by scott - February 11, 2005 You are Leon Kennedy, one of the few survivors of the Raccoon City incident years ago. After escaping from the zombie-infested city, you train under the U.S. Government as an Agent. You then get word that the President�s daughter, Ashley, has been kidnapped and sent you to a remote location in Western Europe. As you begin your search in a small town you realize that the locals aren�t friendly, or even normal�In fact they want you dead.
What happened? These people aren�t zombies, but worse. All you know is that you must rescue Ashley before something evil happens and also find out what has infected the local populace.

Killer Gameplay.....Get It?

This long-awaited title has finally graced us with its presence. I�m going to go out on a limb that if Resident Evil 4 was released in December last year, it would have definitely made Game of the Year. But all that matters is now it is out and already has racked up an impressive record.

RE4 starts out with a familiar face, Leon Kennedy from Resident Evil 2, in a car with two Spanish policemen. I�m sure the first thing you will notice is that the amazing amount of detail that not only is done visually, but voice-over and acting. As you travel down a dirt road through a forest during autumn, you�ll start to feel that sense of dread you get from a scary movie. Of course, we all play Resident Evils for this effect and we all know what is bound to happen.

When you finally start to play, you�ll notice how RE4 doesn�t feel like a Resident Evil game. Gone are the fixed camera angles and the change of view when you cross that invisible barrier to switch to another �camera�. You now play from a 3rd-person perspective and aim your weapon with a laser guide. This not only increases your field of view, but also allows you to specifically aim at your enemies. I know you�re itching to know what you�ll be up against, but patience is a virtue.

The control scheme that goes along with the 3rd-person view feels quite natural. You move with the analog stick, which makes you walk. Unfortunately it wasn�t pressure sensitive, so there is no sneaking, but you hardly need it and you don�t really notice it. You can jog while holding down the B button which can help you get out of sticky situations or to quickly head towards your destination. Your action button is the big �ol green A button. This button is context-sensitive, which means you can interact with certain objects or locations. You can now jump over certain fences, through windows, climb up ladders; knock them over, open doors, etc. The neat feature of opening doors no longer moves into a loading screen with a door opening. A majority of the doors open with no loading, which allows the game to flow smoother and makes the levels seem a lot bigger.

Your weapons are handled by aiming them with the combination of holding down the R trigger and aiming with the analog stick. Once you have drawn a bead on your target, you fire it by pressing the action button. You sadly can�t move and fire at the same time, which limits you to a certain degree. If you�re going to plant your feet and take down a target without moving, you better take it down! Your trusty knife, which can be used to bust boxes and some locks, never leaves your side. You use the L trigger to bring your knife out and the action button to slice and dice.

A new feature also is the implantation of user-based assistance. There will be times where you�ll need to press both the L and R triggers to dodge a boulder, or both the B and A buttons to avoid a hit. This forces you to pay attention to not only your surroundings, but the in-game cinematics as well.

Last but not the very least is your inventory. Gone are those restrictive boxes and having to run from storage chest to storage chest doing the never-ending juggling act. You have an attach� case that allows you carry a good number of items. From here you can carry your weapons and items. Keys and treasures no longer take up valuable space. Now when you first start out this case is small, but you can buy upgraded sizes from a weapons-dealer that appears every so often along your travels. You can also purchase weapons, weapon upgrades, items, and even sell your treasures or extra ammunition for some cash. This whole area of the game itself does nothing but shine as it will make you search every nook and cranny to find any gold to buy that new pistol, or upgrade it for faster reload, or a bullet-proof vest.

Of course with the enemies you will be facing, you�ll want to find the best weapon there is and any ammo boxes found lying around. In fact it is necessary to survive. Your enemies range from the infected humans to bio-genetically created monsters. You will have to stay on your toes around everything as they�re no longer mindless zombies. The AI in RE4 is probably one of the most challenging I have seen in any Resident Evil game. I ran into a small home after being chased by a horde of armed townspeople and promptly pushed a table in front of the door. That stopped them briefly as they pounded on the door and tried to open it. Then they busted in the windows and started climbing in. I ran up the stairs to bring them into a bottleneck, but then the upstairs windows were broken in, with the townspeople using ladders! This was still the first chapter of the game, and as you progress, the enemies get smarter, tougher, and downright scary.

To add icing to this cake, you will be pleased to know that there are no ribbons to take care of either. If you find a typewriter, you can save as long as you have room on your card. Frustrated RE�ers rejoice!
 

Movie-Like Detail

Remember the first Resident Evil for the Gamecube that came out with incredible graphics and detail? Well, if it ain�t broke don�t fix it. Or just improve it. RE4 looks just plain gorgeous. The outdoor levels give that feeling of being in a horror movie as you walk through dusty paths in a forest, to the quaint village that actually looks like a functioning village. Characters don�t look like wooden toys or act like puppets. Their actions are smooth and so natural that I�m pretty sure you�ll draw a crowd just to watch.

The nice looks don�t just stop there. Water gives off perfect reflection of the surroundings while a cold wind blows the grass and trees, as well as Leon�s hair. Flames lick menacingly into the darkness, lighting your path and giving that cool blur heat effect. I can guarantee you will not be disappointed in any way possible with the looks of RE4.

The scope of the graphics can scale impressively. There will be points where you can see for what it seems like miles and doesn�t look like it was just drawn in to fill space. Other times you�ll face giant bosses that you are sure that look almost real to the touch and fearsome to get close to. There are no cheap effects save for times where a baddie will clip through a door or even right through you. Other than that, everything looks great.

There aren�t any pre-rendered movies or cut scenes, they are all handled by the impressive in-game engine itself. This serves to bring the connection of the player to the game even more.
 

Skin-Crawling Ambience And Sound

RE4 is fully supported on Dolby Pro Logic II for those who want to be scared out of their pants by the ambience and sounds. I can honestly say that there was nothing skipped in terms of sound. Your footsteps make their respective sounds along a dirt path, wooden floor, stone, water, mud, and carpet. Now you may not think it is a big deal, but when you�re walking through a forest, hearing nothing but the whistling wind, leaves rustling, and your shoes on the ground, you�ll strain your ears to listen for any ambushes. When it does come, you�ll jump out of your seat, guaranteed.

Environmentally RE4 sounds good, but it�s your weapons and the voice acting where it shines. There is nothing more satisfying then the sound of your shotgun blasting rounds into a baddie, hearing those pellets strike flesh just gets your blood rushing. I may not be a weapons expert, but I�m pretty sure that no one is going to think any weapon you have in your hands is going to sound like a puny peashooter.

The voice acting is no longer cheesy and awkward like the curse of the previous Resident Evil series. While there are no real famous actors, the quality is superb and there are times where you swear that this could be a movie. Your enemies don�t leave you shortchanged either. You�ll meet some interesting monsters whose noises will haunt you in your sleep. You�ll understand when you reach the baddies called Regenerators.

An interesting note about the townspeople; they speak Spanish. However it isn�t just generic Spanish, but understandable Spanish. If you can understand this language, you�ll be at an advantage to understand what is going on, as they�ll shout orders or threats. So if you want the upper hand, find that buddy of yours that went down to Mexico for the summer.
 

Theres More When You're Done

Just because you beat Resident Evil 4, doesn�t mean the adventure is over. With the variety of weapons, you can try different approaches to your enemies. If you did up close attacks, why not invest in pistols and rifles? Or perhaps try searching for more treasure to buy that rocket launcher to finish off that boss quicker? There are many more ways to replay RE4 that you�ll have fun with this title for a while.

Without spoiling anything, it is worth it to replay it over and over to get more goodies and earn the extras. You can unlock secrets, earn collectible bottle caps, and even play a side story that will tie up some loose ends�. I said enough! You should find out for yourself!
 

Is It Still Scary?

Yes. Yes it is. A worthy Resident Evil addition that doesn't fail to scare!

One Of The Best

Resident Evil 4 is probably one of the best survival horror games that has come along in a while. It didn't just re-invent the genre, it took it to a whole new level. With over 20 hours of gameplay, plus many many more devoted to the extras, new players are rewarded, and Resident Evil faithful can smile and give respect to the new addition to the family.