Resident Evil 4 Leon's got a brand-new bag.

by Halbred

I had serious doubts about this game. I have played Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, and REmake (I own that one). To tell you the truth, I've never been a fan of the gameplay. The graphics--sure--gorgeous. The storyline is nice and dark and mature. The creatures aside from the zombies (enough with the zombies) are unique and nicely gory. When I heard about Resident Evil 4, so very long ago, I thought "well, here we go again. Capcom is milking the franchise once more." Even after reading several previews and hands-on impressions, I was unconvinced. RE4 was obviously just another Resident Evil game.

Boy, was I wrong.

Public opinion is what I trust most. After I heard several gaming websites and magazines had given the game the equivalent of the Pulitzer in Gaming, I took my Buy Buy gift card and grabbed the last one from the shelf. I put Eternal Darkness, Viewtiful Joe 2, and Donkey Konga by the wayside so that I could fully immerse myself in RE4. Best decision I've ever made. RE4 is a complete reinvention of the franchise. It is Super Mario Bros. 3 to the original Super Mario Bros. The bones are there, but the meat is completely different. We're lookin' at a whole new animal.

Leon Kennedy, who you might remember as the poor rookie cop in Resident Evil 2, has undergone some government training and has been put in charge of protecting the President's family. Again, on his first day, Ashley Graham, the President's daughter, is kidnapped. She's been sighted in some village in the backwoods of Europe, and Leon is dispatched to get her back. He discovers a bizarre religious cult, the Los Illuminados, and their plot to turn the world into bug-people. There is no T-Virus, G-Virus, or Proginator Virus. This is a whole new virus, and it's not even a virus. It's a parasite.

The controls are the same as in previous RE games, except the L button has been mapped to your knife, which is almost useless except for smashing crates, barrels, and glass. Your inventory has evolved significantly so that it now resembles Diablo 2. You can manage the space in your box, which can be upgraded to hold more stuff, and it never seems like you run out of room. You can have many different weapons at once, tons of herbal medication, grenades, and ammo. It's a beautiful thing. What has changed, however, is the viewpoint. No more static camera angles--this game puts a roving camera right behind Leon. You can adjust the camera ever so slightly with the C-Stick, but it's not necessary to do so. The view actually makes the game spookier, as there's a feeling of claustraphobia while walking around. The only way to look beyond the "tall" viewpoint is to break out your rifle and take a look around. Oh, rifles are new to RE. Sniping is incredibly easy and fun, and really frees you up from toe-to-toe firefights. Your goal is to rescue Ashley, and when you do, she will be your constant companion. I loved her. Every second spent with that girl was great. I've never become more attached to an NPC. My feelings for that girl went far beyond Makar and Medli from Wind Waker. Double H and Pay'J from Beyond Good & Evil pale in comparison. I found myself actively reassuring Ashley that we were going to be okay, telling her to come with me, to hide or stay somewhere. And not me as in Leon pressing the X button, but ME telling the onscreen character. I blew away her would-be kidnappers with a veangance and assaulted the insectoids that kidnap her latter in the game out of sheer rage. I was her protector, and every time I failed to save her or I saw that she was getting axed by a villager, I felt responsible. Guilty. I have never had that experience in a video game. Ever. That's powerful stuff. Ashley will also help you out--tag team maneuvers or sections where she drives, you blow stuff up. She even has her own short but fun Clock Tower-esque mission.

Capcom makes killing villagers fun and easy. Holding R puts you in targetting mode. You can aim anywhere. Want to try for a head shot? It's no longer (as) random. Blow their heads off. Knock that pitchfork out of homeboy's hand. Shoot the dynamite so that it explodes in the old lady's hand, blowing her entire family to kingdom come. It's fun. And these villagers/monks/soldiers aren't pansies. They come running at you with axes, scythes, wooden shields and maces, and machine guns. And you've gotta love the homage to Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Those guys do not go down easily. The Action commands, which I like to call reflex saves (because they often depend on your twitch-action reflexes), will save your bacon more than once. If a villager grabs ahold of you, rotate that control stick to shake them off. Shoot a monk in the knees, then run up to him and tap A to kick him in the head. Outrun and jump out of the way of a giant rock that some angry peons have rolled toward you. It's all very exciting. There are entire battles that take place using just reflex saves. There is more than GI or any other magazine has let on. A brilliant stroke on the part of the gaming press to only show the village life. Made me think that the entire game takes place in the woods. It does not. You'll explore ancient ruins, underground caverns, a massive castle, and a military outpost before this game is through. You'll fight face-hugger like critters, a knockoff of the alien in Alien, demonic midgits, and the creepiest, most heart-poundingly vicious humanoids ever. They are Regenerators (and Needlers) and their spastic breathing sends chills down my spines even today. You have been warned.

Environments are in 3D but are amazingly static. There is little if any environmental interaction. Sure, you'll work some cranks and do some puzzles, but the streaming animation of REZero is oddly absent. The rain, fog, and lighting effects are top-notch, however, as are the pyro and water effects. The blood oozes and spurts, which is nice, although damage modeling would have helped. When I shoot a guy in the teeth, I expect his face to be more than a little messed up. Sadly, this is not the case. He looks the same. Now, the creepy crawlies that burst out of some villagers are a little messed up (don't get too close to the lara parasites in the castle) and they react nicely to being shot. I loved the animation of the adult Las Plagas. They crawled around just like a spider and it was really spine-tingling.

You can buy stuff from a Merchant, which is a nice addition. He not only buys from you the valuable treasures you've found (combine certain treasures with stones for more $$$), he will upgrade your weaponry for a price. Each weapon has four stats which can be upgraded several times. By the end of the second time through, you will be a lean, mean, killing machine. Some people like the Red9. I like the Killer7. The Punisher is by far the best handgun. That Infinate Rocket Launcher might be expensive, but by the end of...oh, maybe three times through the game...you'll have the money.

Graphically, the game is top-tier for the 'Cube. Sure, there are some muddy or generalized textures, and character models have irritating animation lines (especially in some cut-scenes) but in general I have not seen a prettier game on the little purple box. Bosses are massive and fantastic. Facial musculature makes its first appearance that I can recall in an RE game (Lord Saddler is particularily impressive) and Ashley's impressive "ballistics" (as Luis would say) animate nicely as she runs and jumps--especially in her special costume (which I absolutely adore). The sound is great--music only comes on when you're being attacked by enemies and goes away when all the enemies are killed (a nice touch). Otherwise, it's just your footsteps, breathing, and ambient noise. I like it. Very spooky atmosphere. RE4 also has replay value in spades. Beat the game once and a whole bunch of bonus features are unlocked. Mercenary Mode, which is essentially a "how many fools can you kill in the alloted time," is addictive and motivating because by doing well, you can unlock new characters like Krause, Ada, and yes, even Wesker. There's also an hour-long (shorter for people who are good at this game) subchapter starring everyone's favorite dark-haired beauty, Ada. Ada's Assignment gives her side of the story, and she's apparently in charge of finding samples of Las Plagas and the antidote for Wesker. It's a nice story but kind of tough to get into because Ada is much weaker and has much more limited weaponry than Leon. And then there are the special costumes. Leon gets his RPD outfit from RE2 and Ashley...well, let's just say you won't be able to look away.

RE4 is different. So different that I didn't see it as an RE game. It was an adventure game. A survival-horror game. A game that is nearly without fault. Although I wish you could straffe. But otherwise this is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride from start to finish with great characters, fantastic gameplay, and an involving plotline. Go forth and purchase. Be ready to lose a few days of your life, though.

Final Say: 10.00 I never give 10's. This game is freakin' gold.