All 13 Versions Of Resident Evil 4
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VOICE OVER: Aaron Kline
WRITTEN BY: Aaron Kline
As one of the most beloved games in existence, there have been an astounding 13 different versions of "Resident Evil 4!" For this list, we'll be taking you in chronological order through the history of "Resident Evil 4" across 5 generations of gaming. Our list includes “Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition” (2007), “Resident Evil 4 HD” (2011), “Resident Evil 4 VR” (2021), and more!
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at every version of “Resident Evil 4”. There are more than 10 ports for this classic survival horror game. A game that started as an exclusive for the GameCube has now been on consoles in 5 generations of gaming. With the full on remake on the way, it will be interesting to see if we get more ports of this outstanding game. Which version of Resident Evil 4 is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below, stranger!
The one that started it all. “Resident Evil 4” was originally one of the five games in the Capcom 5 - five titles that were going to be exclusive to the GameCube. As we know, it wasn’t exclusive for long. RE4 took what made the classic “Resident Evil” games great and added a much needed shift in perspective. I'm talking about the camera. Along with the over the shoulder perspective, RE4 ditched the tank controls and gave us a more action focused experience. “Resident Evil 4” felt like the peak of what “modern” survival horror could be, dark moody set pieces with action sprinked in to keep you on your toes. Not to mention the quick time events!
Even after Shinji Mikami said he would “cut [his own] head off” if RE4 got ported to other consoles, that didn’t stop Capcom from going port crazy, with the first port being for the PlayStation 2 later that year. While the PS2 port was mostly the same, the big addition was new story content with the Separate Ways campaign. Separate Ways was an all new story starring Ada Wong. Spanning over five chapters - it chronicles Ada’s mission and gives us some back story on her shady dealings with Wesker.
A few years went by before we got yet another port of “Resident Evil 4”, this one coming to PC. The weird thing about this release is that it was developed by Sourcenext and published by Ubisoft in North America, Europe, and Australia. This version was not so hot, at launch the game had no lighting, missing effects, buggy, and used low quality textures and sounds. Some of these would be fixed with patches. For PC gamers this port was good enough as the mod community could go in and fix some of what was wrong.
Shockingly, this version is pretty great. “Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition” took the superior GameCube version and brought it to the motion controlled console. Now this could seem bad, but the controls in this version are amazing. In RE4 when shooting Leon stands still so being able to aim with the Wii Mote made taking out the local crazies fast and enjoyable. If you really wanted to you could still play with the GameCube controller, but when you’re playing Wii you have to waggle. RE4 Wii Edition brought all the content from previous games and gave it a slight facelift.
It may have been neat for some to get RE4 on their phones, but man was it ugly. Despite not looking so hot, the mobile version took the classic RE4 we love and turned it into a more arcadey feeling game. We no longer have one continuous story, instead each of the main story beats are cut up into smaller stages. Speaking of stages there were actually some exclusive levels for this version. These levels take set pieces from the main game and turn them into smaller harder challenges. This version also made its way to the Zeebo, a console that was targeting the Brazilian market, though good luck finding it!
A few years after the surprisingly decent mobile ports of “Resident Evil 4” the game made its way to the iPad. With newer hardware came better visuals. The iPad port looks pretty good for a shrunk down version of RE4. Sadly this port was nothing more than a visual upgrade to the iOS version. It’s still a little ugly and character models still share the same sharp edges on them. This may be the best way to play “Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition”, but the upgraded visuals still doesn’t make it a great game.
While basically the same game as the GameCube version just with well HD graphics, oddly enough both versions of the game seem to have their own problems despite being the same game. On the PS3 versions lighting isn't as good, whereas the 360 version suffers on the audio side with slightly muffled sounds. Honestly if this is the first version you played you wouldn’t really be able to tell any difference. Both versions came with achievement and trophy support, however the PS3 version does not have a platinum.
Back to phones. In 2013, “Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition” made its way to Android devices. This was the same game we got back in 2008 with the iOS port, but the release is the strangest thing here. Outside of Japan “Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition” for Android had a somewhat limited release. The game wasn’t playable on just any old Android device, but was exclusive to Samsung Galaxy devices. Just like the other versions of “Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition” this port is no longer available as it has been delisted.
Finally we got a good version of “Resident Evil 4” on PC. Unlike the previous version developed by Sourcenext, this updated version “Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Edition” was developed and published by Capcom. Barely any changes were made to this port as it’s essentially the PS3 and 360 version with all the great PC options. You can see why it was popular.
Just like the PC port, “Resident Evil 4” on the PS4 and Xbox One are similar to the PS3 and 360 versions. They play the same and share the same trophy and achievements list. While the games don’t change at all, the hardware is where we see the difference. Even without the inclusion of 4K both versions look leagues above the previous ports. The real game changer is the faster load times, even on base PS4 and Xbox Ones the difference is crazy noticeable!
While “Resident Evil 4” never made its way to the WiiU we did eventually get a port to the Switch. This port is now the best way to play RE4 on the go. While it didn’t change anything, just having access to this classic wherever is a good enough reason to call it one of the best ports. It’s not without its weirdness though. You could buy RE4 on the eShop, but if you’re a physical collector you could get the “Resident Evil Triple Pack” - which gave us three “Resident Evil '' games on one cartridge.. sort of. The triple pack came with “Resident Evil 4, 5, and 6” with RE4 being the only actual game on the cart, 5 and 6 were download only.
Ever wanted to totally immerse yourself in the world of “Resident Evil 4”? With “Resident Evil 4 VR”, we were able to do just that. RE4 VR actually has a handful of changes, some are good and others not so much. You can finally move while shooting, which drastically changes up the moment to moment gameplay a lot. Switching weapons is made easier here too. You can still access your weapons case, but you can also have two weapons equipped that can easily be swapped on the fly. Now for the bad - some dialogue and scenes were cut from this port. The portions that were taken out didn't affect the story , but the lines that were taken out were the flirtatious kind. Despite the game being censored, this unique port is one everyone should check out.
The remakes to classic “Resident Evil” titles have all been great. Each taking the classic and staying true to it, while changing it enough for longtime fans. The “Resident Evil 4” remake seems to be taking that formula as well. While not straying far from the source material, this remake looks like it will be great for hardcore fans. No longer will the game have quick time events, which will make the iconic Krauser knife fight much different. The remake will also have more expansive side quests. Will this version of “Resident Evil 4” gain as big of a fan base as the original? Only time will tell.
“Resident Evil 4” (2005)
GameCubeThe one that started it all. “Resident Evil 4” was originally one of the five games in the Capcom 5 - five titles that were going to be exclusive to the GameCube. As we know, it wasn’t exclusive for long. RE4 took what made the classic “Resident Evil” games great and added a much needed shift in perspective. I'm talking about the camera. Along with the over the shoulder perspective, RE4 ditched the tank controls and gave us a more action focused experience. “Resident Evil 4” felt like the peak of what “modern” survival horror could be, dark moody set pieces with action sprinked in to keep you on your toes. Not to mention the quick time events!
“Resident Evil 4” (2005)
PlayStation 2Even after Shinji Mikami said he would “cut [his own] head off” if RE4 got ported to other consoles, that didn’t stop Capcom from going port crazy, with the first port being for the PlayStation 2 later that year. While the PS2 port was mostly the same, the big addition was new story content with the Separate Ways campaign. Separate Ways was an all new story starring Ada Wong. Spanning over five chapters - it chronicles Ada’s mission and gives us some back story on her shady dealings with Wesker.
“Resident Evil 4” (2007)
PCA few years went by before we got yet another port of “Resident Evil 4”, this one coming to PC. The weird thing about this release is that it was developed by Sourcenext and published by Ubisoft in North America, Europe, and Australia. This version was not so hot, at launch the game had no lighting, missing effects, buggy, and used low quality textures and sounds. Some of these would be fixed with patches. For PC gamers this port was good enough as the mod community could go in and fix some of what was wrong.
“Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition” (2007)
WiiShockingly, this version is pretty great. “Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition” took the superior GameCube version and brought it to the motion controlled console. Now this could seem bad, but the controls in this version are amazing. In RE4 when shooting Leon stands still so being able to aim with the Wii Mote made taking out the local crazies fast and enjoyable. If you really wanted to you could still play with the GameCube controller, but when you’re playing Wii you have to waggle. RE4 Wii Edition brought all the content from previous games and gave it a slight facelift.
“Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition” (2008)
iOs and ZeeboIt may have been neat for some to get RE4 on their phones, but man was it ugly. Despite not looking so hot, the mobile version took the classic RE4 we love and turned it into a more arcadey feeling game. We no longer have one continuous story, instead each of the main story beats are cut up into smaller stages. Speaking of stages there were actually some exclusive levels for this version. These levels take set pieces from the main game and turn them into smaller harder challenges. This version also made its way to the Zeebo, a console that was targeting the Brazilian market, though good luck finding it!
“Resident Evil 4: iPad Edition” (2010)
iPadA few years after the surprisingly decent mobile ports of “Resident Evil 4” the game made its way to the iPad. With newer hardware came better visuals. The iPad port looks pretty good for a shrunk down version of RE4. Sadly this port was nothing more than a visual upgrade to the iOS version. It’s still a little ugly and character models still share the same sharp edges on them. This may be the best way to play “Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition”, but the upgraded visuals still doesn’t make it a great game.
“Resident Evil 4 HD” (2011)
360 & PS3While basically the same game as the GameCube version just with well HD graphics, oddly enough both versions of the game seem to have their own problems despite being the same game. On the PS3 versions lighting isn't as good, whereas the 360 version suffers on the audio side with slightly muffled sounds. Honestly if this is the first version you played you wouldn’t really be able to tell any difference. Both versions came with achievement and trophy support, however the PS3 version does not have a platinum.
“Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition” (2013)
AndroidBack to phones. In 2013, “Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition” made its way to Android devices. This was the same game we got back in 2008 with the iOS port, but the release is the strangest thing here. Outside of Japan “Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition” for Android had a somewhat limited release. The game wasn’t playable on just any old Android device, but was exclusive to Samsung Galaxy devices. Just like the other versions of “Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition” this port is no longer available as it has been delisted.
“Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Edition” (2014)
PCFinally we got a good version of “Resident Evil 4” on PC. Unlike the previous version developed by Sourcenext, this updated version “Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Edition” was developed and published by Capcom. Barely any changes were made to this port as it’s essentially the PS3 and 360 version with all the great PC options. You can see why it was popular.
“Resident Evil 4” (2014)
Xbox One & PS4Just like the PC port, “Resident Evil 4” on the PS4 and Xbox One are similar to the PS3 and 360 versions. They play the same and share the same trophy and achievements list. While the games don’t change at all, the hardware is where we see the difference. Even without the inclusion of 4K both versions look leagues above the previous ports. The real game changer is the faster load times, even on base PS4 and Xbox Ones the difference is crazy noticeable!
“Resident Evil Triple Pack” (2019)
SwitchWhile “Resident Evil 4” never made its way to the WiiU we did eventually get a port to the Switch. This port is now the best way to play RE4 on the go. While it didn’t change anything, just having access to this classic wherever is a good enough reason to call it one of the best ports. It’s not without its weirdness though. You could buy RE4 on the eShop, but if you’re a physical collector you could get the “Resident Evil Triple Pack” - which gave us three “Resident Evil '' games on one cartridge.. sort of. The triple pack came with “Resident Evil 4, 5, and 6” with RE4 being the only actual game on the cart, 5 and 6 were download only.
“Resident Evil 4 VR” (2021)
Quest 2Ever wanted to totally immerse yourself in the world of “Resident Evil 4”? With “Resident Evil 4 VR”, we were able to do just that. RE4 VR actually has a handful of changes, some are good and others not so much. You can finally move while shooting, which drastically changes up the moment to moment gameplay a lot. Switching weapons is made easier here too. You can still access your weapons case, but you can also have two weapons equipped that can easily be swapped on the fly. Now for the bad - some dialogue and scenes were cut from this port. The portions that were taken out didn't affect the story , but the lines that were taken out were the flirtatious kind. Despite the game being censored, this unique port is one everyone should check out.
“Resident Evil 4” (2023)
Series X|S, PS4, and PS5The remakes to classic “Resident Evil” titles have all been great. Each taking the classic and staying true to it, while changing it enough for longtime fans. The “Resident Evil 4” remake seems to be taking that formula as well. While not straying far from the source material, this remake looks like it will be great for hardcore fans. No longer will the game have quick time events, which will make the iconic Krauser knife fight much different. The remake will also have more expansive side quests. Will this version of “Resident Evil 4” gain as big of a fan base as the original? Only time will tell.
