|
The Lowdown
Pros: Jaw dropping graphics, with superb gameplay innovations makes
Resident Evil 4 a top notch title.
Cons: Some of those cheap scares that made the Resident Evil series famous
are lost.
 Purchase at Play-Asia
 Purchase
at Lik-Sang
      |
Resident Evil 4 has been plagued with delay after delay. The game was
announced over two years ago, when the first screen shots of the title
showed a gloomy mansion. After an entire gameplay overhaul, Resident
Evil 4 is released. The wait was well worth it because Resident Evil 4
is simply the best game in the series.Set after the events in Raccoon
City, Resident Evil 4 puts you in the role of Leon Kennedy. He was that
unlucky officer who faced a swarm of virus infected people running
rampant in Raccoon City on his first day of work. He survived the whole
ordeal and has been transferred to a special agency in the US
government. His first mission is to rescue the president's daughter,
Ashley Graham. She's reported to be seen in a remote village in Europe.
Of course, Leon head's on the next plane to Europe, but he gets an
unsettling welcome.
The town in Resident Evil 4 isn't full of zombies, strange
inhabitants yes, but not zombies. As soon as Leon runs into one of them,
the bloody eyed townsfolk grabs a hatchet and strikes Leon with it.
Something is defiantly wrong with these people. What is going on in this
village, is one of the mysteries in this game. These mysterious
villagers are much smarter than even the most dreaded crimson zombie.
When you're trying to concentrate your aim, they'll bob from side to
side to dodge bullets. If you think kicking ladders down and
hiding in a corner will save you, think again. A single villager will
pick up a ladder and they will gang up on you if you hide. The level of
AI in the game is impressive.
The number of attacking civilians is much greater than any other
Resident Evil title. Because of this the game's ammo system and item
system has been redesigned. To keep with the flow of action Leon can
acquire bullets with ease. You still can't spray bullets on screen like
a first person shooter, but you can use your pistol at leisure. You can
use your equipped gun by holding R down and use your combat knife by
holding down L. When you pull your gun out you'll see a red laser that
can be used to aim. Shooting an enemy in different locations affects how
they react. For instance shooting an enemy in the hand could cause them
to drop their weapon, while shooting their legs will make them fall to
the ground. Besides the standard pistol Leon will be able to purchase
new guns like a shotgun, semi automatic TMP and the elusive rocket
launcher. That's right Leon can purchase items. By picking up pestas
Leon will be able to negotiate with a mysterious cloaked merchant. The
hooded figure can also upgrade Leon's firearms to make them carry more
bullets, shoot faster or increase the firepower. Like all Resident Evil
titles you're limited to how much stuff you can carry. Instead of having
generic item boxes Leon has a case with a Diablo-like item grid to place
items in it. Obviously larger guns take up more space then packs of
bullets or herbs. It's up to the player to intelligently arrange the
items to maximize the amount of stuff Leon can carry.
The changes in the Resident Evil formula are designed to make it more
like an action game than a slow paced adventure title. The pace is
really refreshing and makes the game feel more intense. Even when
exploring there is a level of tension. Cleverly laid out booby traps
like trip wires are placed to keep gamers on their toes. The best part
about the game is that Capcom manages to change what you're doing so
often that you won't ever be bored. Besides walking around the village
you'll be driving a motorboat and battling a giant sea creature. After
that you'll outrun a huge boulder and then shoot a rocket through a huge
ogre called "el gigante". As a player you just don't get a break and
that's a good thing. Once you master playing Leon you'll have Ashley
following you around and have to worry about her safety. The only thing
we could wish for are more scares. Resident Evil 4 doesn't pull that
many cheap scares where things jump out at you. Instead the game has an
ominous creepy feel to it, similar to the Silent Hill series. Every
once in awhile a snake will jump out of a crate or you'll run into a
bear trap, but enemies don't try to shock scare you the way they would
in older Resident Evil titles.
Besides all of the gameplay improvements Resident Evil 4 gets a serious
graphical overhaul. The whole game engine runs so smoothly, while
looking so great. Many times the game seamlessly switches from a FMV
back to gameplay without much difference. All of the characters in the
game, especially Leon are so detailed. Little things like the realistic
looking fire and the clever use of lighting make Resident Evil 4 one of
the best looking games on the game cube. Another major shit is removing
the 2D pre-rendered backgrounds that made the series famous. They're
replaced with full 3D environments. The full out 3D world looks amazing,
even if it's a bit colorless. The perspective in the game is also
unique. Leon is always at the back of the screen and the camera takes an
over the shoulder approach. The shift in camera allows you to see a
wider range of what is going on compared to a first person mode. Since
the camera is well fixed players won't need to focus on moving it and
just focus on the incoming action.
Resident Evil 4 is contained on 2 discs and with over 15 hours of
gameplay you'll be getting your money's worth. Once you complete
Resident Evil 4 you're offered a number of new gameplay modes to keep
you playing again. One of them is a new difficulty level and another one
allows you to play as a completely new character. If you're a fan of the
series, you'll be pleasantly surprised who it is. The whole experience of
Resident Evil 4 from start to finish is constant entertainment. Even if
you've never picked up a Resident Evil game before or aren't a fan of
them try this out. Resident Evil 4 stands among the top games in the
Gamecube library and it will be one of the best games in 2005.
This Resident Evil title doesn't have as many puzzles that require a
deep knowledge of Japanese to get through. Plus the action is self
explanatory.
US Bound?
Resident Evil 4 was released in the US on January 11, 2005.
Overall
Out of all the excellent Gamecube titles out there Resident Evil 4
is one of the few games to live up and surpass all of the hype around
it. If you have a Gamecube pick this game up right away!
|
|
