When Resident Evil 4 was ported to PC, it was officially called the “Ultimate HD Edition”. And it is arguably still the best version of the game ever released. 60fps, subtitle support for more languages, and, admittedly, it did receive somewhat of a graphical improvement over previous versions like the Xbox 360 and Wii editions. But many people were not satisfied with the final result of the textures. That is why I must give a shoutout to the guys working on this incredible restoration project over at re4hd.com.
Their website has very in-depth explanations over what exactly it is they have been doing. From photos to videos, they compare and contrast the base version of the game with their modifications. There is even an FAQ page that really goes knee-deep into their process and methods. And the differences are extremely noticeable.
The official release trailer of their restoration of the castle segment of Resident Evil 4. Night and day, indeed.
They have corrected several visual issues in the game, ranging from lighting to footing, to nonsensical textures out of place. They have improved the resolution of many textures by up to 16x the original quality. Even more impressive is that they track down the actual real world architecture that much of the game’s aesthetics is based off of. These are used as a foundation to improve the visuals even more accurately. Examples of this process include large wooden doors or stain glass windows associated with churches.
Like several other gamers, I am a die hard fan of Resident Evil 4. I have also never been much of a graphics nut. Discovering this mod project felt like one of the first times I ever truly cared so much about graphics. I’ve just recently completed replaying RE4 with this mod installed, and it was a refreshing experience. I was utterly floored by how good many of the items and locations looked. I’ve been replaying RE4 over and over since 2005, so this visual upgrade has now become the true, ultimate standard by which I play.
The team has thus far completed work on the Village and the Castle, which comprise most of the game. They are currently working on the final section, the Island, and are also performing extra finishing touches on the Village and Castle as well. Hopefully this project will be completed by the end of this year. It’s one of the most impressive and effortful mods I’ve ever come across. It will truly be a delight to RE4 fans everywhere.
RSS