GENRE
	Action
	DEVELOPER
	Capcom
	PUBLISHER
	Capcom
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	CONNECTIVITY
	no
	BUY NOW AT

Resident Evil first came onto the scene in 1996 to the original PlayStation. The game is widely recognized as having defined the survival-horror genre ever since. Since then, many new iterations and imitations of Capcom’s zombie-slaying gorefest have sprung up over a variety of platforms, with all the main games in the series having previously been ported to GameCube. The little purple box has even seen its share of RE exclusives, with the excellent REmake of the original and Resident Evil 0. Still, while the series has continued to please its fan base and maintain a certain level of quality, many have complained that the unevolving RE formula has gone stale. When Capcom unveiled the new look of Resident Evil in 4, the possibilities were endless. Umbrella’s gone. There’s no more token zombies. Leon from Resident Evil 2 is back. He’s in Europe and rescuing the president’s daughter. This sounded promising but could Resident Evil 4 deliver the fresh experience fans of the series and the genre have been waiting for? In a word: abso-freaking-lutely!

visuals

Literally jaw-dropping. A definite contender for the best looking game on GameCube. Resident Evil 4 boasts some of the best graphics of this or any console generation, creating an atmosphere unparalleled in any other survival-horror game. Capcom has really outdone themselves in all regards, pushing the GameCube’s hardware to its absolute fullest potential. The whole game is in full 3-D, a feature previously only seen in RE: Code Veronica as the other games opted for beautifully detailed, but stationary and less-interactive, pre-rendered backgrounds. In addition, the world of RE4 teems with life—crows in the distance, rushing realistic water, flies whirling around stagnant well water and cow butts, and so much more. The lighting effects are nothing short of astonishing, everything from flickering torch flames in a dark castle to lava-filled caverns and even lightning flashes in pouring rain and fog—you really do need to just sit back and take it all in.

No virtual world is complete without an abundance of characters to inhabit it. RE4 has a huge variety of enemies to be gunned down, blown to bits, and sliced. Each monster, crazed villager, and ghoulish monk moves with hauntingly realistic (and fast!) motions. The most common enemies will react to location-specific damage until you finish them off, a feat rewarding you with each defeated body exploding into dust. This is a welcome change from the dead bodies of RE past games and makes it feel even more like a Hollywood movie.

Unlike the cinematics of past RE games, RE4 sports cut-scenes played out in real-time using the in-game engine, something not to be frowned upon with such beautiful graphics throughout. Each one is directed very well and maintains and even expands upon the in-game atmosphere. Most notably, the character animations of friends and foes alike are very realistic. Thankfully, mouth animations perfectly match character dialogue as well—quite a notable achievement.

The fact that all this on-screen action (you will be surrounded…a LOT) happens with zero framerate issues, a brand new and incredibly effective camera system, movie-like widescreen, and a new behind-the-shoulder view is icing on an already delicious cake.

audio

What’s a beautiful game without the sound to back it up? Don’t worry — RE4’s audio is equally impressive. Environmental effects like running water, falling rain, and cawing crows all complete an already horrific backdrop to the action. The background music, when playing, perfectly suits situations, helping to keep a consistent feeling of panic and impending doom. The broad spectrum of new enemies sound just as good as they look. Monks chant a cryptic chant, monstrosities roar, and the many villagers scream at you in Spanish, sounding like crazed animal-human hybrids. The best part of it all? Three words: Great. Voice. Acting! I know, it’s a relief to hear and hard to believe without experiencing it yourself, but every voice actor really delivers. With lines that are well-written, the experience is made that much more enjoyable. The story is made that much more interesting because of the superb voice acting. Enjoy it while it lasts because videogame audio doesn’t get any better than this.

gameplay

So the new look and sound of RE4 really paid off, but the biggest risk Capcom took was its drastic changes in gameplay, the most important part of any game. This risk proves to have been well-worth taking, as it is what makes RE4 stand out not only from other RE games, but all other games in the genre. This is not your daddy’s Resident Evil. Leon and his enemies no longer move statically and sluggishly. You can turn him quickly and responsively, something needed while these new enemies run at you at full speed, especially the uber-scary chainsaw man.

You now have a new best friend, the mysterious but oh-so-helpful Merchant. Placed at different points in each area and between levels, Leon can now buy, sell, and upgrade items and weapons conveniently. The further you get in the game, the bigger and more expensive the items you can buy. The ability to upgrade adds to the strategy-making and gives a certain RPG element to the game. All these items and weapons are still controlled from the same kind of always-accessible main health/weapon/map menu common in all the RE games. Leon, like past playable characters, can only hold a certain amount of stuff at a time. However, this time around it’s all held in an attaché case (with larger ones available through the Merchant) that you must fit in Tetris-style. This makes what weapons to buy and carry much more complex because you cannot just put them down like in Resident Evil 0. Plus, going to this main screen gives a much-needed breather from the unrelenting intensity of the game.

Firing weapons is very responsive and well-rewarded. Every gun now has a laser scope for precise aiming, which works very well with the new over-the-shoulder view. Leon’s hand even shakes nervously while aiming! Enemies have location-specific damage and will react accordingly and realistically.

Ammo, health, and money will all be dropped by enemies and randomly scattered throughout the game (usually in boxes and barrels that can be easily broken with the readily-available knife). The yellow, green, and red herbs common to the series are all back too. By combining them in different ways, varying levels of health can be replenished. Combining all three and using it at once actually increases your health meter as well.

The infamous typewriters are back, too, for all your game-saving needs. However, you no longer need those blasted ink ribbons to use them. You can now save whenever you want, but still need to find a typewriter at which to do it. There are even auto-save points throughout the game.

Of course, the most rewarding battles in RE4 are the boss fights. And RE4 features some of the most memorable boss fights of any game created. They fit very well into the storyline and are all about using the right weapons and environmental features to find the right way to vanquish them. The sense of panic is far more unrelenting during these fights. Some had me on the edge of my seat breathing heavily and occasionally shrieking. It was intense. The more generic enemies will even throw weapons, plan attacks together, and find new ways of getting to you (breaking windows, setting up and climbing ladders, busting down doors, the whole bit). Many cut-scenes are now interactive as well, calling for certain button combinations at specific times. This is a much-appreciated innovation and keeps you concentrating and attentive the whole time.

A good chunk of the game is spent protecting Ashley, the president’s daughter. She’ll help sometimes but is mostly there to make things harder, as you have to keep her just as safe as yourself. If she dies, it’s game over for Leon. Ashley gets her own health meter, which can also be replenished or increased using herbs and first aid sprays. She makes the game and strategy-making that much harder. Her assistance is even needed in a couple of the game’s puzzles, which are far less complex and annoying than previous RE games.

That’s not to say that the game is easy by any means. You may have access to lots of guns, ammo, and health and need to solve easier puzzles, but the sheer number of progressively more difficult enemies that are thrown at you make the game one of the most difficult the game has seen. For those that may get lost or confused, Leon communicates with some allies and enemies via a Metal Gear Solid-esque handheld videophone. This adds to the story and character personality, but adds some unnecessary dialogue that takes away the intimidation of some key enemies. Still, this is a matter of opinion and does nothing to take away from the game’s overall gameplay and experience. Responsive. Innovative. Effective. When it comes down to it, every alteration in Resident Evil 4’s gameplay is a much-needed and much-appreciated change.

multiplayer

N/A

overall

I could go on and on even further about the technical and artistic achievement that is Resident Evil 4, but I’ll let you see the rest yourself. Capcom took some very big risks with RE4: no more Umbrella, no more zombies, and a brand new camera and gameplay system. In the end, every single chance has paid off. Best of all, the game takes about 20 to 25 hours to beat, not including the numerous minigames and unlockables that are each impressive in their own right. Superb gameplay, along with some of (if not the) most beautiful visuals and masterful audio to ever be seen on a console all make Resident Evil 4 quite possibly the best overall game on GameCube.

It’s not quite perfect—some may complain about a lack of strafing or quick-change of weapons. And the game is more action-packed than any of its predecessors. But for a game to single-handedly redefine the genre it helped establish and have only a few opinion-based flaws, they are easy to overlook. The scares are plentiful—things will jump out at you, there’s a good chance your head will get lobbed off (multiple times), and there is a sense of merciless panic and terror throughout the whole game that no other has been able to achieve. The situations you’ll get into in Resident Evil 4 are the stuff nightmares are made of. The amount of blood, guts, cursing, and weapons makes this a game to keep the kids and weak-hearted (and stomached...and bladdered...) away from. But those who can take it will be rewarded with a gaming experience that is simply unmatched.

Resident Evil 4 will change the way you look at games. Never found a reason to get into the Resident Evil series or the survival-horror genre? Need a reason to buy a GameCube? Don’t know what this whole video game “craze” is all about? This is it. More than a game, it’s an experience that cannot be missed. This is the masterpiece that is Resident Evil 4.

9.9/10