Sometimes, a game comes along that reinvents or redefines video games as we know them. Super Mario 64 did it, as did The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time. I only mention these games to put into perspective where Resident Evil 4 stands among video games up to this point. While it does not totally reinvent gaming, it will prove to be a new benchmark for the industry. Capcom's latest is a masterpiece, and developers should take a lesson from it, especially in what I like to call 'interactive cinematics.' This is what RE4 has invented.
The Resident Evil franchise has a history dating back to 1996, when the first of the zombie-infested series was released on the Playstation. This game alone managed to create a whole new genre, and coined the phrase, “survival horror.” Numerous sequels followed, as well as many copycat titles, exhausting the gameplay style, and leaving some gamers jaded by it. There are likely as many RE haters as there are fans, but with the release of RE4, and the reinvention of the series, these two groups can join together and enjoy again what began nearly a decade ago.
Resident Evil 4 stars Leon S. Kennedy, of RE2 fame, who is on a mission to rescue the president's daughter Ashley from a remote location in the European countryside. Apparently, she is being held in a small village, so Leon goes to investigate. No sooner does he set foot in this little town than he is attacked by a group of zomb- oh, did I fail to mention that there are no zombies in the game? None. Leon is attacked by a group of crazed villagers, and the survival horror has begun.
Probably the first noticeable difference to anyone familiar with the series is the new camera system. No longer will the action be shot from various odd angles, while gamers struggle to orient themselves to the ever-changing view. In RE4, all the action is viewed from behind Leon, so this control problem is never an issue - even with a fundamentally unchanged control scheme. Up always moves forward, down always moves backward, and left and right are always left and right, but since the camera always follows Leon, it is now the most optimal and intuitive setup.
With the new camera system in place, just as controlling Leon becomes second nature, viewing the world he must explore also feels much more natural. You see what Leon sees, which is much more than the old camera style would ever allow. While this may sound like it takes away some of the fear associated with the inability to see more than a few paces in front of you, it only serves to heighten the sense of fright and danger. Now, it always feels as though someone, or something, is creeping up behind you.
Usually, there IS something there threatening you, and throughout the 20-hour adventure you'll encounter enemies like the Ganado (villagers) in many different environments. You'll see forests, caves, villages, a castle, lakes, lava, towers, ruins, and more. Level design ranges from clever to superb, and never disappoints. You'll even get to explore a little bit of it as the unarmed Ashley. Fun...?
Another innovation of Resident Evil 4 is the revamped inventory system. Now you can buy your weapons from a mysterious merchant. Your money comes from enemies, as well as the sale of certain items you find along the way. Basically, all the jewels that would've been used as keys in past RE games are now just there to earn you money. With this money, you choose from the widest selection of weapons in any survival horror game, each of which can be upgraded about a dozen times. This process is implemented very well, and adds a sort of RPG element and depth to the gameplay.
As mentioned earlier, the control scheme is nearly identical to RE games of old. There is still no analog movement, meaning you must hold down the B button to run. A degree of freedom HAS been added to weapon usage, however. To do so you hold the R button, aim, and press A to fire. Sounds like any other RE game, but by aim, I really do mean aim. When the camera pulls in close and looks over Leon's shoulder, you have full control over where the shots will be fired. This is punctuated nicely by the red laser that appears on your enemies' heads, arms, legs, chests, etc. before you let the lead fly.
The ability to target any part of the enemy adds to the game immensely. You will find yourself aiming at different body parts based on the situation at hand. Head shots are nice (and often result in incredible blood and gore), but when twenty crazed lunatics are attacking you at once and you're left with only handgun ammo, you may opt to shoot at main body mass. Leon's aim is not perfect, and head shots are more difficult due to the jitter of the laser sight. At other times, it may be useful to shoot an axe-thrower's arm, causing him to drop his weapon, or it may be wiser still to shoot that stick of dynamite the guy next to him is carrying.
I found myself spending a lot of time shooting enemies in the kneecaps, mostly because the subsequent face-first plunge is quite satisfying, and very effective.
The physics when it comes to these firefights are excellent. Fallen enemies trip up others, heavy fire knocks your assailants back into each other, and picking off an unsuspecting Ganado who has wandered too close to a cliff will send him sailing clear over the edge.
There are a couple of things that would improve the control of RE4, however. Something certainly on the minds of many gamers is strafing. My opinion on this, though, is that the addition of strafing would make for a very different experience, and might ultimately detract from the game's style. More often, Leon could benefit from a quick weapon swap. Something as simple as a 'last weapon' button would've been great, and would make combat even more enjoyable.
Sometimes, the fight comes in too close for comfort, and Leon must resort to hand-to-hand combat. Lucky for you, the combat knife is now mapped to the L button, just as your guns are to the R button. Even more fortunate is the fact that Leon can perform a variety of context sensitive actions during combat, as well as when he's not under attack. If an enemy gets too close for comfort, a quick tap of the A button unleashes a mighty roundhouse kick, sending him flying backwards. Leon can also do things like knock down ladders (that flail-wielding psychos will be climbing), jump through windows, make use of various helpful environmental objects, and even deliver a suplex or two.
The pinnacle of combat in Resident Evil 4 is by far its extraordinary boss encounters, which may very well be the best of all video games. Capcom has managed to mix the context sensitive actions into boss battles so seamlessly and so impressively that these high-adrenaline, awe-inspiring clashes between Leon and a myriad of unique and massive villains will remain on your mind for days.
The fine integration of context sensitive commands doesn't stop at boss battles, either. A simple walk in the woods can turn into a frantic escape from certain death, all determined by the player's reflexes and awareness. And when it comes to cutscenes, don't put down your controller...ever. Even the usual safety of a cutscene can't protect you from the dangers of Resident Evil 4. Rest on your laurels and you'll be the recipient of an axe blade; act swiftly and you'll free yourself from a world of pain.
Describing the graphics of Resident Evil 4 is quite easy to do. Simply put, these are the best visuals on a console game, and even rival the best in PC gaming. Everything in the game is photo-realistic, including the most uncanny of enemies. The character models are excellent, not only from a technical standpoint, but artistically as well.
The level of detail in RE4's environments exceeds those of the pre-rendered backgrounds of Resident Evils past, and this game is fully 3-D! One can literally count the blades of grass or notches in a piece of wood, and the fire effects are phenomenal. The lighting is incredible, as well. Ominous shadows always add to the mood of the game, and when the lightning starts to flash, the alternating illumination and darkness makes for one of the most atmospheric games you could ask for.
It is evident that a great amount of time and effort went into producing what you see throughout Resident Evil 4. For example, there is a particular enemy that you have to shoot in the head to kill, and most likely, you'd be using a zoomed-in sniper rifle. Capcom knew this, of course, so they made the best damn head possible. That's polish.
Also quite shiny is the audio of Resident Evil 4, which runs in Dolby Pro Logic II. The voice acting is much improved over past Resident Evils, and lines are delivered with accurate feeling and intonation. From a series with dark roots in voice acting, the level of effectiveness is certainly welcome. Speech is very well synced to lip movement, as well. Besides the main dialog, you will find that your enemies don't shut up, and are always speaking in threatening, unnerving voices to make you feel that much more tense. Plus, they speak Spanish, which leaves many of us in the dark, not knowing what they are saying.
The overall atmosphere of the game is further heightened by the quality soundtrack, which is always appropriate, and ranges from moody and foreboding to intense and exciting. Like so many other aspects of the game, it is seamless, and is just one part of a total experience presented to the gamer.
One could refer to the entire game as a perpetual series of 'scenes,' because the production values of RE4 are so incredible, rivaling many feature films. The pacing is nearly perfect. The action crescendos and decrescendos throughout the game, balancing fierce confrontation with suspenseful exploration, and the choreography and cinematography are amazing. Every part of the game comes together, and comes together well. The whole package is what I call 'interactive cinematics,' and it will make you stop and say out loud, "wow," "whoa" and "phew" on multiple occasions.
You MUST buy this game...
A glowing review, in retrospect, but I think it was well-deserved. Even without mentioning the Mercenaries minigame (a meaty, never-ending romp that could be called "Resident Evil 4 Arcade") or Assignment Ada (a short foray into the life of Ada Wong), Resident Evil 4 stands firm as one of the best games out there... and it's 2 years old. New style scoring is a no-brainer:
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