Resident Evil 4

After its first appearance in 2002, Capcom has finally released a lot more information about its up-and-coming hit Resident Evil 4 (exclusive to the Game Cube), shedding some much needed light on some of the very new game play mechanics. In fact, RE4 has seemed to steer far from its classic Resident Evil roots, leaving behind a lot of the series’ well-known elements.

The story takes off shortly after the events taking place in Resident Evil 2, with our beloved hero Leon S. Kennedy returning to his leading role. However, this time around, Leon is no longer a rookie cop from Racoon City. Instead he is now a federal agent, and most likely a good one, considering he has been assigned to investigate the abduction of the President’s Daughter. During his investigation, he ends up in a small town in Europe where some inexplicable events begin to transpire. Naturally Leon finds himself trying to uncover the meaning behind all the odd proceedings taking place, while still trying to solve the mystery of the President’s missing daughter.

Probably the biggest change in game play this time around, is the new and improved (in this writer’s opinion) camera. In the past, players could not control the camera, having to manoeuvre themselves around the environment from one particular angle. Although this made for a very creepy experience (i.e. hearing moaning zombies outside of the camera’s view, knowing they were headed your way), the new camera allows for complete control in third-person view. With the new camera, Leon is allowed to freely explore the entire environment, similar to most third person action/adventure games.

Another new addition to the Resident Evil formula is the case-sensitive A button, which allows Leon to perform a large assortment of actions with great ease. Whenever Leon is near something he can interact with, a short blurb will appear at the bottom of the screen describing what action he can perform by pressing the A button. These actions can range anywhere from simple tasks like opening doors and climbing ladders to jumping through windows and kicking over ladders. One other small change in RE4 is the new in-game interface, which displays Leon’s health and ammo, something absent from all previous RE titles.

One very noticeable difference in this game is the enemies Leon must face. First of all, they are not zombies, and they are not humans. Unlike the zombies he faced in the Resident Evil 2, his new enemies can think for themselves, and are able to strategize in groups. Not only can they think, but they can also wield weapons, another trait uncommon in zombies. One of the most noticeable traits of these new enemies is, if attacked; they will seek out cover and sometimes will even call for help.

Fortunately, along with smarter enemies, shooting mechanics have drastically improved making defending yourself a lot less stressful. When you enter the shooting mode, the camera zooms in over your shoulder, allowing you to aim more accurately. Also, from this view, Leon is able to use his laser sight to focus on particular enemy body parts, allowing for much more interesting gunplay. Not only has the third person shooting been heavily upgraded, but there is also an option to enter a first person view, giving players a lot more freedom with taking out their opposition.

Visually, the Resident Evil games have always been top-notch, and RE4 is no exception due to Capcom’s experience with the Cube’s hardware. In fact, RE4 looks better than its predecessors, shaping up to be one of the best looking games to ever appear on the GameCube. The game features amazing character models and smooth character animations, as well as fully destructable environments. Your foes will break windows as you tear apart doors, walls, even tables and other environment objects. The game’s audio is just as impressive as its graphics, and successfully creates a very eerie and suspenseful ambience; something the Resident Evil franchise is famous for.

With all the new improvements made to the Resident Evil formula, RE4 is shaping up to be the best of the series, and most likely, one of the most sought after Game Cube titles of 2005