Resident Evil 4
Think back to when you saw your first horror movie. You were probably
anxious about when things were bound to jump out at the screen. You
might have felt a twinge in the pit of your stomach. Still, no matter
what spurted from the bodies on the screen or how intense the music
got, you couldn’t take your eyes off the screen. Chances are a few of
you yelled at the screen, either as a warning to the heroine, or like a
little girl in fear.
Ever
since Adventure for the Atari 2600, game developers have been trying to
recreate that same experience, only with the player in control. We’ve
come a loooong way since Adventure. Now we’ve got 3D, surround sound
and more blood than the set of the next Nightmare on Elmstreet movie.
Best in show goes to the Resident Evil series of horror survival games,
beginning with the original Playstation title that may as well have
launched the genre. Several sequels have followed, mostly to warm
receptions. Consider that all changed with the release of Resident Evil
4 for, of all systems, the GameCube, known more for its family friendly
party games and platformers, than bloody mature rated zombie-fests.
You
play Leon, a special forces operative, originally assigned on your
first day in Raccoon City, the ill-fated city to which the T-virus was
released, turning its citizens into blood thirsty zombies. Since the
fiasco back home, you’ve been reassigned to retrieve the president’s
daughter who’s recently been kidnapped by some mysterious cult south of
the border. You and a few locals hired to lead you into the village
suspected of harboring the girl, ride in only to discover that the
villagers aren’t quite human and aren’t quite zombie. They communicate
with each other, brandish weapons and (gasp) run at you. It doesn’t
take long to discover theres some seriously weird shtick going on and
this village is clearly more than it seems.
Much maligned since
the Resident Evil franchise began was the clunky controls and odd
camera issues. Despite the quality of the games, players struggled with
running toward and away from the camera in predominantly static
environments. No longer. RE4 puts the camera over the shoulder of Leon
and travels with him, not despite of him, throughout each level, more
like Grand Theft Auto. This makes gameplay less about frustration and
more about exploration. Controls are responsive though turning around
can be a bit slow. The game offers a quick 180 degree flip, but it can
be overkill in many situations. A laser targeting site has been added
to each gun to make aiming a precise endeavor since enemy damage will
be based on locale (hint: shoot for the head).
As with
previous RE games, the creatures that do their shuffling, leaping and
skittering towards you are ones out of the nightmares of Wes Craven or
Tim Burton. Twisted figures with exposed inner organs and more blood
than a Los Angeles street gang convention. Most in some way resemble
human forms, due to being mutated by a virus of sorts.
Along
with the primary story are mini-games that help hone your firing
skills. Though not a requirement for advancing, the shooting gallery
games open collectible items for your inventory that really do nothing
more than look and sound pretty. They can’t be sold or combined with
other items to help you advance.
In the end, Resident Evil 4
is vastly superior to its predecessors in control, sound and makes
excellent use of the GameCube video engine to ensnare players to the
final zombie decapitation. Though not for the faint of heart, RE:4 goes
out fully recommended by our staff.
