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Resident Evil 4 (PS2)

• Developer:
• Publisher: Capcom
• Genre:
• Official Website: http://www.capcom.com
• Score: 5 of 5: Purchase

Let me start the review with a quote from a fellow reviewer, Hybridial: ‘Never has a game been made so obviously, so exclusively, to make money.' So, let me ask you gamers a question: Why, is it bad, that? In my (humble) opinion, Capcom couldn't have done a better job with Resident Evil 4. Many people will be out to kill me (again), but as a person that likes the old Resident Evil games, the recipe was becoming stale, and it was time for a new, fresh Resident Evil! Many fans of the old series will cry (or already cried) when they see the fresh, new and purely awesome member of the series. But why is this ‘cash cow' one of the best games on the PS2?

Many people whined that the graphics would be butchered since the game was a visual orgasm on the GameCube, as it was intended to be a GC exclusive. Well, people: the graphics are not that much off! While, obviously, the graphics aren't that clear as in the GC version, this game pulls out the maximum from the PS2 hardware and equals the level of a game like God of War. The cutscenes are professionally done and look stunning. Thank goodness Full-Motion Videos were not used, as the cutscenes add to the cinematic experience of the game.

Sound is quite good. Weapons sound good-they don't sound like some pea shooter such as in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Voice acting is not bad either, although I found most of the voice actors' characters to be very clichéd, and the jokes that Leon (the main character) makes are pretty lame. The game's baddies, the Ganados, speak Spanish, as the game takes place is Spain. If you don't speak or understand some Spanish, then it will sound like gibberish to you, but if you speak a little, you'll realize that the Ganados are mostly cursing you and your mother, or trying to kill you. The music was quite good-at times adrenaline pumping, and at times outright terrifying.

The story at first seems pretty clichéd, as well as uninspired and boring. ‘The U.S. president's daughter has been kidnapped by an unknown group, and you, and only you, are out to rescue her.' Until this, it's pretty weak, but once you find out more about the strange, non-zombie villagers, the evil cult called Los Illuminados, and when some old faces show up, things get more interesting.

The gameplay is where Resident Evil 4 is so different from the previous Resident Evil games. The game is more action-packed, as you control the character you're playing from behind the shoulder, and you can use a variety of weapons to eliminate your enemies. I found it funny that there are more herbs in the first hour or so in the game than in almost all of the first Resident Evil! You need to collect money (pesetas to be exact, but has Capcom not heard that Spain has used Euros for a while now?) and treasures, so you can sell them, and tune your gun, and buy other goodies. For people that like games where you tune cars, and people that like shooters, Resident Evil 4 is your game. I found it very fun to be able to tune your guns as you please, as each gun is different and one of a kind. There's quite a variety too.

You go across varied environments (village, castles, an island, etc.) and face varied foes. On each location, you face a Ganado from that type. For example, you aren't going to face a peasant Ganado in the castle because you will be confronted by zealots and priests from the Los Illuminados cult, and so on. Each area also has their ‘mini-bosses' (meaning Ganados that are harder to kill then their regular counterparts, but are much more rewarding) such as Dr. Salvador (RE4's Leatherface), his female version, the Garrador (a weird medieval Wolverine type of guy), and a machine gunner on the island, who is a rip-off from Metal Gear Solid's Vulcan Raven. There are monsters, as well as the Ganados, so don't feel you are left without some ugly monsters. The boss battles are really awesome, because the environments you face them in, as well as the bosses themselves, are unique and varied. In a battle, you have to go against the ‘Moby Dick' of Resident Evil 4, where you are on a crappy wooden motor boat, dragged around, and the only weapon you can use is the harpoon to kill the unfortunate creature. Also, you need to press a specific combo (R1 and L1, or Square and X) when prompted, often during cutscenes to dodge or something of the like. Pure ownage. Once you beat the game, you unlock two new weapons, two sets of different costumes (one of the sets is exclusive to the PS2), playable extras, and if you play on Normal mode, a new difficulty level. Once you beat it on ‘professional level,' you unlock an exclusive weapon.

The controls were better than on the GC because it was much easier to press the combo buttons, since your fingers are always on them. They are quite comfortable and not hard to get used to.

Once you beat the game, you unlock a number of extras. You get Assignment Ada and Mercenaries, which were found on the GameCube version as well. In Assignment Ada, you play as Ada Wong (who should be familiar for people that played Resident Evil 2) for a brief time, filling in a little gap in the story. Mercenaries is an arcade type of game, where you start out with Leon and have to survive on a certain stage before the time runs out. It's all fun and games until a chainsaw prick shows up behind you and decapitates you. You need to get a four-star ranking on a level to unlock a new character in the mini-game, and if you achieve a five-star ranking on all the levels, you get a very powerful weapon in the main game!

However, one thing that many PS2 owners were excited about was Separate Ways, which in a way is like Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance's Snake Tales because you play in this game as Ada once again and follow what she did in the story of Resident Evil 4. This is much longer than Assignment Ada and should take you about five to six hours. You also get Ada's reports that add to the pretty good storyline, as well as unlocking a new weapon in Separate Ways and the main game.

Another extra is the ability to watch movies in a section in the extras. Pretty good extra too, as in the European version of Metal Gear Solid 3.

A flaw I noticed in the game was that you were not able to skip the cutscenes. This was pretty annoying because in most games nowadays, you are able to, especially, if you've seen the scene before. However, it was a big improvement to not have to go back to where you saved last once you died, which was the thing I really hated in the previous Resident Evil games. Also, as Hybridial said, this game is an obvious cash cow, but I feel that Capcom has achieved their goal: opening the world of Resident Evil to gamers that were not into the series, such as me. If it wasn't for this game, I may have never gotten into one of the best game series ever.

It is for a reason that Resident Evil 4 was awarded many and won many GOTY awards for both of the systems it was released for. Resident Evil 4, without a doubt, is one of the best games on the PS2, and is equally awesome as Metal Gear Solid 3 or God of War. Obviously, this game is a must-own for any one that likes horror, shooter and Resident Evil games. The main game will take you about 17 to 20 hours the first time, and you will replay the game at least once more. The extras should take as long too, and in total, you might spend as much time playing the game as 50 hours or more! There are always new things to do, and the game just gets better as you play. What are you waiting for? Go buy it now!

Jan 11, 2006 | 2 comments
Mate Bors