On the PS2, you'll only need to deal with the usual aliasing problems and barely lower polygon counts. The frame rate stays steady in every encounter. To compensate for the slight dip in graphical quality, you'll be able to take on the role of Ada once you've played through the game once in a new feature called Separate Ways.
Different from Assignment Ada (also included here) on the Gamecube, Separate Ways chronicles the mysterious character's journey almost step for step alongside Leon. It's a side story to the main game that answers numerous questions on a four to five hour trek. Most of the game takes place in locales from the core game, though the fourth mission (out of five) is all new. It's a great feature as players learn how aided Leon was in his quest by the agile Ada.
The only other exclusive is a Plagas removal gun, and you'll need to beat the game twice just to have a chance at it. Rather ridiculously, you'll need to conquer it the second time on the hardest difficulty. Only then is it unlocked, and after beating Resident Evil 4 twice (especially on its most ruthless difficulty), it's not worth the effort to play through it again just to use one new weapon.
You can't possibly take away from a game because of one weak extra though. It's hard enough to believe Resident Evil 4 is running this smoothly on the PS2, and that alone will let an entirely new set of people experience one of the best video games this industry has ever seen. You're only doing a disservice to yourself if you haven't played through it yet.
Also read what other Blogcritics had to say about Resident Evil 4:
GameCube Review: Resident Evil 4 — Matthew Milam
GameCube Review: Resident Evil 4 — Nicholas Roussos
GameCube Review: Resident Evil 4 — Matt Paprocki
Resident Evil 4 is a rated M (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language. This game can also be found on: GameCube.
Article comments
1 - Phillip Winn
The GameCube version of this was mind-blowing. I can hardly believe it works smoothly on the PS2.
The sound creeped me out. /me shudders!
2 - Ken Edwards
The only complaint I have about the PS2 version is the in game FMVs of the GameCube version are all pre-rendered on the PS2. So if you have different costumes on, or you are carrying a different weapon, it looks a little strange going into a FMV on the PS2.
I played the PS2 version at a demo kiosk and I will be picking it up. I loved the GameCube version and the entire extra chunk of the game with Ada is enough for me. What a wonderful game. What a wonderful suprise from the Resident Evil series after so many years of the same old rehashed control scheme.