It only seems yesterday that the developers released an updated version of the original Resident Evil on the Gamecube in 2002. Since then the game has been ported to the Wii in 2008 and just recently on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, along with last gen versions on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. In a way the developers have made sure that almost everyone from every generation of consoles can enjoy this game.
So how does this latest remaster hold up to the current graphics’ standards and benchmarks? It’s actually a very well made port when one puts it in a perspective to the game’s original setting. The developers have explicitly stated that they have treated different parts of the game differently and have accordingly remastered it. So if you are assuming that the developers have replaced all the textures with high resolution ones or converted every 2D polygonal objects into 3D then you will be disappointed. But in the context of the game, this actually makes sense since the developers did not wanted to hurt the original feel and experience of the game.
Gameplay comparison between the PS4 and Xbox One versions. Both of them run at 1080p at 30 frames per second with only a few drops when the camera changes. Please note that certain elements of the video may be out of sync due to the nature of gameplay.
The developers followed a three way method for remastering the Gamecube version. Some areas were simply given the traditional touch of adding post processing effects to the 2D objects along with creating certain objects from scratch such as the candles. The GameCube version had a mixed of 2D rendering for images along with video for certain objects such as foliage. The video rendering has been replaced with actual polygonal objects in the remaster to make it look better within the context of the scene. The last approach is where the developers updated entire sections of a scene such as the the graveyard section of the game, wherein there was heavy use of dynamic lighting effects.
Due to superior dynamic lighting effects, resolution upgrades and the techniques detailed above, the environments look much better. Not to mention, the bloom filters and other post processing techniques bring some of the scenes to an altogether different level compared to the previous version. The alpha effects for smoke, fire, and water reflection have also undergone remastered treatment.
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions render at native 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second with only minor drops due to sudden camera changes around the corners. The game is utilizing a high quality FXAA anti-aliasing solution giving it a sharp image quality. Shadow and texture quality are already a level up compared to the Gamecube version and the game uses screen space reflections a lot and wherever possible.
A look at the PC version’s graphical options. The PC version supports 60 frames per second unlike the console versions.
We are not sure why the developers did not opted for a 60fps for the console versions especially given that the PC version can run at that standard. There is a visible difference between the PC and console versions due to this. The texture and shadow quality seems to be better on the PC version, not to mention that the game appears extremely smooth due to the former’s ability to run at 60 frames per second.
The debate between 30 and 60 fps is purely subjective and it all boils down to personal choice. Personally speaking, I am okay with this game running at 30 frames per second since there is not a lot going on the screen and the game is slow paced as it is. But one cannot deny it looks so much better at 60fps on the PC.
The game supports 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios which means you can play the game in the original aspect ratio as well. One of the features of the remastered version which will probably go unnoticed is the support of 5.1ch audio. The upgraded audio feature does a great job of adding more tension and a sense of immersion to the background music which is already creepy as hell.
The PC version comes packed in with a decent amount of options which includes resolution, a few anti-aliasing variables, frame rate along with shadow and textures quality. As expected our AMD FX 8350 and R9 290X set up did not had any issues handling the game with everything maxed out. We also tested it out on some lower configurations with dual cores and it seems to scale down nicely.
The developers have made sure that the remaster remains faithful to the theme of the original and to an extent they have been successful in crafting an excellent port for the PS4, Xbox One and PC. The lack of 60 fps on consoles may be a tad disappointing for some players but it is not something that will detract you from the experience. But there is no doubt that it’s the PC version that provides the optimum experience of Resident Evil. So it goes without saying that the PC version is the one to opt for with both the PS4 and Xbox One versions coming a close second.
Screenshot Comparison between the PS4 and PC versions. The images on the top are from the PS4 version and the ones below are from the PC.
From one of our earlier posts, comparison screens between the Gamecube version and the remastered version shows a wide range of improvements.
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