Capcom's Resident Evil series dates back to 1996 with the original release of Resident Evil on the PlayStation. Since then, the series has expanded to include 11 games (spanning six consoles)-as well as two movies-and has helped to shape the survival horror genre as gamers know it. Resident Evil 4 is the latest installment in a franchise that borders on epic.

RE4 has the player assuming the role of Leon Kennedy (remember him from Resident Evil 2?), who has been sent to Spain to rescue the president's daughter, Ashley. Little does Leon know, this is hardly an in-and-out sort of job. He finds himself caught in the middle of some very strange happenings as he travels through an expansive game world. It needs to be said that the plot of RE4 is enjoyable and well-told with cut scenes (rendered with the in-game engine), letters, and notes to help drive the story. I refuse to spoil any of the game, so you'll have to play through and discover for yourself. Happily playing through the game to unravel the plot is as enjoyable as the story itself.


Resident Evil games have become notorious for their controls and gameplay. Past games in the series have made use of a fixed-camera system which created a frustrating experience in character movement. In addition, the character would only run when a button was pressed and had to stop moving to wield a weapon. The control scheme in RE4 remains unchanged-what has changed is the camera position. The camera now moves dynamically with Leon, always positioning itself behind him. Changing the camera makes the controls become intuitive and easy to adjust to. Beyond the camera change, combat has also evolved. Instead of the clichéd lack of ammunition, Leon will find an abundance of bullets since enemies drop them when they are killed. The game encourages you to take down your enemies instead of run from them, and the ways to take out enemies have never been so varied. Capcom has developed a system that allows Leon to target a specific area and fire at it, triggering an appropriate enemy response. My favorite example is the ability to shoot an enemy in the knees, which will slow them down and make them fall.

A startling array of guns is now available to assist Leon in his adventure. These guns can now be purchased from merchants scattered throughout the game world. In addition, each weapon can be upgraded to increase things like Firepower, Reload Speed, and Capacity (as well as others). The familiar herbs and first-aid spray have returned in all of their medicinal glory, and to top it all off Leon now has an Attaché case (which can also be upgraded to increase its capacity), so instead of leaving items in boxes he can carry an arsenal with him at all times.

In my mind, the most interesting change in RE4 is the way the survival horror is defined with respect to the game. In the past, survival horror as a genre has hinged on the idea that you are in a scary place with very scarce ammo and hordes of creepy critters running around. This is still a survival horror game but not in this same sense. The survival part is not that there is a lack of ammunition, but instead Leon is being hunted but smarter enemies that attack in groups and sneak up behind him. The overwhelming sense that you are outnumbered and must survive a seemingly constant onslaught is what drives the game instead of slow, stumbling enemies and a lack of ammo. The game is also not scary in the same sense as other Resident Evil titles. The "scares" are less towards the jump-out-of-a-closet type and more oriented towards the tension of being constantly chased by a huge mob.

You can take it to heart that you will be hunted down and attacked in a beautiful game world. The graphics in this game really show off what the GameCube can do. The environments are realistic with water, rain, and some of the most fantastic looking fire I have ever seen in a game. The character models and animations are phenomenal, and the bosses are absolutely spectacular. My only real gripe about the environments is that they are static; however, with such a constant flow of enemies and bosses, you shouldn't even notice that you can't blow up a tree with your grenades.

To complement the amazing visuals, RE4 boasts some wonderful sounds. The music complements the atmosphere perfectly, speeding up when enemies are chasing Leon and fading into the background when he is alone in a room. The music is what really solidifies the ambiance of the game, adjusting itself at crucial moments to pump up the creepiness of the environments and enemies. The game supports Dolby Pro Logic II (again, no Dolby 5.1, unfortunately) and Progressive Scan for those with the appropriate Cube outputs. Widescreen is also supported, but it is letterboxed. Capcom letterboxed the widescreen to combat frame rate issues that were popping up in anamorphic widescreen. I think this is a fair trade off as I have not seen a single dropped frame or even the slightest hint of slowdown even with a tremendous number of enemies on the screen. Gamers with widescreen sets can employ their zoom functions to fill out the screen if the letterboxing is too bothersome.

RE4 will dish out 20+ hours of gameplay and some very cool unlockables, as well as an option for a second play-through. This game will blow you away, whether you are a fan of the series or not. RE4 has freshened up the survival horror genre and breathed life into a franchise that was teetering towards stagnant. Whether or not you are a fan of the Resident Evil series or even survival horror in general, you should give this game a chance. I can guarantee that Capcom has tried their hardest to provide an amazing experience for newcomers and veterans alike, and if you don't find something here that you enjoy, feel free to shoot your hate mail in my direction.

Jan 19, 2005 | 6 comments
Elaine Garbarine