Resident Evil 4 was easily one of the greatest survival horror games of all time. When released on the Gamecube back in 2005, the expectations were shattered by a game that not only fixed the problems of its predecessors, but it added brand new elements that no one had seen in a survival horror game. Most importantly, it was one of the scariest games you'll find, even by today's standards. Gamecube owners got to experience the world of RE4 early in 2005, while PS2 owners got to see what all of the ruckus was about later that year. But Nintendo has moved on since the Gamecube days with their motion-controlled Wii system, and Capcom decided to re-release the critically-acclaimed horror game on the Wii system, taking into account the motion controls of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. Gamers have experienced the atmospheric world of Resident Evil 4 before, so is it really time for a motion-controlled update to one of gaming's greatest survival horror titles?

Resident Evil 4 follows Leon S. Kennedy of Resident Evil 2 fame. After the horrors of Raccoon City, Leon has taken up a lighter mission: finding the president's missing daughter, Ashley Graham. After arriving in rural Europe, Leon discovers a looming hostility in the locals, and after investigating further, it appears that the community has a bit of a parasite problem. It's up to Leon to find Ashley and exterminate the parasite threat that permeates the world of Resident Evil 4. Along the way, the enemies get smarter and deadlier, and some familiar faces make some surprise appearances. Nothing is what it seems in Resident Evil 4, and once the game reaches its remarkably epic conclusion, a little light is shed on what is truly going on behind the scenes of the parasitic outbreak.

If by some odd chance you have yet to play through Resident Evil 4, drop just about everything you know about the series, because Resident Evil 4 is practically nothing like its predecessors. While the original game used a creepy static camera system, Resident Evil 4 allows you to look around in full 3-D space. Even better, shooting is much easier to accomplish with a unique over-the-shoulder aiming system, allowing for Leon to shoot specific body parts to cripple or disarm enemies. Though you can't move and shoot at the same time, the game is much faster than past Resident Evil games, keeping the scares constant without forcing the player to contend with slow-moving tank-style controls. Context-sensitive action commands are also implemented, allowing for Leon to activate environmental objects (like leaping over fences or jumping out windows), deliver specific combat attacks, or in many cases, become part of the cutscene. You can't put the controller down in Resident Evil 4, especially when missing a critical, context-sensitive cutscene action can lead to a swift and painful death for Leon. These concepts may seem like minor improvements, but when combined, the gameplay is miles beyond its predecessor, offering a fast-paced and refined gameplay design that has to be experienced.

The Wii Edition of Resident Evil 4 is one of the first games to implement motion controls to a shooting setup for Wii, and the result, quite honestly, is very well done. Instead of using the laser-sight of the Gamecube and PS2 games, a crosshair appears on screen. Using the Wii Remote as a pointer lets the player aim. Leon brings up his over-the-shoulder aiming when the player holds the B-Trigger, with the A button being used to fire. Simply swinging the Wii Remote lets Leon perform a quick knife slash, and holding the B-Trigger and shaking the Wii Remote lets Leon reload his weapon. These sound like a bunch of simply tacked-on game design ideas, but the result is actually a significant improvement. These quick commands allow for faster gameplay, and after a little practice, simply reloading with a quick Wii Remote shake becomes instinct. I wasn't expecting a huge improvement in the gameplay with the Wii controls, but despite my skepticism, the new controls make the Wii Edition of RE4 the most refined out of all of the versions.

Resident Evil 4 is hands-down one of the scariest games ever released; I really can't put it any other way. From the get-go, the player is introduced to a terrifying world full of angry villagers, and once Dr. Salvador arrives with his chainsaw, you'll no doubt feel the fear. The perpetuating sense of tension, the feeling of fearing for your life (video game life, but you know what I mean) never stops in Resident Evil 4, and as you progress through the horrifyingly tense world the game shoves as much spookiness in your face as possible. It sounds overwhelming, but you'll no doubt enjoy every moment. Once you think you've outmatched a mob of angry enemies, you'll encounter one of the stellar bosses, which show just how far the survival horror genre has come. Giant aquatic monsters, towering behemoths, and nasty parasitic creatures are only the beginning. Still not scared? Go ahead and play through Resident Evil 4 once, then play it again. You'll be scared AGAIN. The game's fear-inducing world doesn't quit; even after you've played through the entire game multiple times, it's still scary, and that's why Resident Evil 4's atmosphere succeeds.

But after beating the game, there's still more to do. The Wii Edition includes the Separate Ways mode, where the player takes the role of Ada Wong and follows a parallel story alongside Leon's. In addition to that, the Assignment Ada lets player follow Ada Wong through an infiltration mission, and the time-attack Mercenaries mode lets player rack up the kill points against the clock in a frantic and fun minigame experience. Unlockable weapons and costumes are plentiful as well. Though there are no Wii-exclusive modes, the content in the Wii Edition matches the PS2 version, and with improved controls, this is easily the definitive edition of Resident Evil 4.

The original Gamecube version of Resident Evil 4 pushed the system to its limits, delivering a tremendously atmospheric world and a huge amount of ambiance. When released on the PS2, no amount of spooky atmosphere was lost in the transition. Resident Evil 4 is an amazing looking game, but on the Wii, there's not much to prove. Technically, the Wii can take a little more power in terms of graphics, but it still looks like a Gamecube game. A really good Gamecube game, but it would've been a bit better to see a little step up in graphics. Despite these complaints, it's still a scary game and the ambiance is in full swing. Haunting building design, lumbering Ganado enemies, and some of the biggest and scariest bosses ever seen in a survival horror game are all present. Sound-wise, the voice acting is…well…passable. You're still going to find the typical cheesy dialogue from Leon and crew, but it doesn't drag down the game at all. The music is spooky and haunting, always picking up during a fight, and keeping low and toned in the scariest of sequences. Though the presentation isn't really a step up from the Gamecube and PS2 versions, it's still Resident Evil 4 and remains some of the best representation of survival horror you'll ever see and hear.

Pros
+ A worthwhile update to one of gaming's greatest of achievements
+ Wii controls are smooth and make gameplay faster-paced
+ All of the extras from the Gamecube and PS2 versions are included

Cons
- If you already have RE4 on another system, there's not much reason to purchase it again
- Doesn't push the boundaries of the Wii the way it did for the Gamecube and PS2

Resident Evil 4 continues to rule the survival horror genre with the Wii Edition, thanks to improved controls and a high content count. Some presentation upgrades would've been appreciated, or some sort of implementation of the Wii's networking capabilities (leaderboards would've been cool for Mercenaries), but all in all, the control improvements are worthy additions to the design. You'd be surprised how much better the motion controls make the gameplay in Resident Evil 4. The atmosphere is top-notch and the combat is visceral. Add in some of the scariest challenges seen in a video game, and you get a stellar package of survival horror goodness. If you've played through the Gamecube or PS2 versions of Resident Evil 4, this probably would only go as far as a rental, since there isn't a ton of Wii-specific inclusions, mostly the new controls in fact. However, that doesn't stop Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition from being a brilliant inclusion to the Wii's library. Ganado-hunting just doesn't get old, and the Wii Edition, despite being based on a four-year-old game, is the essential Resident Evil 4, and that's one hell of a deal.