Let’s not
sugarcoat this, Resident Evil 4 marked the beginning of the end for the
Resident Evil franchise. The shift from careful item management and careful
character positioning to a focus on gunplay and action set-pieces was a
watershed moment in not just the history of Resident Evil, but also the history
of video games. There is little doubt in my mind that Resident Evil 4’s glowing
critical reception affected both future horror titles and action games in
general.
For those not in the know, Resident
Evil 4 was the first game in the main series to switch from the typical fixed
camera angle perspective to a behind-the-back 3rd-person camera. It
also emphasized gunplay and shooting things instead of avoiding enemies and
micro-managing bullets. Elements of the series’ roots do pop up however. Item
management is still around but unlike past games, ammo is not scarce and things
like Ink Ribbons and keycards either don’t exist or don’t take up any room in
your inventory. This removes a huge micro-managing element that the previous
games had and it removes some of the tension as a result.
When
you consider how the basic formula of the series has changed however, the new
item management system is clearly an incredibly intelligent design choice.
Unlike past Resident Evil games, backtracking is nearly non-existent. This
means no more running back and forth to item boxes to grab your shotgun or
healing herbs. Instead, you need to think about how much room a gun, the gun’s
ammo, healing herbs and the grenades will take up in your suitcase ala Deus Ex.
It’s a smart system that doesn't find its way into enough games. There will
undoubtedly be times where you’ll need to drop an extra grenade or box of ammo
for another healing herb. It’s not quite as stressful as the past system but it
still requires some though.
Combat
has always been a weak point in the original Resident Evil titles. It was
clunky, slow and not very fun which was fitting if alienating. Resident Evil 4
set out to bridge the gap between fans of past Resident Evils and people who
turned off by the old style of fighting. And they didn't totally pull it off.
Make no mistake; Resident Evil 4 is a third person shooter through and through.
An added emphasis on headshots and strategic placing add some depth but it’s
not a perfect blend of old and new. Die-hard fans of past Resident Evils will
feel some culture shock when they first dive into Resident Evil 4.
That’s not to say that Resident
Evil 4’s combat is poorly handled by any stretch though; in fact it’s
incredibly well done. It requires the player to think on their feet, a feat
that most 3rd person shooters fail to accomplish. There will be
times when your only option is to run for your life although this is generally
because of the questionable choice of infinitely respawning enemies instead of
any really daunting obstacles. Shooting your way out of a messy situation is
usually the most convenient way out though and unlike past games, you aren't
punished for it since bullets are so common.
The
Resident Evil series has always been infamous for its reliance on tank
controls. Many saw this design choice as an unnecessary addition that only made
it harder to get into the survival genre. Defenders of the oft-maligned control
scheme saw it as a conscious design decision that helped to put the player in
the shoes of the unfortunate player character. Resident Evil 4 does away with
the tank controls and instead replaces it with a similar, but much more
beginner friendly control scheme. For example, turning around is no longer a
chore, it’s a simple button press and movement of the d-pad and you’re good.
It’s a somewhat antiquated way of movement but it’s a fair compromise between
the free, analog movement that most games offer and the old, clunky control
scheme of past survival horror titles.
The game will also turn into an
escort missions at points and while these parts aren't incredibly tedious or
nerve-wracking, they don’t really add anything either. Ashley, your escort, is
never really in serious harm. She adds some tension but it’s not anything to
write home about. The highlight of her existence is a brief section where she
is playable. This section evokes a feeling of dread and uneasiness akin to a
game like “Clock Tower” or its (Capcom developed!) spiritual successor,
“Haunting Ground”. If there’s one thing to take away from this, it’s that
Ashely is no Yorda but at the same time, she’s not a lazy non-issue like
“Bioshock Infinite’s” Elizabeth .
I
hate to say it but Resident Evil 4 is relatively devoid of any true scares. There
are only two sections in which I actually felt terrified and to the game’s
credit, they did a damn fine job of making me tremble with fear but both
sections are stuck so close to the game’s end that throughout the first 4/5ths,
the game had me wondering “Is there anything even remotely scary in this game?”
The switch from Romero-style zombies to new, intelligent parasite infested
villagers in initially spooky but after you go through a couple hordes of them
and hear them shout the same few phrases, they start to lose their edge. On top
of that, the soundtrack does little to emphasize the spookiness of the numerous
abandoned locales. The scares in Resident Evil 4 are spread thin and the game’s
horror title is only earned in its later sections.
Resident Evil 4’s
got definite pacing issues. The game initially starts out fairly fresh and new
and it continues to go down that path for some time before it hits a rough
patch somewhere near the end. After the game manages to escape that rough
patch, it never fully recovers but that’s when the scares (finally) start up so
it’s all good. But it’s pretty clear that the development team was stretching
portions of the game out a bit longer than they needed to be in order to
achieve an impressive 20-hour running time. It’s a long game and besides a few
stumbles along the way, it’s a smooth journey.
In addition to
this amazing 20-hour runtime, the game has three extra modes. Firstly, you have
two modes focusing on Ada Wong. These modes serve as a type of B-story similar
to Claire’s mode (or Leon ’s
mode) in Resident Evil 2. Then you have the “survive the hordes” minigame
titled “The Mercenaries” which is as frantic and nerve-wracking as it is fun.
Couple that with unlockable extras and a new game plus mode and you’ve got a
game with well over 30 hours of gameplay.
Resident
Evil’s overarching plotline is silly, B-movie material whose only saving grace
is goofy writing and voice acting. It’s never been anything to obsess over even
though the numerous (non-canon) Resident Evil books suggest otherwise.
Generally, the highlight of a Resident Evil game’s writing lies within the
super spooky diary entries of scientists and citizens slowly losing their minds.
These diary entries will never win any Pulitzer prizes but they did an amazing
job of driving home the state of despair, fear and confusion that the citizens
of Raccoon City
and the scientists in the Arkley
Mansion
Resident Evil 4’s plot is a little
bit above average for a Resident Evil title. It’s fairly self-contained with
only a few nods to the past titles. It ditches all the old keywords and phrases
of the franchise like “G-Virus, The Mansion Incident and Tyrant” in favor of a
new batch of phrases like “Las Plagas and Ganado”. The plot is relatively
straightforward and only affects the Resident Evil status-quo by mystifying
recurring character, Ada Wong’s, intentions. The writing is your standard goofy
RE dialogue complete with one-liners and weird translation goofs. Drastically
improved voice acting helps to make the plot more interesting and involving
than it would have been otherwise, however.
Graphically,
Resident Evil 4 pushed the boundaries of the Gamecube and exceeded everyone’s
expectations on the PS2. And Resident Evil 4 is quite impressive. To be honest,
I have a massive soft-spot for the pre-rendered backgrounds of old but Capcom
did an amazing job translating the series into true 3D. The environments which
shift from dilapidated village to regal castle to high-tech military base all
look gorgeous and eerie in their own right. The PS2 port has some lighting and
texture issues which were occasionally noticeable but considering the game’s
graphical fidelity to its Gamecube port, these kinks are forgivable. The
prevailing colors of grey may be a turn-off to some players but it’s worth
noting that Resident Evil 4 is not a happy game and this filter drives that
home.
Resident Evil 4’s music doesn't do
its job quite as well as past titles had, haunting tracks aren’t replaced or
anything, they just don’t fit as well they used to. Thankfully, Resident Evil
4’s top-notch sound effects makes up for that. The revving of a chainsaw, the
splashing of water beneath your feet and the haunting chanting of cult members
all sounds great and helps to truly immerse the players. The sound design is
put to the test towards the end of the game when the game wants so desperately
to creep you out and it passes the test with flying colors. The groans of
zombies and the sounds of something shattering glass have nothing on anything
in Resident Evil 4.
This
is the Resident Evil for the masses and there is no shame in admitting that.
The shift away from old genre conventions like careful ammo conservation and
tank controls to more typical concepts helps this game appeal more to the
common gamer instead of its old, more “hardcore” target audience. When you
compare this game to past titles, it becomes a wonder that the past games were
popular. If anything, it sheds light on how the gaming culture had changed in a
scant seven years. At any rate, Resident Evil 4 is a stunning show of
perseverance on the development team’s part. Shinji Mikami dreamed big and the
result was the biggest Resident Evil game to date. Resident Evil 4 is the
result of a talented, passionate development team and it shows. Warts and all,
Resident Evil 4 is one of the landmark titles of the 6th generation
standing alongside titles like Shadow of the Colossus and Halo.
Final Score: 8.5
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