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| | Title:
Resident Evil 4
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System:
Gamecube
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Genre:
Action
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Publisher:
Capcom
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Developer:
Capcom
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Release:
01/11/2005
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Online:
No
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ESRB:
Mature (M)
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Intense. That’s the word-of-the-day and the one-word descriptor I give to Resident Evil 4. So intense in fact, that it’s taken me quite some time to finish the game because I often feel myself getting overwhelmed and even frustrated at the ferocity in which Capcom heaves you into battles of non-survival. But I’ll be damned if I don’t come back for more.
Not only is the gameplay more intense than previous installments in the RE series, its schema and presentation are far and above the rest. The story is so much more gripping and full of action, mystery, and piss-pants scariness that you’ll feel like you’re living the living-nightmare of Leon's yourself. Yep, that’s right, the one and same Leon of past RE games. He hath returneth, though, his role is that of a secret agent whom is sent to Europe to locate the President’s kidnapped daughter. Leon again finds himself in the world of horror after surviving the Raccoon City incident in a village infested with the zombie-like people, though, they are no where near as dumb as the undead.
The atmosphere of the European “scary town” infestation is not your average video game surrealistic environment. Chalked full of detail and depth, I find myself wondering if at some point during horrific encounters that I will see a urine spot on Leon’s pants, manifesting what I’m feeling as I run from crazed assailants of the hard-to-kill-and-infected nature. The breadth of the environment is dazzling and the twisted emotion of the enemies is unsettling to see in such detailed capture…except when you light them up in raucous gunfire and revel in the horrific screams of the dying. On the flip side, it’s like one of those dreams in which you are falling and wake up with a start and breathing heavy when an enemy mutilates Leon’s still twitching corpse.
Just as in previous RE installments, the music plays a vital role in presenting the appropriate atmosphere for the game. It’s some of the most dramatic and chill-inducing scores to hit the consoles. When traversing between locations or seemingly harmless areas, the music is non-existent, leaving you feeling vulnerable and filled with foreboding as you listen to nothingness with the hollow sound of a light breeze and the occasional shrill cry of a crow. You’ll know when something is afoot; the music deepens to a cadence of panic and illustrates what may or may not lie ahead. It could only be a trick on your mind, or there could be a gruesome enemy lying in wait.
You, as I did, may find that the over-the-shoulder, 3D viewpoint of RE4 is a welcome change and really adds to the improved gameplay mechanics wherein shooting/attacking is a much more rewarding experience. Instead of just trying to escape enemies because of your meager amounts of ammo as in previous installments and not being able to see ahead or what’s on the next screen, you are rewarded with using caution and being able to plan your next move because now you can fully see what’s around you, instead of popping into the next pre-rendered background and finding a ferocious devil dog is hungry for Leon’s flesh. This very important aspect of RE4 is what makes this game that much more life-like and intense and improves the gameplay ten-fold, not to even mention that your enemies are a bit more intelligent than zombies.
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