I can't imagine this review to be at all necessary. If you haven't played this game yet, I'm not sure we can be friends. There's a possibility, sure, but we're going to have to get through a very awkward period first in which you present arguments to me as to why you've yet to experience this fabulous product and I shoot every one of them down.
Resident Evil 4 (pronounced "4 Resident Evil" according to the game's title screen and box art) came out in January of 2005 for the Gamecube and was ported over to the PS2 October of the same year. I happen to be in the rare (horribly rare!) position of having played both versions so this should be exceedingly interesting for us all.
It's locked. How novel. The majority of games in the Resident Evil series (the king of the survival horror genre...I think) before this iteration have followed a familiar recipe: take a character who controls like a truck, give 'em a gun and a useless knife, stick them into a bunch of maze-like environments, and add a hefty helping of locked doors and nonsensical puzzles. Remove most ammo pickups so as to increase feeling of hopeless dread. Mix well with cheap scares in the form of zombie dogs jumping out at you, zombie plants whacking you upside the head, and zombie zombies advancing upon and taking free samples of your person.
Sound fun? Certainly! The Resident Evil games were by no means poor. You might even say you could count on one for a good time (not that good of a time; that's what Fear Effect was for). Thing is, I personally can only take so many stationary camera angles, cheesy statue-pushing puzzles, and doors that require a number of different keys based on card suits. If you were still interested by the time they hit Resident Evil Negative Zero: Betty and Veronica, you're a better man than I...or you have a higher threshold for monotony anyway.
Resident Evil 4 offers a nice change of pace because it takes the original formula, violently dismembers it, and replaces it with something better than it was before. Better...stronger...faster.
This ain't your momma's Resident Evil.
To say that Resident Evil 4 is a vast improvement over the previous titles in the series is an understatement. This is almost a complete overhaul. Cheesy scares and mansion crawling have been tossed aside in favor of action, ACTION, ACTION!!! The static camera angles and pre-rendered backgrounds have been replaced with full 3D environments and a slick (slick, you hear me!) over-the-shoulder camera. The controls, while fundamentally following a similar scheme, feel great because the lead character doesn't lumber about like there's a dog attached to his leg.
You aren't likely to get lost as your path is fairly streamlined (but there's some mild exploration to be had, if you want it). Ammo is plentiful! You won't be juggling any more than two keys around at a time and puzzles have been removed almost entirely - when they do show up, they're easy enough to breeze through in no time. This would be a complaint if the puzzles in the series had had a reputation of being brilliantly crafted and fun to solve. However, since Resident Evil puzzles have had a tendency to be stupid, tedious, and require you to make your character push around statues for minutes at a time, they're really no huge loss.
Also, hey! Your knife is actually useful! [No, you freaks, NOT like in that last episode of 24! That was sick, ok? SICK! - ed.]
There are also other major additions that contribute immensely to the game's awesomeness quotient (an official reviewing standard by which the awesomeness of games is judged). The new aiming system is a biggie. In older RE games you had the ability to point your gun either straight ahead or up and, yeah, that was it. Now, all of your weapons come equipped with a laser sight (well, not the knife, dummy) and the ability to point that sucker bloody well anywhere you please! As a result, a bit more strategy is involved. Of course you'll rely on that old classic "the shot to the face" a great deal, but you can also shoot the weapon out of a guy's hand or shoot him in the leg to slow him down. If an enemy's holding dynamite, it's in your best interest to aim for it as you'll instantly blow him and anyone in the vicinity right the hell up! Awesome!
It's like being a permanent passenger on the Soul Train... ...because the action never stops! If I haven't gotten it across yet (and if that's the case, you've probably been skimming), the difference between this Resident Evil and the others in the series is that the focus has shifted almost completely towards action, and versatile action at that. One good illustration of this is the use of the action button. The action button (A on the Gamecube controller, X on the PS2) is context-based and it will be indicated on-screen what function it will serve in any given situation. Obviously this isn't the first time a game has had a system such as this, but the variety of actions one can do in RE4 makes your character seem much more versatile.
Of course approaching a door will bring up an "Open" command but tapping it twice will kick the door rather than just opening it slowly. If you're up on a ledge somewhere, going to the end of it gives you the option to jump off. Faced with anything about waist-high, you'll have the option to vault over it. These are very simple concepts but they really add to the feeling of being in control of some kind of awesome commando dude, and can really help out when you're cornered by a bunch of enemies. Even more action movie-esque is the ability to jump out of windows and knock down ladders while enemies are climbing them. [This last technique is particularly movie-esque indeed. Try on your little sister some time when she is trying to sneak into the house through the bedroom window. - ed.]
The action button also comes into play during fighting. If you shoot an enemy in the face, you can then approach them and hit the button to perform a jump-kick (or something else equally cool depending on the character) that will knock them to the ground and send any other enemies nearby reeling. A shot to the leg can set up the bad men (and women, sometimes) for a wicked suplex!
Even cutscenes have gotten an injection of action, albeit of the scripted kind. Sitting complacently through a cutscene is no longer an option as you'll more than likely be expected to jam on some buttons to perform a dodge of some sort (accomplished by hitting either both shoulder buttons or two face buttons at the same time) to save yourself from being chopped by an axe or stabbed in the face with a knife. Otherwise, you may be instructed to mash on a button repeatedly to outrun a boulder or a giant fish or something.
Basically, all of this gives you the feeling that you have lots of options at any given time and just makes you feel like you're much cooler than you actually are. With luck, you'll be so immersed in the experience you'll forget how boring your life actually is! How cool would that be, huh?! Yeah...
Plot? Plot. What a funny word. Plot. Plot plot plot plot plot plot. Thus far I've talked principally about gameplay and have neglected the story to the point of not even mentioning the main character's name (it's Leon, the guy from Resident Evil 2, by the way). Am I crazy?! Debatable! [Indeed, doctors have been debating it for years! -ed.] But there's a reason for this. This game's strength (and it's DAMN STRONG) lies in its gameplay. The story, on the other hand, ...eh, not so much.
You want a brief summary? Okay, sure. Leon goes to a little town full of Spanish people that would seem to be in Spain (but according to the game's creator is NOT NECESSARILY SPAIN and this is for some reason a very big deal to him) to rescue the President of the United States' daughter, Ashley Graham, who has been kidnapped and brought there. Leon finds out that the Spanish people are all infected with some parasite that makes them wanna kill him, and at some point he and Ashley also get infected with this parasite so they have to get it out of their bodies. [So wait, Leon gets infected with a parasite that makes him wanna kill Leon? That's suicide! - ed.]
There aren't so many cutscenes in the story that they get in the way of the gameplay and they're all fairly well done and, as I've said before, often interactive to a degree. It's just that the story tries to be cool and interesting and long but it's really just damned stupid. And long. I mean, just think about the notion of the PRESIDENT of THE UNITED STATES' DAUGHTER getting not only KIDNAPPED but then brought all the way to SPAIN (or a Spain-like country anyway). Yeah, that's pretty believable. On top of which, you have to save her repeatedly throughout the game because she keeps getting captured again and again. The bad guys keep saying crap about how they're almost ready and they have this big bad plan and they're going to perform these rituals on her which all amounts to NOTHING. To say that these folks procrastinate some is being kind.
Lastly, regarding the whole "Leon and Ashley get infected by the parasite omg omg omg" part of the plot, I'm going to spoil how that gets resolved so don't read the rest of this paragraph if you don't want to know. Basically, let's just say THEY FIND A MACHINE THAT TAKES THE PARASITE OUT OF THEM. Yes, there's a machine just for that very purpose, sitting right in the middle of the bad guys' fortress. Why the HELL would they even have one, huh!? [My guess? Probably because it also makes julienne fries. All really stupid machines do these days. - ed.]
I have never seen such nasty s*** look so pretty. Honestly, the gameplay in Resident Evil 4 is all it needs to sell itself because it's just that amazingly good but I'll mention the technical stuff quickly. Capcom has blessed us with not only kick-ass action, but also seriously what I believe to be the best graphics so far in this generation of console gaming.
Everything looks just amazing from the lighting to the exploding heads (ooh, those exploding heads) to fire and water effects and little details like drool from parasitic dogs' mouths and all other kinds of wonderful things of that nature. The textures on some of the walls are a little blurry and unimpressive when you look at them up close but that's basically the only flaw I can think of.
This game looks incredible on the Gamecube and, although the lighting and some of the environmental stuff has been cut back, the PS2 looks almost as good. I do believe you literally never run into slowdown in either version, which is an impressive feat in itself.
The sound is very good as well; lots of nasty noises from parasitic weirdoes and satisfying sounds of weapons going off and heads exploding. The music fits the game well, properly accentuating the action, but nothing about it is particularly memorable. The music when you reach a safe room is pretty cool though; calming but still a bit off to stay kind of eerie.
The voice acting is actually decent enough. Considering Resident Evil games have a track record of having some of the worst voice acting out there, this is nice. The Spanish people scream all kinds of mean Spanish things at you, which is very cool (although you will hear all they have to offer rather quickly) and all of the main characters have fine voices to back them up. This, of course, doesn't hide the horrendous script, which include lines of dialogue such as, "Writhe in my cage of torment, my friend." Yes, that's actually in the game. At the very least, you'll get a laugh out of it.
4 // Itchy. Tasty. So... in case I haven't mentioned it yet, this game is absolutely incredible. Now let me say it another way (because I will anyway): it's the best game I've played in a long time and it makes you feel like the star of your own action movie. If an ounce of your body likes action gaming at all, you owe it to yourself to get a copy of Resident Evil 4. It's fun, fast, and has tons of replay value. After completing the game, you get a little side quest to complete, Mercenaries mode (an extremely addictive survival mini-game in which you make kills to earn points), and the ability to replay the main game on Professional difficulty which doesn't just add more bad guys but actually makes them much faster, smarter, and tougher to kill. Additionally, if you get the PS2 version you get even more content (a rather difficult bunch of missions starring Ada Wong that will take you several hours to complete) so, although the graphics aren't quite as good, I'd have to recommend it over the Gamecube one. But, hey, what the hell, you can own both! [Disclaimer: although this will make you cool, it will NOT make you quite as cool as Joe. Sorry. - ed.]
The only negative I can think of as far as gameplay is concerned is that a quicker, simpler way to switch weapons would have been appreciated. As it is, you have to enter your item menu every time and select the weapon you want but this is a very minor issue.
All of the other problems (and there aren't many) are plot and mood-based. The dumbass storyline and script are entirely dismissible and one thing that has been lost is that the game is not really scary. The feeling of being surrounded by a bunch of mindless people who want to kill you never fails to get my heart pumping (and I say that genuinely) but it's not fear so much as an adrenaline rush. This isn't really survival horror anymore - action horror, perhaps. Still, this isn't a huge loss as the Resident Evil series hasn't been the scariest thing out there for awhile now, getting its ass kicked by the likes of Silent Hill and Fatal Frame.
You don't need to be a Resident Evil fan to like this game. Hell, if you hated the older Resident Evils, I still think you will like this game. It's just so fun and, really (aside from some herb combining and the cheesy storyline), it doesn't feel like a Resident Evil. It's fast, it controls well, you aren't technically fighting zombies, and the Umbrella corporation (the antagonists for EVERY RE game till now) isn't even behind it all!
While some people might lament this loss of the old Resident Evil style we, well, we don't care. Because those people are dumb and wrong... and probably Republican.
Summary: Quite possibly the best action-adventure (emphasis on action) title ever made (no, really) and easily the best game of 2005. Fast, violent, and more fun than I should be allowed to have sitting at home by myself. It's like being the lead in your own action-horror movie.
Already played it? Trade it for another game at
Systems: Gamecube, PS2
Genre: Action-Adventure, Survival Horror
Setting: There are three: A town full of crazed zombie-like Spanish villagers, a castle filled with crazed zombieish Spanish monks, and an island of militarized Spanish pseudo-zombie guys.
Mood: Adrenaline-fueled impending doom. The fun kind!
Story: Tries a little too hard considering it's fundamentally horribly stupid and inconsequential.
Graphics: I can't really think of any better in the current generation.
Music/Sound: Not particularly memorable but suitably creepy and/or action-y Fades in and out accordingly with what's going on in the game. The safe room theme is nice.
Voice Acting: Good, especially for a Resident Evil game.
Script/Dialog: The decent voice acting can't hide the absurdity of the script and dialog. It's good in the sense that you'll probably get some laughs out of it.
Similar Games: Oddly enough, Winback. Anybody remember Winback? Older Resident Evils (only to a small degree, however).
Gameplay: Winback on crack with a little bit of good old Resident Evil puzzling and item-combining.
Strengths: Fast, fun action that will genuinely speed up your heart beat; amazing graphics; challenging without being too frustrating; best action in a game ever. You heard me. Ever.
Weaknesses: Not really a Resident Evil game (if this is the kind of thing that would bother you, dork); not scary; profoundly idiotic script and storyline; switching between weapons could stand to be easier; arguably a little too long.
Depth: Don't expect to learn anything you didn't know about yourself. You can get kind of hardcore with the weapon upgrading system.
Length: 25+++++ hours
Pace: BREAKNECK!!!! But damn lengthy regardless.
Difficulty: Hard, but not hair-pullingly so.
Control: Extremely intuitive.
Learning Curve: Medium. You'll get the basics down before too long but the game throws enough varied situations at you that you'll always need to be on the ball.
Replayability: High!
Will keep you up until (a.k.a Fun
Factor): The cows get back from a night on the town.
Notable Features: Wholly unique gameplay, buttloads of extra stuff to do; you could spend a lifetime just on Mercenaries mode after you're done with the main game.
Fav. Character: Saddler's a funny SOB.
Instant Classic: Yes. A milestone in action gaming.
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: 2005-01-11
Players: 1
Multiplayer: Non!
ESRB: So mature it hurts.
Target Audience: People who like to play video games and don't suck at them.
Recommended For: Everybody who has access to a Gamecube or PS2. People who don't should beat up someone who does and take theirs, yes, just for this game.
Not Recommended for: People who aren't old enough (or too old) to appreciate the glory of parasite-ridden Spanish people's heads exploding. People who only play The Sims and other games with "gameplay" sort of like that.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
| PlayerPlaza Games
| 
| 
