So the Resident Evil 4 Remake is, surprisingly, absolutely nobody considering the quality of the source material, good. It looks great, has some modern inventory ideas and on the PS5 also knows how to make the most of the DualSense controller’s fancy adaptive triggers.
If you’ve never held one before, the DualSense not only has triggers, but also triggers whose resistance can be adjusted by the game, and which can also send vibrations through the player’s fingers. Many games use them, but most of them only use them in the most predictable, rudimentary ways.
Not Resident Evil 4! Capcom has really done a good job here, using the triggers in a way that is in some ways improvements on existing ideas and in others just entirely new ideas. For example, follow in the footsteps. While many games will give you a little rumble to match the player’s gear in Resident Evil 4 This feedback depends on the type of terrain you are walking (or walking in some cases) on In).
Guns are another example of unconventional thinking. Again, almost any game that features firearms will send some rumble through the triggers when you shoot, but Resident Evil 4 extends this to the act of switching between weapons; Pulling out a pistol feels light, while switching to a shotgun adds something Weight.
Also great (though not directly tied to the triggers) is the use of the controller’s little speaker. Again, many games use it, and many use it well, so not in this case Resident Evil 4 is nothing groundbreaking, but still. The way the game’s radio conversations play through your controller (rather than a cutscene like it used to) is a nice bit of immersion, and other times you get tricks like most of the audio playing through your TV while some of the creepier effects come through the DualSense.
None of this is a game breaker, and I’m not at all saying that versions on other platforms are worse for lacking these features. It’s just nice to see how it was with the Dreamcast’s VMU and GameCube’s various add-onswhen studios take the time and effort to cater to a console’s odd, specialized selling points!
(PS, is anyone playing on PC with DualSense? Would like to know if the features will work in this version as well, or if it’s only tied to the PS5 edition.)
