How much better can a six year old classic look with a fresh coat of paint? Capcom’s upcoming high definition version of Resident Evil 4 is getting the side by side treatment, with comparison screenshots lining up the original game against the remastered release headed to PlayStation Network, and the gap is about what you would hope for.
Resident Evil 4 first arrived on the GameCube in early 2005, directed by Shinji Mikami, and its over the shoulder camera and relentless pacing reinvented the series almost overnight. Ports to the PlayStation 2, PC and Wii followed, but none of the console versions run in true high definition. That changes with the new version, which is being remastered in 720p for a much cleaner, sharper image.
Sharper 720p Visuals For Leon’s Trip Through Spain
The comparison shots of the original and remaster released alongside the announcement set the two versions next to each other, with the old game on the left and the new one on the right. The most obvious improvement is the resolution, which strips away much of the softness of the standard definition original and makes Leon’s trip through rural Spain look far crisper on a modern television.
The remaster is not a ground up remake, so the underlying art and geometry remain recognizably the 2005 game, but the jump in clarity is striking all the same. Anyone comparing against a GameCube running on a big HD set will notice the difference immediately.
Two Remasters Headed To PSN And Xbox Live Arcade
The HD release is part of a two game package. Capcom is also remastering Resident Evil Code Veronica X, the expanded version of the Dreamcast original, in 720p. In Japan, the pair is being released together as Resident Evil Revival Selection for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. According to Siliconera’s report on the Western plans, North American players will instead buy the games separately as downloads on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.
Content wise, both games come with their extras intact. Resident Evil 4 includes Separate Ways, the bonus episode starring Ada Wong that debuted with the PS2 version, while Code Veronica X carries over the additional scenes that set it apart from the Dreamcast release.
Capcom has not yet announced prices or specific release dates, saying only that both games are scheduled for this fall. It has confirmed that Resident Evil 4 will support trophies on PS3 and achievements on Xbox 360.
For anyone who has not played Resident Evil 4 since the GameCube days, the comparison makes a decent case for a return trip. And for the many PS3 and Xbox 360 owners who never played it at all, a sharper digital version of one of the most influential action games of the last decade is hard to argue with.