite]

Evil Within is what RE5 should have been. It's seriously great. And it gets better each play as you up the difficulty. Finishing it on Akumu was one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in years. Really makes you feel like a total badass.

I think I'm gonna take advantage of the long nights to finally get this one done over Christmas. (I'm always like this with followups to milestone works... revisit the old stuff, then wonder why I never followed up on things their creators did later)

BIL, I feel like you'd really get a kick out of the VR version for the ability to execute shenanigans like those shown here.

https://gfycat.com/fortunateliveleafwin ... -re4vr-re4

Haha, yeah. (I had no idea you could chuck eggs until this most recent revisit - so many charming little secrets, it's almost SOTNesque that way)

DO IT. The better you get, the more fun it gets. Large hoard of haunted rush you, you shoot the leader in the kneecap, drop a single match, and the whole cluster is now in flames all dead. But the whole time you know if you are too early or too late, just one touch and it's game over. The adreneline rush is real.

[Searchlike]

Evil Within is what RE5 should have been.

The one Shinji Mikami title I've yet to play. I hate thinking he might be done with directing, so I'll probably won't touch it for a while, that way I'll still have one of his games to look forward to.

RE4 is great but I'm kind of sick of hearing about it to be honest, I hope all of you guys played God Hand and Vanquish, now those are two S tier action games that I'll never tire of.

I haven't managed to convince anyone on this forum that RE6 is worth playing/replaying, but I have to share this video cause it's a fun showcase of the combat system and all the killing is been done by Hunk aka BIL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cow3MsJXNBM

[BIL]

Everything's better with The Grim Reaper aka MR DEATH. My mans puts in the work AND observes proper biowarfare PPE

RE6's Mercenary-style modes have always looked great, but it wasn't until your posts on them here that it really got on my radar. I still need to get to Vanquish too, got it sitting on my PS4 right now... I think I will go Full Mikami this holiday. :3 I'm terrible at getting around to 3D Hard Action (oldschool arcade stuff is so insidiously easy to pick up in short order, appeals to my innate lazy/addictive bents ), though I tend to glom on pretty hard once I finally do.

[Searchlike]

Glad I was able to make a passable job defending the game. Squire is the first boss I had to face on this forum and after a rematch involving Bayonetta I can also say I've learned a lot in the process.

[BIL]

I enjoyed those threads, I like seeing my favourite peeps debate The Hard Gayming respectfully (I mean, the alternatives of unbridled flamewar or even the dreaded Internet Dance Battle can work, too, but the longterm costs tend to be Pyrrhic )

[Searchlike]

dreaded Internet Dance Battle

Sounds fun though.

[BIL]

To be fair, the ancient killing floor gave us the R2R thread, which I'm very fond of But despite my best efforts to triage the butthurt after, it still eventually cost us Edmans (I would sooner head into battle with Edmans at my side than any poseur TAS-making twat - we'd both die, but at least I know Eddy would maim and kill a good number of the bastards on sheer Power of Anger alone )

Law Of Equivalent Exchange

[it290]

RE4 is great but I'm kind of sick of hearing about it to be honest, I hope all of you guys played God Hand and Vanquish, now those are two S tier action games that I'll never tire of.

I picked up a copy of God Hand back in the day, probably because someone recommended it here on this forum, and it was obvious the reviewers were smoking total crack immediately. Still possibly the best translation of classic beat 'em up mechanics into 3D to this day.

Slept on Vanquish 'til last year as I missed the PS3/X360 generation for the most part. Was absolutely blown away and played through it three times in quick succession. Hadn't had that much fun with a 3D action game since the original Bayonetta.

[Searchlike]

Hadn't had that much fun with a 3D action game since the original Bayonetta.

Kamiya and Mikami, love those two little devils. Me, I started with RE4 and Viewtiful Joe, I would still be a Nintendo fanboy if it wasn't for them. I practically bought my fat PS3 for its backwards compatibility and to play more of their games. I didn't actually buy Bayonetta and Vanquish until many years later, but that's neither here nor there.

I'm sure you've all seen this, but I'm going to leave it here anyway.

Goddo Hando no Monogatari:
https://youtu.be/_37pVVpzg98?t=176

[it290]

Goddo Hando no Monogatari:
https://youtu.be/_37pVVpzg98?t=176

Ha, so dope. Thank the stars he made what he wanted. Also, what is it with auteur Japanese game designers and red Ferraris?

[Marc]

Got my kid the Oculus 2 for Xmas. Looking forward to a bash on this.

[JBC]

I've got this and it's really good. Hope to see more RE games brought to Quest.