The remake of the survival horror Resident Evil 4 made us very happy this March. We only complained about a few small things. Among them for missing bonuses, for example, in the form of the Separate Ways mini-campaign with Ada Wong in the lead role. We assumed that we would see it sometime later in the form of an expansion, and so it happened. And the wait was worth it in the end. In the modern extended version, this parallel story of a mysterious woman is even more ambitious than it was in its original form.
I have to start this review with a confession. Although I’m a big fan of the Resident Evil series, I didn’t remember Separate Ways nearly as well as the four themselves. And so I had to brush up on my memories in order to actually appreciate the novelty and recognize what it brings. At the same time, I have to admit that I was a little skeptical at first. Not because I would not accept the fact that this bonus was missing in the basic version and that it is a paid DLC. After all, its price of only 10 euros seems to me to be extremely attractive. But from what little I remembered, I was left with the perhaps slightly unfair feeling that Separate Ways was simply a gift that only came about when the game was ported to the PlayStation 2. Of course, I remembered that it was a more complex undertaking than Assignment: Ada. But at the same time I was fixated that it wasn’t a completely full experience. Maybe that’s why his absence in the remake didn’t bother me so much, and thanks to all the other qualities and news, it was easier for me to forgive the authors’ omission of him.
Separate Ways brings a kind of condensed version of the best that the remake had to offer. It’s like someone playing only the best episodes of your favorite series.
So when I launched the modernized version of Separate Ways, I was really looking forward to it, but at the same time I didn’t have the highest expectations. And the beginning somewhat confirmed my mistaken belief that it will be such a very action-packed flight through previously seen scenes, which of course will provide the player with an alternative view of known events from a different perspective. I was soon proven wrong, although the start is actually a bit weaker in my opinion. However, I underestimated the developers unnecessarily because Separate Ways is a longer and fuller experience than the original. The basic premise remains the same, of course. The protagonist is the femme fatale Ada Wong, who has her own mission, which may or may not intersect with Leon’s. I don’t want to reveal too much. On the one hand, the DLC itself makes no sense to play without finishing the remake, and it also offers many surprises even for connoisseurs of the original bonus. And thus potential spoilers in the review. Perhaps it will suffice to illustrate that the expansion is as bloated in places and slightly modified in others as was the case for the remake itself and its core campaign. In the end, it’s the news and changes that I think are the best, so with all due respect, I refuse to talk about what awaits you in the story and what’s different at this point. For your own good. If you care, you can easily find articles on the Internet highlighting the main differences. Capcom’s official videos also hinted at a lot, but I wouldn’t want to go any further. However, I would specifically point out that the DLC even brings some of what you might have missed in the remake compared to the original game, and that’s really cool.
I’ll go back to the beginning of the whole expansion again. For about the first hour I was thinking, “Maybe it’s because we know the origin of Separate Ways, but it’s like the DLC couldn’t hide that it was originally just some byproduct of the PS2 conversion.” Fortunately, it soon became clear that the new version adds to the narrative and complexity. The action seemed a little too much at the very beginning and I thought if it would rub off a bit. But it was more like me getting a little rusty and had to get back into the game. Once that feeling wore off, I really enjoyed Separate Ways and had a hard time putting it down. Even though it’s longer than the original, I’m not even surprised that some players can’t resist and finish it almost in one sitting. Its gameplay is so catchy. Separate Ways brings a kind of condensed version of the best that the remake had to offer. It’s like someone playing only the best episodes of your favorite series. Thanks to the faster progression through the world, one perceives even better that the new version of RE4 actually came with a more open, realistically connected and connected map. You’ll return to familiar places, but you’ll even visit a few new ones. You’ll also encounter new enemies, but I can’t really tell you more about them. Suffice it to say that the boss fights are once again impressive – both in action and choreography.
The films are also beautiful, their quality setting the high bar for remakes. Thanks to them, the story of Separate Ways suddenly looks completely complete. The story also has more depth than in the original bonus. This different look at the events of RE4 thus adds context with a different perspective, but we actually learn more about Ada herself. And you will see for yourself how many situations from the original story she actually had a hand in. Fortunately, the protagonist also brings a few new features in the gameplay and is not just an exact copy of Leon. Thanks to his grappling hook, he can quickly swing to high places – and thanks to this, he travels the world much faster. However, the grappling hook also allows her to draw in on a thrown enemy from a greater distance and attack them at close range more effectively than Leon can. Another trick is Ada’s interactive view, which allows her to track a target or perhaps read fingerprints. Although you will encounter a few puzzles during gameplay, you should still keep in mind that the DLC is very action-packed – in that sense, the first impression was correct. I probably would have liked more puzzles, but then again, I can’t say that I would be significantly deprived of a smaller number of them. However, it belongs to the Resident Evil series in general.
In addition to the cutscenes, the technical processing has also maintained the top level of the remake. The graphics are great and the musical accompaniment, dubbing and sound effects do not owe anything to it. Separate Ways feels like a little big game, albeit a bit more linear. And when it comes to size, of course I have to mention length as well. You could finish the original Separate Ways in just over three hours. The novelty will keep you busy for about five hours, maybe a little longer. Of course, this doesn’t make it a full-fledged game, but it’s a pretty decent step. Moreover, at a price that is more than sympathetic. By the way, it’s not much less than what Resident Evil 3 remake offered for the full price tag. And when you try your hand, or maybe even fly to the very end, a cosmetic bonus awaits you again.
2023-09-24 07:12:20
#Recenze #Resident #Evil #Separate #Ways #Vortex
