Resident Evil 4 - Retrospective
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2005, a year of many highs and many
lows.
But ultimately, it was a year of change. And what a heck of a change we were given. No, I’m not talking about rising taxes or the price of petrol going up. I’m talking about one of the best games of the modern century - Resident Evil 4.
Cast your minds back to 1998. The year that the iconic Resident Evil 2 hit the shelves. Now, concentrate on the game play. Dodgy controls, pre-rendered graphics, horrible voice acting… All gone. Yes in Capcom’s most thrilling adventure yet, Resident Evil has had a digital facelift. Even Raccoon City, a setting drilled into every Resi fan’s head, has been replaced by a rural Spanish no-place.
Now, you may be thinking: Change! I’m not ready for change! I want to stick with classic Resi! Well, let me warn you now that Resident Evil 4 is certainly not classic Resi. No. It’s classic gaming. There are so many reasons why it works, but that’s not going to stop me explaining each and every one of them to you.
Firstly, let’s concentrate on controls. Now, in classic Resi, it was basically just walk, run, aim and shoot. Not any more. Leon can now perform all sorts of amazing actions just by the touch of a button. Quick time events now make you feel your character, experience the pressure put on them. You can now use your knife at will, which means that ammo and cash are not so easy to find either…
Graphics now are incredible, extraordinary and amazing. You simply wouldn’t believe how a series that was used to looking like a block of paint running around drawn-on bits of wallpaper could look so…good…. But it succeeded. Gorgeous settings (yes, even the sewers) mixed with fantastic facial design makes for a great experience. Your character also has control over the camera too, which makes the game look even better. And it’s not just the setting and characters that look revitalized either.
The monsters look great and the bosses well….they’re in a league of their own. As a bit of a break from your now déjà-vu-esque zombies, they are replaced by crazed villagers. But this is nothing to cry about, since this offers a brand new challenge for the gamer. The villagers can run, sprout killer parasites, and use melee weapons to try and bring you down. And there’s a great deal more beasties to pit yourself against. Forget dead people and pecking birds. There are now villagers, insects, monks, soldiers, regenerators, massive grey giants and massive grey midgets! And that’s naming just a few!
You may know that Resident Evil 4 was first released on the GameCube. Then followed the PS2, PC and finally the Wii. It’s generally just as fantastic on all consoles, but if you’re looking for ultimate gaming, I’d go for the GameCube or PS2 versions. I know what you’re thinking. Why not the PC and Wii? Well, to be honest, there are a couple of tiny problems.
Firstly the PC. After playing the GameCube version of Resi 4, seeing the incredible graphical design from Nintendo, it’s hard to get the same buzz out of the PC. The graphics are, well, they’re a bit rubbish to be honest. Jagged edges and rough buildings slightly ruin the sheer brilliance of the game. But, no matter because it’s still amazing. However, a lot of gamers in modern times tend to go for graphics over game play, and if that’s the case, the PC version is a no-no.
Next, the Wii. To be fair, it’s almost completely identical to the PS2 port, but with one difference. Quicker controls and more precise shooting, which may sound perfect, but really ruins the genre of the game. Resident Evil 4 is supposed to be a survival horror game, yet the Wii makes Leon look like an unstoppable action-man rather than a disturbed Washington agent.
Of course, these problems may not seem like such a big deal, but I believe that gamers today notice everything, and the PC and Wii versions may put some Resi gamers off. But believe me, do not be put off by the game itself. Resident Evil 4 is still the greatest game of 2005, nay, THE greatest game of this decade. And with Resident Evil 5 just round the corner, you’ll want to get as much as possible out of it. I just hope you have as much fun along the way as I did.
Resident Evil 5 release for PS3 and Xbox360 platforms Friday March 13, 2009. There will be a Standard and Collector’s Edition available.
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