Resident Evil 4

The Resident Evil series is regarded by many as the greatest survival horror series of all time. Sadly, the series has grown stale. I think it’s fair to say that after the third one the series took a downward spiral. Even with Capcom’s bold move to make all Resident Evil titles exclusive to the Gamecube, there was very little that impressed the gaming public. The Cube saw rehashes of the original RE with a new coat of paint, Resident Evil Zero, RE2, and RE3.

While all these titles were all fine and dandy, it was time for something new. Enter January, 2005. The highly anticipated Resident Evil 4 is released. Capcom promises an all new Resident Evil. Nothing and I mean nothing can prepare you for the experience that is RE4. Capcom has shown the gaming community that RE is still the king of survival horror.

If you were never a fan of RE you will be. RE4 has single-handedly revitalized a dying genre. Playing RE4 is an intoxicating experience. It’s different and it transcends the stereotypical survival horror title. You will never be more enthralled with any other title on the GC. Gone are the days of horribly paced stories, clunky controls, and boring pre-rendered backgrounds. RE4 has set a new standard in every aspect of the genre. RE4 is like a breath of fresh air. Instead of playing the same ho-hum titles that are pervade the market; you’ll be playing a game that dares to stand out in the crowd.

The Story

RE4 brings the once naïve Raccoon City police officer, Leon Kennedy back into the picture. Only this time he is the embodiment of all things bad ass. The wuss-pot we all love and know has gone under a transformation. Six years have passed since the events in RE2. The T-Virus has been destroyed and Umbrella suffered a massive financial crash and no longer exists. Leon is now a black-ops operative for the U.S. government. His mission is to find the president’s daughter, Ashley, who has apparently been kidnapped.

Leon ends up in a Spanish village overrun with crazed humans with pitchforks and other sharp objects. This means no more zombies, you heard right, no more zombies. Why have slow predictable enemies, when you can have intelligent, quick, and agile enemies that work in groups? Leon has to uncover the mysteries of why the people are attacking him and find the one responsible for the kidnapping of Ashley. Prepare yourself for one action packed, frightening, and rewarding 20+ hour gaming experience.

Lights, Camera, Action

RE4 has been completely revamped. There have been some significant changes to the series. First and foremost, the tank-like controls that once annoyed the hell out of all of us are gone. The controls are very smooth this time around. The analog stick is used to control Leon while you use the R trigger to use your gun and the analog to aim. Leon also has a knife he can use with the L trigger. This is useful for breaking boxes that hold ammo and healing remedies.

Perhaps the most important change is the camera. No more fixed camera that hinders your vision of the enemy while they have a field day pummeling you senseless. The camera is now from an over-the shoulder perspective. This perspective emulates a more first person approach to the action. This makes aiming at enemies much easier and effective. Remember when you had only 3 options of where to shoot zombies in the previous titles? With the new camera the possibilities are endless. You can shoot an enemy in the crotch for a cheap laugh or you could use a little more strategy. For instance, take out the knees and then plant a few solid rounds to the head.

The tedium of having to have an ink ribbon to save is a thing of the past. You no longer need to have a ribbon to save your game. This is a welcome addition seeing as the ribbons just took up space in your inventory. In terms of inventory management, the series continues with the limited storage. Only this time there are no item boxes to store any excess baggage. This reduces the senseless backtracking that the game is renowned for.

In the unlikely event that you run out of space you can always buy a larger inventory. RE4 has an RPG-like feature where you can buy weapons, healing items, more inventory space, and even upgrade your weapons to make them even more powerful. You purchase all these items from an enigmatic British merchant with money earned through boss battles, money dropped by enemies, and any treasures that are scattered throughout the environment. This is absolutely ingenious. I found myself scouring areas for money just so I could make my shotgun a monstrous death dealer, even though it was completely unnecessary.

New to RE4 is a new quick time event button prompt that pops up on screen during certain events. In one instance some crazed lunatics thought it would be fun to push an enormous boulder having Leon run for his life. The player will then have to pound the A button as quickly as possible to avoid certain death. I found this to be a really clever way to get the player more involved in the game. Although this is a great addition, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. The cult classic Shenmue was the first to pioneer the use of QTE’s.

The meat of this game is in the action. We're talking pure unadulterated action at its finest. Ammo is anything but sparse in RE4. There are loads of ammo and you’ll need it. You will be facing some of the most intelligent and cunning enemies ever. These enemies will work in groups in order to ensure that you’re dead. These blood thirsty maniacs are now armed with chainsaws, pitchforks, and dynamite. Just imagine trying to take out 7-8 of these guys while trying to avoid dynamite blasts in the process. As if that wasn’t enough the villagers will try to avoid your fire in any way possible. They sway back and forth when they spot you trying to blast their faces off. The satisfaction of killing a batch of enemies with a shotgun for the first time is enough to bring tears to your eyes. The carnage is just so much damn fun. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Looking Good

As if the gameplay weren’t enough, the visuals in RE4 are stunning. The Gamecube shows a lot of its muscle with RE4. Everything from the lighting, environments, and animation is all perfect. You can see the passion the developers had for this project. The animation and lip syncing is second to none, especially in the cinematic cut scenes, where the animation really shines. Guns emit shells with jaw-dropping realism. Weather effects, fire, and dust are all just breathtaking. Rain drops roll off characters realistically and the lighting when there is a fire near by is nearly impeccable. That’s just the outdoors. Indoor environments feature statues and paintings that are frighteningly detailed. With statues you can see every physical feature, not just some blurred piece of grey just to fill the space. The environment is a living, breathing piece of fabulous artistry. No other game on the console comes close.

If you’re looking for any negative criticism, look elsewhere. RE4 is flawless in every respect. With amazing graphics, rewarding action, compelling story, and a great weapon upgrade system, there isn’t much that’s bad with RE4. Capcom has revived the RE series and has made possibly the greatest accomplishment in game design in a long time. RE4 is reason enough to own a Gamecube. What are you waiting for? Buy it now.