Resident Evil 4 Review

Gamecube, Playstation 2, Wii and PC

Initially released in 2004

In previous Resident Evil installments, one spends many hours roaming the halls for a way out, dodging zombies, mutated dogs and nightmarish creatures within the confines of a fixed camera angle. But with a completely revamped gameplay system, Resident Evil 4 is a welcome breakaway from the traditional survival/horror genre the series is known for, and a great way to spend a weekend.

"It's mah first day!"
On his first day on the job (yet again), Leon Kennedy—survivor from Resident Evil 2 and now a special government agent--finds himself in the middle of yet another developing conspiracy. The President's daughter is missing, and was last seen somewhere in rural Spain. It's up to Leon to rescue her and crush the biological experiments regarding the nearby villagers. Only this time, instead of zombies, Leon encounters villagers and cult worshippers infested by a form of insect--those infested are called "Gonados." Leon and the President's daughter, Ashley, traverse terrain ranging from a Pueblo village, a farm, fishing docks, a grand castle, and an island devoted to further experimentation with the viral species, and encounter both human and non-human enemies alike. Unlike zombies, these baddies can attack Leon with pickaxes, hoes, chainsaws and even explosives. However, Leon is not alone--he receives help tips via satellite feed from Agent Hunnigan, encounters the elusive Ada Wong, and can purchase items such as ammunition and gun upgrades from a strange man simply known as "The Merchant."

Gun n Run
The best way to describe Resident Evil 4 is "tense." Whilst previous installments boasted moments of absolute, crap-your-pants terror, this game gives you the ability to relax a bit more—largely due to the fact that the camera is no longer fixated in blinding perspectives. The scares come from sounds mostly, such as the sound of a chainsaw purring from beyond the other side of the door, or the eerie music cuing the entrance of a gruesome boss. The use of the Dual Shock on the Playstation 2 version is a definite plus--even after a chainsaw death, my heart rate was still high as the controller buzzed in my hands. The eerie soundtrack adds to the effect of the gray and dismal atmosphere that takes up the majority of the game, just don’t expect catchy melodies.
The games graphics and animations are great save for a few hitches, such as the upper body moving separately from the legs on the models, but everything from the overlap of Leon's ridiculous hair and Ada's dress to the varying recoil of each gun looks and feels great. And although the majority of the game is drenched in a grey palette, it gives the appropriate mood that is required of a survival/horror game.
As mentioned before, the inventory system is extremely user friendly, and organizing your items is a breeze. The controls themselves are also vastly improved, as players no longer move like a tank--whatever direction a player wants to go in, they just go. No need for spinning in circles before figuring out one has to press left to face the desired direction...and THEN go forward. The shooting mechanic is also much more accessible to newcomers--it still requires an extra button to aim, and then fire, but the over-the-shoulder perspective makes targeting an enemy much easier to do (and in hind-sight, has influenced the vast majority of third-person perspective games).

The Adventures of Leon and Ashley
The games plays perfect in the first third of the game--the third person perspective is extremely comfortable on the eye, the pace of the game and the amount of exploration with a little backtracking is enjoyable, and then Leon is struck with a curse called Ashley. Once the player finds Ashley, one would think it would be a great relief but nooo...
Not only does Ashley obscure the perspective, but she ends up in the way of incoming attackers, and one shot is enough to kill her and end the game, whether the player shoots her with a pistol, sniper or rocket launcher. This is most frustrating when the player is forced to rescue her from Ganados dragging her across a room hundreds of feet away. Escape missions are especially irritating, as Ashley moves like a fat cat having just finished a meal. And on top of that, even when a player finds a place for her to hide and commands her to do so, she'll pop out of hiding and into harms way to screw up the player's plans again. A guaranteed sigh of relief will surface every time Ashley is captured (which happens quite often, thankfully) and at the final boss (who is surprisingly easy, but still fun).

President Evil: 4 More Playthroughs
This game would be perfect if it weren't for the irritating Ashley, or better yet, if they made Ashley more tolerant of friendly-fire. Other than that, Resident Evil 4 is an experience players will play again and again--speed runs of this game are frequent, and pros can complete this game in as little as 1 hour and 30 minutes, but for first timers, it'll take around 5 or 6 hours. Check out this game if you wish to experience the most influential third-person shooter in recent years.


Graphics 5.0: On the Gamecube versions, even the littlest detail is beautiful--much like the Resident Evil remake on the same system. On the Playstation 2, the graphics STILL look spectacular, sans a few minor details such as Leon's shadow.

Sound 4.5: While the majority of the soundtrack is perfectly suitable for the tense moments throughout some of the games, a few tracks in the later half of the game become a little goofy(jungle music when in a jam? really?) But the sounds do an excellent job at bringing the experience of Evil home.

Control 5.0: Gamers have the choice to aim with the analog stick OR with the combined use of analog and D-pad(which is what I prefer and detested when they removed it in Resident Evil 5). The aiming is precise and accurate, and the freedom of movement and the camera make this game all the more fun.

Fun Factor 5.0: Whether you're at the edge of your seat and using your Pistol ammo sparingly on slowly approaching Pueblo villagers, or wasting as many cultists as you can with the TMP, Resident Evil 4 is a game players will want to experience again and again, in as much--or as little, time as they like. A definitive addition to your PS2, Gamecube or Wii library.


Protip: When you fight two of these guys at once, focus on luring one into the trapdoor into the room first, let him boil, and then fight the remaining giant how you fought him the first time--with razor blades and flash grenades.



Protip: When fighting these guys who resemble Emperor Palpatine, they can take a lot of bullets, so use the heavy artillery(such as this Rocket Launcher).