Is it desperation to show that Wiimote controls are good? or were the controls without the Wiimote were THAT much WORSE? I can't think of any other reason.

Okay, this is a game where a bunch of people are trying to chase you down and KILL you. Whose bright idea was it to make it so you have to CHOOSE between moving and fighting? I just don't see the logic here. I love the fact that you can aim your gun with the Wiimote, but since it has no affect on where the camera is aimed, I feel like I'm stuck in a neck brace.

I've only been playing an hour or so. MAYBE the controls will grow on me. but I've already gotten to the second typewriter, and dealt with the first chainsaw guy. I'm not frustrated over the game being hard because of the crap controls, I'm frustrated over how the controls are killing my immersion in the game.
The chainsaw guy is supposed to be scary, and heck, I think I would find him scary, he can kill you in one shot after all. I'd be scared if I was in a situation where I could move properly, and the enemy could STILL kill me, but through the 3 odd times he killed me, I was only left with the impression that I wouldn't have died at all if I had proper control of my character.

I think a big issue is the lack of a Walk/Strafe option. You're limited to Walk/Turn, and those controls can work, but not when you're LIMITED to only that. In FPS and even a few TPS(3rd person) you have it set up for a walk/strafe as your movement, and you aim to turn. This allows you to move in pretty much any direction in relation to where you're aiming. Then there are games like Zelda, who still use the Walk/Turn as the basic control style, but since Zelda uses MELEE as its primary attack method, that's not as big of an issue. Furthermore, there is the lockon option in Zelda, which allows you to keep your aim bound to your target, but even more importantly, it shifts your movement into a Walk/Strafe style.

I really think RE4Wii would have done best to use that Zelda method, even if discarding the lockon part, the Z button should have allowed you to shift into a Walk/Strafe control style. Currently, it lets you run. Run? Why RUN? We have a control stick people! If I want to chose between walking and running I could just press the analog stick a little to walk, or a lot to run. Didn't we learn anything from MARIO 64!? It was only more than 10 years old at the time, people!

I can understand the need to stand still to fire your gun, okay, you're trying to aim, and it's harder to do that when you're moving, so Leon's natural tendency is to stand his ground and concentrate on aiming, but what about when he uses the knife? The whole point is that you stay MOBILE while using one! I tried to run up to an enemy and slice him, instead I stopped short, and started swinging at the ground while the enemy caved my head in with an axe. Lovely. Yes, I know that you can get a quick slash by using the Wiimote alone, but still the point was to get a STRONG slash. I have to stand still to do that? That is completely contradictory to human nature and basic physics.

Also, other irritating things that seem to be separate from the controls: I've already gotten a few "headshots" but they seem to occur entirely randomly when I shoot someone in the head. Is there a specific spot on the head that I should be aiming for? I've also noticed that when I shoot someone, it seems better to wait for them to start to recover before shooting them, as all bullets until then seem to have less than half the punch, if any. This doesn't seem to be the case with the Chainsaw guy, as that period where the bullets have no noticeable effect will last even through when he starts to run at you again.

Seriously, am I missing something here? I haven't played any of the other RE games, but I don't think I'm hating on the game simply cause I haven't played the others. If anything, I feel like other people must be giving this game a pass on controls that are barely adequate simply cause they enjoy the storyline that much, which I haven't been able to get into yet because of my frustration with the controls.

The controls will grow on you over time... I remember playing the Ps2 and GCN versions and disliked the game ITSELF thanks to the controls (I prefer precision). But after playing the Wii version, I loved the game to death, and finished it over 5 times and counting whenever I'm in the mood to play more :D
Give the game more time and you'll learn to love it...

Oh and about one of your complaints about the running thing... That style of holding and button and pushing the analog stick forward was in previous resident evils I'm sure ( played RE0)... you'll get used to it... Or I think you will.

I never had a problem with the controls... Or maybe it's because I can adapt to things a whole lot quicker than others...

I've played the PS2 version. I've only seen videos of the Wii version, but I think the solid FPS and actual crosshairs on the screen for your weapons instead of the Gamecube's and PS2's small red laser is better for aiming.

Apart from that though, I wasn't a big fan of RE4 and lack of movement and sight annoyed me. While it could create tension, I don't like the fact that I have to fumble with the controls for the game to be scared and it gets frustrating very quickly.

You'll get used to the controls though and you'll eventually be able to know how to be more aware and how to react to enemies. Still, it's rough at the beginning.

Didn't read the whole rant but my son has the same issues with the controls but I love them myself. It'll grow on you. And yes, the Wii controls are much better than the GC/PS2s for the same game.

Well, everything you stated above had NOTHING to do with Wii controls. The game controls that way because THAT is the scheme the developers chose. The GC version and the PS2 version control the same way, and while i havent played it yet im going to assume that RE5 controls the same way.

The complaints warranted sound less like a slight against the Wii and more like a beef with the developers. When people here applaud the Wii controls it is because the Wii IR offers speed and precision in aiming that the afformentioned two titles dont have. I have heard other make the same Shoot while running argument before, and i get it... but i feel to implement that would turn the game too much into an action title. And if youve played the other RE games... how come your so upset at the notion of aiming while standing? that has been the way RE games have controlled since the first one??

And i dont know what you mean by "headshot" considering that i define headshot as a "shot to the head" and the ability to do so falls directly on the gamers skill and not the game. If you are refering to when you are able to shatter a skull with a headshot,  that is a critical hit which is random(chances depend on the type of gun used). If you shoot one of the plagas infected villagers in the head, as long as they are not covering their face it should stun them and ive never heard or seen an instance where that "didnt work".

Honestly from reading this it seems the problem isnt so much the controls as its you would rather be playing devil may cry or gears of war than resident evil.

Grey Acumen, the issues you have are with the controls in general. They are present in the GC and PS2 versions of the game as well. The reason the Wii version is so revered is because of the accuracy of the aiming. RE4's controls are still on the clunky side but far better than the prior games in the series.

It could be the good controls

Or a vast Wii fanboy conspiracy.

Or maybe it's because it controls really well?

Yeah, I think it's that

"Okay, this is a game where a bunch of people are trying to chase you down and KILL you. Whose bright idea was it to make it so you have to CHOOSE between moving and fighting? I just don't see the logic here. I love the fact that you can aim your gun with the Wiimote, but since it has no affect on where the camera is aimed, I feel like I'm stuck in a neck brace."

The first part applies to all versions of the game, so that is irrelevant.

As for the second part, you use the d-pad to move the camera, but as in all versions that is limited. To get full camera, you use the analog stick when aiming. You aim with the Wiimote within that window. It takes getting used to, but if you want to compare the controls of the previous version, try the GC or Classic Controller, and you'll see why the Wii version is praised for the controls.

The problem here is that RE4 is halfway between a 3rd person shooter and a proper survival horror.

By your rant I can only assume you went in wanting a 3rd person shooter, something which it is not so great at. Also if you go in wanting a proper survival horror it is not so good at that either.

RE4 is a poor representation of the two "genres" it has combined, so if you want either of them then you won't like it.... but I think it is still a great game, just an unusual genre that is kind of like a free-roaming light gun shooter.

To me it seems you don't like the game rather than the controls.