Resident Evil 4

Written by D'Marcus Beatty  on January 18, 2005

Review: Evil: New and Improved

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The Resident Evil franchise has always been at the forefront of survival horror, most of the time defining the genre. The original Resident Evil introduced survival horror to the masses, but RE lost some of its footing over the years to games like Silent Hill and Fatal Frame. However, Resident Evil 4 steps up to decisively snatch the survival horror crown from all competitors, as RE4 is not only the best RE ever made, but also quite possibly the best survival horror game ever.

RE4 follows the story of Leon, the police officer from RE2. Apparently after his infamous ordeal in Raccoon City, Leon has received some special training and promotions, as he is now charged with rescuing the president's daughter from a mysterious group of people in a small, isolated village. However, as with all RE titles, things aren't quite as they seem.

For Resident Evil 4, Capcom threw the old RE formula completely out of the window. Almost everything has changed for its latest iteration, including the presentation, the graphics, and the enemies. The first and most noticeable change is in the graphics. RE has never looked better. The graphics are gorgeous, and it isn't an exaggeration to say that this is one of the best- looking Gamecube games ever. Quite possibly, this is one of the best-looking console games ever. Capcom did away with the awkward camera angles, and decided to place the camera behind the protagonist at all times, which was an excellent decision. The game controls the same way, but playing from behind the character makes the control scheme more instinctive. Additionally, the environments and characters are incredibly and frighteningly detailed. Coupled with the realistic animation, RE4 is completely immersive, creating an almost unbreakable mood for the player. The sounds in RE4 are also top-notch. Players can hear the villagers shouting orders to each other in Spanish and music intensifies when Leon is in danger. The voice acting is also great, although some of the dialogue is still retains the RE hokeyness.

The next most noticeable change is in the action-oriented pacing. RE has always been a generally slow game, since the zombies weren't exactly track stars. Many of the enemies walked or dragged along, and the fear was created more by the scarcity of ammunition and the enclosed spaces than by the zombies alone. RE4 does away with zombies in favor of intelligent and living foes that aren't human, but are a far cry from the plodding zombies that had been the staple of RE titles. The introduction of these foes was a stroke of genius for Capcom. These non-humans attack intelligently and swiftly, usually in large groups, and create a sense of intense panic because of their speed and guile, especially opposed the zombies. These foes can also drop supplies when killed, which range from herbs to ammunition, so these items aren't as limited as they were in previous RE titles. The non-humans also drop money, which brings us to the next change in the RE formula.

In certain areas of the game, there are merchants that are willing to buy from and sell to Leon. They buy anything you carry, including herbs and ammunition, but they are especially interested in gems and treasure that you may uncover. The merchants are also able to sell Leon new weapons as well as upgrades for these weapons that improve the reload time, power, and bullet capacity. The increase in the number of weapons is also drastic, with new additions to Leon's arsenal like a mine thrower and a sniper rifle.

The inventory system has also changed, relying more on object size and position than quantity. Leon carries an upgradeable attachщ case in which he arranges his items. When room gets scarce, the player must turn and arrange items to fit. This is much more realistic and less frustrating than the simple limit on the number of items from previous RE games that forced players to choose between ammunition and herbs to carry keys and items.

There are so many moments in the game that are just amazing to watch and experience, such as the first time you encounter a villager that is УdifferentФ from the others, or the incredible boss fights, or a simple but intense shootout with the villagers. From start to finish, RE4 never gets stale, as the game constantly throws different challenges to the player. One example of this are the Shenmue styled button press segments, where swift reflexes save Leon from death, such as repeatedly pressing the A button to run from a boulder, or having to press the shoulder buttons to dodge an attack. These segments will catch many players by surprise their first time through, and Capcom was even wise enough to make the button sequences random, so players couldn't memorize which button to press to pass a particular segment. Unlike Shenmue, these segments rarely involve more than one button press.

Another example of an RE innovation are the segments when Leon guides Ashley, the president's daughter. Leon can interact with her in a number of ways, telling her to follow when the way is clear, to stay in a certain place, boosting her to ledges, and even telling her to hide when possible. Ashley is defenseless, so Leon must watch her constantly, replenishing her health with herbs and making sure that she isn't killed or carried off by enemies.