Resident Evil 4 holds a special place in gaming history. It was released back in 2005 for the GameCube and later for the PlayStation 2. This game was a standout in the third-person survival horror genre, known for its incredibly tense action sequences, amazing level design, terrifying enemies, memorable characters, and great writing. For many, including myself, it remains one of the best installments in the series.
Having played the PS2 version, I was excited to see it receive a proper remaster, along the lines of Resident Evil 2 and 3, earlier this year. What I didn’t expect was a port for the iPhone, especially within the same year. It was surprising to be able to play this full-blown console and PC release on my small iPhone 15 Pro review unit.
The new version of the game, simply titled Resident Evil 4, is a complete remake featuring new visuals, level designs, voice acting, music, and everything else you can think of. The story and general gameplay remain the same. Originally launched on consoles and PC, it is now also available on iPhone 15 Pro devices as well as iPads and Macs running the M-series processors.
The Resident Evil 4 app is universal, meaning a single purchase will work across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This was not the case with Resident Evil Village, which required separate purchases for iPhone/iPad and Mac. The game can be downloaded for free, giving access to the initial ten minutes, with the option to continue playing for $30 without losing progress from the ‘free’ section.
Resident Evil 4 initially downloads as a 686MB file and requires an additional 12GB to be playable. If you purchase the full game and the DLC, you will need another 17GB. Totaling around 30GB, this isn’t bad for a game of its size. For Mac users, expect to download twice as much data.
The game also offers the recently released Separate Ways mode and other DLC. This expansion, where you play as Ada Wong, who makes brief appearances in the main game, is worth picking up if you enjoyed the main game. Other DLC options mainly include cosmetics and weapon upgrades.
It’s important to clarify that this isn’t a review of the game itself but rather a review of the specific iPhone port and the experience of running the game on a phone. Many great reviews are already available for Resident Evil 4 itself.
After downloading the game on an iPhone 15 Pro, we see a few differences from the console and PC versions. The lack of meaningful graphical settings stands out. The only visual settings available are for depth of field, motion blur, and lens distortion, limiting scalability for future devices, but ensuring an optimized experience for today’s devices.
The game includes on-screen controls for mobile devices, but is recommended to be played with a physical controller. It runs at a locked 30fps, which is sufficient given the nature of the game. There are some limitations to graphical fidelity due to small screen size and limited hardware capabilities.
The game on iPhone maintains a low internal rendering resolution, relying on MetalFX for upscaling. Texture streaming and issues with hair rendering are noticeable, but the game still looks impressive on a small screen. Despite the visual cutbacks, it manages to deliver a visually compelling experience.
The game mostly runs well, maintaining close to a 30fps cap. Motion blur is recommended for smoother animations, while disabling chromatic aberration makes the game look sharper. As a bonus, Resident Evil 4 runs flawlessly and provides excellent HDR presentation, quick loading times, and minimal battery consumption.
Overall, Resident Evil 4 for the iPhone is a refined build that offers a dedicated console release experience on a smaller screen. It is a showcase title and delivers impressive visuals, especially given the hardware limitations. Despite some technical limitations, this version holds up well and is an impressive mobile port.
If you have access to consoles or a powerful computer, you may not find the iPhone version necessary. However, the existence of this version, and its level of visual fidelity on a mobile device, is an impressive achievement. It sets a high standard for mobile ports, and it’s exciting to see such releases from Capcom and Apple. Looking forward to more amazing mobile ports in the future.
Source: GSMArena