A classic just gets better somehow

Converting standard games to VR is rarely a recipe for greatness. Sure, a couple of fan mods have created fun ways classic shooters like Quake in VR, but most 2D conversions don’t feel like a great way to experience the original game. Resident Evil 4 on Oculus Quest 2 breaks that rule, creating not only the best way to play the classic survival horror game, but one of the best VR games I’ve played since Half-life: alyx.

Resident Evil 4 is a third person survival horror game first from Capcom for that. released GameCube in 2005. At the time, it rocked the franchise by giving up the static cameras and slow-moving zombies for an over-the-shoulder third-person camera angle and more intense action. And how Resident Evil 7who changed things in a similar way for the series, RE4 was a hit and enlivened the whole series and brings in countless new fans.

Since that first release, it has been known to have been ported to virtually every console and device released. Can you play it on switch Yup. Is there a PS4 port? Yup. Would you like to play it on Xbox 360? Well, that’s a bit strange, but sure, there’s a port for you too. I’ve bought and played almost every version of RE4 over the years because I’m an idiot

who can’t get enough of Leon Kennedy. I blame the cool jacket and the beautiful hair. So when it was first announced that the Oculus Quest 2 would get one RE4 VR port, I quickly opened Amazon and bought the VR headset. You may be wondering, “Wait, did he really buy an expensive VR headset just to play? RE4? “And the answer to that is … uh, let’s move on!

Straight out of the gate Resident Evil 4 on VR impressed me with its clear presentation and a multitude of options, including the ability to turn off head bobbing, add a “tunneling” effect for fast movements, and much more. You can turn down all comfort settings when you have your VR legs, but the game also offers plenty of opti ons to tone down how intense things can get even for people who are new to VR or who get easily motion sick.

After setting everything up to my liking (which for me means turning off all comfort settings), I continued to be impressed with how sleek and well thought everything was. For example, RE4 has lots of pre-rendered third person cutscenes. This limits what the developers can do with these videos, so they chose to only view them on a big screen. But the area around the screen is dirty and scary looking, and you can play around with your guns and hands while watching the videos. It’s a clever way of immersing players as Leon while keeping the cutscenes intact.

This dedication to immersion continues outside of the cutscenes. While still having the classic briefcase inventory system, Leon now wears some pieces of equipment on his body that allow you to actively switch weapons, use healing items, or pull out grenades in real time by simply grabbing them. Your knife is on the left side of your chest, grenades on the right, healing items behind your left shoulder, larger guns behind your other shoulder, and your trusty handgun is on your right hip. Accessing all of these things without opening the inventory menu changes the fight a lot.

For example during the iconic ambush in the village, I was able to stun a few opponents with knee shots with my pistol with ease. Then I grabbed a grenade with my other free hand and threw it into the crowd of non-zombies, killing most of them. That moment felt so good that I threw my pistol in the air and caught it, completely forgetting to turn around in time to fend off another enemy attack. But for one fleeting, glorious moment, I felt like a badass thanks anyway RE4’s new VR control.

But don’t assume that all the time with that RE4 Such tough moments will be in VR. While you can now quickly throw explosives and two-handed weapons, you also need to think about reloading with the new motion controls. Lots of ganados running towards you isn’t too scary in the original 2D game. In VR, it’s downright terrifying when you are desperately trying to reload your pistol while pulling away from them. I’ve seen people express how RE4

VR feels scary again, and after all these years of repeating the classic, I agree. You’re not just leading Leon through the creepy, barren forests of RE4. Now you are in there yourself, taking care of the traps and bad guys too. It’s scary in a way that I didn’t expect.

I also appreciate that the developers haven’t updated RE4’s Convert visuals into something significantly different or more modern. Of course, the textures are a bit cleaner, some appear to have been replaced or redrawn, and some models have been improved to better withstand VR examination. But the vast majority of the game retains the original feel and look of RE4. After playing this game on a 2D flat screen TV for years, it is breathtaking to explore the village or lake in VR. It really adds something special to the experience and I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit just looking at all of these places from a brand new perspective.

Between the improved combat and inventory controls, the added immersion that comes with grabbing things to pick them up, and the improved (but unchanged) graphics, this has quickly become my preferred style of play Resident Evil 4.

I hope that this version of the game, like the original, will be ported to PC via Steam or to other VR systems like the upcoming one PSVR2. I know so many people who don’t want to deal with it Facebook and Oculus, or just don’t want to buy a new VR headset to experience some games. So i hope Resident Evil 4 VR will be ported in the near future because it’s one of the best VR games I’ve played and a stunning example of how to properly and thoughtfully transform old 2D games into powerful VR experiences.