11/14/05 >> Resident Evil 4 (PlayStation 2)
Genre: Survival Horror
Originally on the Game Cube, PS2 owners get to own this fantastic title of the survival/horror genre. Now, I have never been a fan of the Resident Evil games, basically because of the terrible controls. The problem with moving and aiming has always been an issue. Well, all of that and more have been fixed with Resident Evil 4 (RE4).
Before we talk about the stuff getting fixed, I will give you a little idea of the story. In RE4, you control Leon Kennedy, one of the heroes from Resident Evil 2. He recalls the events that happened in Raccoon City as he is escorted in a truck by two Spanish cops. He has been given a special assignment to find the president's kidnapped daughter, Ashley Graham. She was nabbed up during her walk home from school for unspecified reasons. Sources pointed to her being spotted in desolate village. When Leon asks about her, he is greeted by murderous villagers wielding axes, sickles, and chain saws. Just what the hell are these people, what do they want with Ashley, and who is behind this sinister plot? All these questions and more get answered as you lead Leon through a quest of horror that will keep you glued to your screen for hours.
Now then, back the most important part of the game: the controls. As I said, everything was fixed. Moving is no longer an issue. Leon is the main man of the game, and who you'll be controlling during the majority of the quest. You use the left analog stick to move him, that's it. You don't have to rotate or side step or anything like that anymore. The camera stays behind Leon's back the entire time. You can hold the square button to run. Also, if you push the stick back and hit square, Leon will do a quick 180. The right stick can be used to move the camera around for examining things. Moving isn't the only thing that's better in this game, aiming has significantly improved as well. First off, every gun has a laser pointer when you aim with the R1 button. This allows you to aim with pin-point accuracy, which is if you are fast enough to hit the intended target. Most enemy's can be targeted in certain parts of their body. Hitting their legs will make them fall; hitting their arms make them drop their weapon. A head shot is a good way to instant kill an enemy. However, sometimes it won't.
This is where the action button comes in. X is used to shoot your gun, but also used for other actions. If you stun an enemy and run up to him, you can use the X button to kick the enemy down. Some enemies will set up ladders, so you use the X button to knock them down, and then jump out of a window. There are tons of things that you can do this time as you traverse through the haunting environments. However, the coolest thing comes when it comes to instant death scenarios. Basically, Leon will be traveling when all of a sudden something happens in which you, the player, need to press both L1 and R1 or square and O at the same time. These buttons also come into play during the grueling boss encounters. It may sound like a pain, but when you actually see it in action, you'll love it.
Another very handy feature is the reloading ability. Instead of bothering with the menu screen, you can reload when you hold down the aim button and hit square or O. Also, holding L1 will bust out Leon's knife, saving you the trouble of equipping it. There are tons of objects to explore, plenty of hidden areas, and items to pick up everywhere. In all honesty after playing this game, I am wondering what Capcom thinking with the way the other titles was played. But, like any other survival/horror game, the true fun comes from killing things, or being killed and trying again...depending on your point of view.
RE4 has more monsters than you can shake a stick at and this time, they are smart and usually travel in groups. Don't think for a second that this game is easy. This is one of the most difficult games that I have ever played. In fact, I don't think I've gotten the game over screen so many times in my life. Luckily, you don't have to start at the last typewriter (the save spots in RE games). Instead, you start at the same area you started so this is a huge sigh of relief. Furthermore, the typewriters don't require ink to use. A lot of the regular enemies have instant death attacks, and others really can take a toll on Leon's health. If you try to run, you may come to a dead end and end up having to fight them. Make sure your aim is good; otherwise you'll run out of ammo. Luckily, the enemies usually drop ammo and money.
Yes, in this game you can buy new weapons, as well as upgrade them from a mysterious merchant. Anyway, back to the combat. Leon has a wide variety of weapons available to him and selecting the right one takes some thought. You'll need to snipe during many parts of the game in order to avoid getting sniped yourself. You will have to use your rocket launcher at the right time because it's one time use only. Also, certain enemies can only be killed by hitting specific areas.
During some parts of the game, you'll have Ashley following you. You can have her wait in a safe area by hitting the L2 button, and then hitting it again for her to catch up to Leon. There are also certain areas where she can hide. Sometimes, the two of them can work together to unlock doors. But be sure Ashley is kept safe, for if she is snatched up by an enemy you may receive a game over screen if you don't act quick enough. Also, you have to watch where you are aiming when attempting to save a snatched up Ashley. A bullet can go through two people, you know.
So that's all that there is to say about the game play. In one word, I call it excellent. The game is hard, you will die, and you may even get frustrated sometimes. But you know what? You'll have a blast doing it. I can't emphasize enough the fun factor this game.
Let us not forget the fun from getting the crap scared out of you thanks to the sights and sounds of classic survival/horror video game goodness. First, the graphics on the PS2 are just as great. There is a bit of lag in some cases, but it's hardly a bother. Beautifully haunting environments that will make you sweat are everywhere, and if you think the areas are scary, just wait until you see the enemies. From parasites that claw your eyes out to giant freaks of nature, there are tons of enemies in this game that will scare the hell out of you, at least until you blast them to death. With great sights, come great sounds. RE4 delivers in terms of freaking you out with the eerie chants from the hooded figures and the putrid growling of the giant insects you'll face. There isn't that much music in this game, but the few tracks you do hear are haunting, with the exception of about two. But music in a survival/game is never supposed to be anything memorable, it's the monsters that should be remembered.
There you have it folks! Resident Evil 4 is a game not to be missed. After you beat the game, you unlock a ton of fun extras that will make you come back for more and more. There are items you miss, new guns to try out, and plenty of action that never gets old. If you are up to it, spend the extra 10 dollars on the premium box set. You'll get the game disc, the playing manual, a making of the game CD, a Resident Evil Prologue explaining the entire series, and a laser cell of the fierce Ada Wong all in a metal case. How cool is that? Arriving just in time for the Halloween season, Resident Evil 4 delivers on all fronts.
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Game Score: 9.5
