Gameplay still from Resident Evil 4

Review: Resident Evil 4

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Resident Evil 4

Capcom

Street: 10.25.2005

Action/Adventure

Some nit-pickers will be quick to point out that Resident Evil 4 is not a PS2 title but a port from the Game Cube console. Well, I included it anyways and there’s not much you can do about it. With a game this solid, who really cares where it came from? The first hour I wasn’t sure, but now into my 40th hour I find myself neglecting things like real life to get in a few more hours on this nearly perfect title.

You can’t have a game without rules and for me the biggest problem with many games is having rules that seem to limit your ability to play the game to its fullest. With Resident Evil 4 the rules are established clearly and are never deviated from during the game. The save points are fair and set up to avoid having to replay huge sections of the game over and over before boss fights or difficult sections.

The controls, although very different and challenging, are totally solid and consistent. Aiming is done manually and enemies can make this a difficult proposition as they dodge and charge your character. By eliminating frustrating elements found in many action games, like accidentally walking off a cliff, Capcom allows the player to focus on the game itself and not the nuances of character navigation.

Although the graphics are a bit dated and the enemy AI is fairly lame, Resident Evil 4 is heinously addicting. Normally I grow tired of corridor style games but the rooms and maps have enough variation to make this issue vaporize like the corpses of the slain possessed. There’s a good variety of weapons but instead of the ‘Use and lose’ mentality in many games you can customize and modify your guns throughout the game.

Every corner, every painting and every hallway will have you wondering what treasure or nightmare you are about to uncover as you make your way through this truly memorable and classic title. -Jesse Kennedy