Resident Evil is credited for inventing the Survival Horror genre and for period of time, ruled it as the best of the best. But quickly, the series was challenged and began to lose its shine. To win back the Survival Horror genre and the fans, dramatic changes had to be made without straying too far from the series' roots. Resident Evil 4 has a very difficult task to accomplish and the game does an astonishing job of it.
Resident Evil 4 brings with it many drastic changes, all of which make the game much better than previous installments. The biggest change is the new camera that follows Leon just over his right shoulder. The new camera gives the player much better view of what is in front of Leon and zooms in during aiming to give the player a better view. Not only that, but Resident Evil's trademark 'turn and move' controls actually feel good. Leon is easy to control, but a strafe feature would have been nice though. The quick access to the knife, quick reload, quick 180˚ turn, and the 'action button' are welcomed touches. The new aiming system gives the player accurate targeting capabilities. Enemies respond to hits accordingly so careful aiming is important. Resident Evil 4 is much more action oriented; though there are puzzles and key quests, they take a back seat to the action. At times Leon will face what seems to be an endless stream of enemies. Not only that, but throughout half the game Leon will have to make sure Ashley survives, though that is not of much concern. The enemies aren't smarter, but they're faster, unpredictable, and definitely unforgiving. Make a mistake, and you'll receive some heavy punishment. With a large number of enemies, ammo conservation is a concern but never a headache. The boss fights are something to behold. Bosses take strategy and quick thinking. The boss fights are some of the most creative, diverse, and entertaining battles of the game. There are plenty of new items and many different weapons. Space is limited and there are no more magic item boxes. The player will be required to manage Leon's inventory. And the player can buy and sell items and weapons. Money and items are dropped by enemies or found in the environments. You can sell items and use it to buy new weapons and upgrades. Like previous installments, this game is difficult. But the game is never frustrating or tedious. The variety of the situations Leon is thrown into keeps the engagement fresh. The game does its best to keep the player felling intense and on edge. But whether the game is scary or not is more opinionated. But seasoned veterans of horror games/movies will probably feel unsatisfied with the scares. Resident Evil 4 is one of the most enjoyable and playable games around. The experience is not only fulfilling but long. The average player will clock in about sixteen to twenty hours on the first play though. There are some fun mini-games and the player is given the option to replay the game using complete game save file, where weapons and items previously collected can be used for a new game.
Visually, it is simply amazing to see what Capcom has done with the GameCube hardware. Moody environments, realistic characters, horrific creatures, exceptional special effects- all of it combines to create one of the most atmospheric and beautiful games ever. Leon will face trouble in various locales, ranging from wide open villages to narrow caverns. The wide diversity in the locales that are in the game are worthy of recognition alone, but Capcom went a step further make sure each environment has a persona of its own. The characters and environments are stylized fittingly and feature generous amounts of polygons and textures. The lighting, rain, fog, and other effects make the environments look breathtaking. The most remarkable part is that everything is done in real time (even the cut-scenes) and moves smoothly without any instance of trouble. Everything is sharp, clean, and runs at a respectable 30 frames per second and supports progressive scan. There is the clipping, which is easily ignorable. But the absence of true widescreen (the game uses letterbox) is a letdown.
Taking full advantage of Dolby Pro Logic II, Resident Evil 4 creates the most absorbing surround sound of any game. The audio remains clear and on sync. The ambience, weapons, and everything else sounds excellent. The voice acting is very well done and appropriately fits the characters. The musical score is great too, helping to amplify the mood of the areas and situations.
The story of Resident Evil 4 is nicely done. Leon is on a rescue mission to locate and safely return the President's daughter. Leon is lead to a mysterious village in Spain, where he finds some unfriendly locals who do not appreciate his presence. The story has very little in relation to previous Resident Evil games but that is not an entirely bad thing for fans. There are plenty of surprises to please old time fans. The story is very interesting, minus a few anticlimactic scenes, and does not disappoint.
Resident Evil 4 seems to have it all: aesthetics that push the GameCube to the limits, great gameplay that never becomes stale, and quality all around. Resident Evil 4 not only reinvents the series but completely redefines the genre. Plenty of surprises, a new camera angle with an accurate aiming system, and more action make it the most enjoyable Resident Evil game yet. Devotees and newcomers alike will find Resident Evil 4 a fun, challenging, and fantastic adventure. Minor flaws aside, Resident Evil 4 is one of the finest games ever crafted.
Final words: Resident Evil 4 easily stands as one of this generation's best games; a new level of achievement for Survival Horror games.
-Vinny
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