Resident Evil 4


Game Info

Publisher: Capcom Entertainment

Developer: Capcom Production Studio 4

Platform: PS2

Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure, Survival Horror

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: October 25, 2005


Intro:
Resident Evil 4 begins with a brief history lesson of Raccoon City and an update of what the government has done about the Umbrella Corporation that released the virus on an unsuspecting world.  Players are introduced, or re-introduced, to Leon who has become a government agent charged with finding the president's kidnapped daughter.  He finds himself in a jeep searching an obscure area of Europe for her.  He is dropped off by his guides near a small village and the game begins.

Getting Going:
Once Leon is dropped off, the player takes control and heads for the closest house.  Someone is looking out of the window, but Leon will be able to do little with that knowledge.  In fact, while the player is aware of this, it seemed as if Leon was still in the dark.  As you round the house walls, the owner speaks something in a foreign language and attacks.  Once you shoot, the other zombies become aware and push on the door, attempting to enter.

Fun:
Actually, I found the camera so frustrating, that fun is not the way I would describe Resident Evil 4.

Visuals:
The environment is gray and brown, drab.  The artistic style matches this.  It seems more sketchy than realistic, which is perhaps what Capcom was going for.  The visuals do help to create the zombie mood.  It's as if everything in the environment is simply dead.  The HUD gives excellent real-time information regarding number of bullets and life information.  Treasures and side-mission items are well-lit and stand out from the rest of the environment.  Capcom uses old typewriters as a save device.  Zombies get so close to you that you are aware of them, but can't always see them while others are attacking.  Kicking one zombie into a crowd, sending them all flying, however, was extremely amusing. 

Sound:
It was difficult to hear where the sounds were coming from.  Zombies make noises and speak in a foreign language so that their presence is known, and yet, it is difficult to tell where they're coming from and they can be difficult to spot against the drab background.  RE4 uses a codec system so that Leon can touch base with his handler.  All of these communications are completely voice-acted. 

Intelligence:
The zombies don't seem altogether aware of Leon until he shoots.  This alerts the crowd, bringing them all at once.  The zombies don't shuffle, but do walk forward with a persistent gait.  They respond to gunshots and bring along their pitchforks.  Zombies cannot be persuaded away from their pursuit of Leon once set in motion, either. 

Immersion:
The story drives the player forward and gameplay is rather linear, but camera angles and the inability to swing around easily to get a shot keep an immersive feel at arm's length.  Also, zombies can take three or four shots to take down leaving Leon scouring the area for more ammo.

Rewards and Punishments:
Cupboards, barrels and crates around the area can be broken or opened to obtain ammo, health, and treasures. Zombies also leave behind ammo, health, and money when they die. If you die, you die and are returned to the last save point. 

Cameras:
You can't look down.  Since most treasures are dropped on the ground after a zombie dies, this is a problem.  The only time you have any real control of the camera is when you're aiming your gun and even then, it won't stay put and it's difficult to control.  This makes searching an area annoying at best and, during fights, downright agitating.  There were times I was aware that a zombie was next to me to the left, but unable to swing and fight him because the camera controls made visuals difficult.

Controls:
It's hard to watch where Leon is going because you can't look down and steering him through the area is sometimes difficult.  It's not that he's hard to control, himself.  It's the fine-tuning, so vital in a shooter and adventure game, that makes moving through the game difficult.

Ideas:
Player Experience...there's no substitute for paying attention to player experience.

Memory:
I find I'm not easily swayed by reviews and high ratings.  Resident Evil 4 might be a great game if it were played all the way through.  I'll never know, because the controls and cameras made me want to quit shortly into the game.  In the end, I still feel that reviewers are often swayed by comparisons to other games in the franchise instead of seeing the game for it's own merits.