As you probably know, it's nowhere near the fourth game in the Resident Evil series. It stars Leon Scott Kennedy, a protagonist from the second game, who I've always found to be an arrogant buffoon with terrible hair. He tells us all about how Raccoon City was destroyed and he now works for the United States government, and is currently in search of President Graham's kidnapped daughter. What? No zombies? Nope, no zombies here. "Here" is apparently a "remote region of Europe", although everyone has Mexican accents and there are a few things that make it seem more likely to be set in Latin America than Spain.
The locals, while human, are hostile. Everything is dilapidated, they don't seem to have taken care of anything for a long time, except for the abundant population of cows and chickens. They wander in a general unthinking state, until it comes to leaving detailed English-language notes for you to find. It's not hard to believe that the game is set in the distant past, until you find modern bins with bin liners.
I do have to say that the plot is very involving. You start to care about the outcomes of situations and resent the bad guys. The few well-kept areas feature multiple framed pictures of a mysterious hooded man, and you gradually learn more about the bizarre church that the locals belong to.
The gameplay style has changed dramatically from that of 4's predecessors. While some cancelled versions featured the usual fixed cameras, the final game stays behind Leon's shoulder, utilising laser-sighted guns for combat, in a similar manner to Cold Fear.
Things change-up a little when you find Ashley Graham, as you then have to juggle staying alive with making sure she doesn't get hit or re-kidnapped. Her being carried into the next room is enough for you to fail the entire mission even though you could logically go and grab her back. In summary, she's a bit of a pain in the ass.
The system of item storage has improved somewhat. You have more room when you start off, can add attaché cases to increase that, and you get to move items around to fit more stuff in. A definite improvement is the ability to use herbs without needing to have the room for them, although ironically, you'll probably always have the room for them.
A sporadic novelty is the Merchant you can buy weapons from, and the shooting ranges. Successful attempts win you virtual bottle caps with figurines on top, and sound functions!
As is always the case with Resident Evil games, the soundtrack is treasured by many:
The last track has undertones of Project Zero.
Being kind to animals pays off..
Is this a successful game? Well, yes. I prefer the feel of the older titles, but this one does have a great atmosphere, and has some very chilling moments. There are some absurdly difficult parts, difficult enough to make me leave it a long time in between replays. To me, the only thing that really makes this a Resident Evil game is the inclusion of Leon and Ada. But, that doesn't mean this isn't a good game in its own right. It's a great one.
When it comes to the castle and all those strange rooms and areas, I feel like the game became a place to put a mish-mash of ideas. Some things just seem very out of place and like they were bunged-in there because they couldn't have been developed into a full separate game about something else.
Having said that, the team behind the title have once again proven themselves capable of creating environments you'd gladly live in if they were real.
The acting has improved by far since the first game, although there are some lines that will have you cocking your head in confusion.
Resident Evil 4 has good replay value and there are some extras with Ada (who is much better to play as) if you find yourself missing it.
This game strays away from the things we traditionally adore about Resident Evil, but I think you'd love it anyway. My dog liked this one, too.
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