Resident Evil 4

THE BAD:
- Predictable story
- Too much action, not enough story
- No Alt. Costumes in FMV's
- Limited camera movement

SUMMARY:
From the eyes of a hardcore Resident Evil fan, this does not deserve the title of Horror NOR Resident Evil.

This game is probably one of the best games to come for the PS2, and I'm not gonna say otherwise. The gameplay was thrilling and it always left you breathless after your first inexperienced playthroughs. The Extra features like the alternate costumes, the Ada Wong game called "Separate Ways", and the extra weapons were definetly an expansion for the game. The weapon upgrades was pretty much another reason for why this game was so good, you only had enough money for a few upgrades...when in reality, you needed a lot. Also, is some cutscenes, although they may look like its time to just lay back and enjoy them...they are actually chances to avoid death by pressing certain buttons, which gives you like a second to react, fail to react, you meet your death. The aim system is complicated, and takes some time to get used to, but once you do, the game will get a lot simpler. Of course, you will need to practice a lot, the game will come at you relentlessly with huge waves of enemies, and you won't have much to defend yourself with; you'll need the combination of melee moves and critical limb shot locations to take care of the incoming hordes. The camera is pretty well positioned behind you...but you can't move it much anyways...even if you needed it to.

Going into battle, outmanned, outnumbered, and even in some situations, outgunned...will have you enjoying shooting the hell out of anybody that comes your way.

(The following is pure opinion, does not and should not affect your decision about playing the game)

Now it's time for my ranting that needs to be seen...As you all know that this game is every action gamers' dream, it is definetly NOT Resident Evil at all, doesn't even need to be called that...Its like Final Fantasy being turned into a beat 'em up game. It has people that didn't even like the early series' gameplay drooling all over it now asking questions about Leon's past and whatnot and saying how this is better than the other RE games...

Casual gamers should NOT compare this game to the rest of the series because you can't...you have never played them, you have never tried, and if you did (bless you, if you did) you are not considered a Survival Horror fan, which gives you another reason NOT to compare 4 with the rest.

(Like I said, this is just an opinion from a frustrated RE fan.)

THE BAD:
- Mercaneries is a pain in the ass to beat
- Leon can't do basic moves like punches and kicks until he has to shoot the Ganados in their knees and faces
- Doesn't seem that scary compared to the other RE games but still a kickass game

SUMMARY:
Returning to center stage is S.T.A.R.s rookie and one time resident of Raccoon City, Leon S. Kennedy (RE2) who is now investigating the disappearance of the president's daughter and the trail leads him to a remote town nestled away somewhere in Europe. Unfortunately for him and you, the townsfolk don't take kindly to strangers and will attack you upon sight. Something isn't quite right about these people who become downright unkind to poor Leon, but unlike previous games they aren't mindless shuffling zombies who are easy to dispose of; they are fast, nasty buggers hellbent on killing you alone, in packs, through windows...whatever it takes.


Where RE4 ups the ante over every game in the series is by systematically eradicating all of the little things about Resident Evil games that pissed you off. You won't have to suffer through door or ladder animations. Kick the freakin' door in! Climb the damn ladder now! It's all done in realtime. The perspective is over the shoulder allowing for true aiming control at your enemies as well as providing a "close to the action" visual which completely puts you into the drivers seat for all of the horror. The environments are in 3D (you can't go everywhere but there is more freedom available than ever before) and you'll encounter context senstive areas that will allow you to jump through windows or over fences. Gotta love that. The 3D movement completely zooms past the "rotate on your axis" school of movement found in previous RE titles and allows fantastic analog control of Leon and Ada. Also the puzzles while still present aren't as mindnumbingly boring or nebulous as the "find the crest to open the door" that drove me crazy throughout every single game in the RE library. You will still require typewriters to save your game and the chests have been removed in favor of a briefcase which will hold all of your precious items and can even be upgraded. You can even pick up and drop items whenever you need to making inventory control extremely user friendly.

Adding to the overall sense of realism is the body sensitive damage areas which can be used against your enemies. Shoot them in the leg to slow them down, shoot the dynamite in their hands to blow it up, blow off their heads in one shot to kill them (yeah, that's what I thought to the first time....) - it's all good and it requires a steadier hand and damn good solid aim, more so than in any previous RE game yet. And it only gets better. Just when you thought RE had completely changed in terms of direction - outdoors instead of creepy mansions, human villagers instead of zombies - you'll face the first of many completely insane bosses which inhabit the game. The boss battles in RE4 are legendary and you won't find me spoiling anything for you.

Visually the PS2 version stands up extremely well to the Cube. I honestly couldn't tell the difference and I physically had them going side by side. There may be some texture disintegration and whatnot but only Type A gamers who have absolutely nothing better to do will notice. Type A gamers that have both versions running side by side.....hey, don't look at me like that! I just did so in the name of research you freakin' bunch of labelers! (Note to self - is "labelers" a real word?) The PS2 does boast true widescreen mode and supports Progressive Scan for cleaner visuals. My TV doesn't which sucks but that's my problemo. Not to be outdone, RE is an aural treat for your ears. Great voice acting, context sensitive orchestral soundtrack, ambient sound effects and villagers who speak Spanish so you won't know what they're planning (unless you speak Spanish of course) combine to make RE4 one of the best sounding games this year.

If you're a true RE fan you can prove it by purchasing the Premium PS2 Edition for $49.99 (the regular game retails at $39.99). The Premium Edition comes with a custom Resident Evil 4 Steel Case, Resident Evil 4 game, a making of Resident Evil 4 DVD, a limited edition Laser Cell of Ada Wong and Brady Games' Resident Evil Prologue Mini Art Book. If you want to take your RE obsession to the next level make sure to pick up the RE4 Chainsaw controller which is shaped like an actual chainsaw and covered in gore. That will set you back $59.99. Definitely only for the dedicated....

If you're tickled pink that the RE series once again returns home to the PlayStation family of products where it belongs, rush out and invest in one of the best survival horrors games to date. RE4 is a refreshing take on the genre and manages to be just as taut and tense as previous titles without relying on the usual tried and true scare tactics. Clocking in at over 25 hours of gameplay (if you've never played before), RE4 never once bogs down in rehash or mindless repetition, managing to keep the pace on "alert" from start to finish which is a most impressive feat considering most two hour movies can't sustain that level of suspense. Highly recommended.

Graphics= 5.0
Game play and Controls= 4.5
Soundtracks/Voice acting/Music= 4.5
Life Span= 5.0
Replay Value= 5.0
Fun Factor- 5.0

Overall= 4.8

THE BAD:
Well there are a few minor faults as with every game but nothing major.

SUMMARY:
I could just summarise the whole game in one sentence; the best action game on the PS2. But that would be pointless.
What makes Resi 4 so good? For starters, the graphics are of unbelievable quality from far away or close up. Even the monsters as common as the Ganados must have taken a long time to make so perfect. It almost feels a shame to blow their heads off and waste near-perfect art just to survive on the game for a little longer. Second there's Leon's variety of gruesome deaths. Whether it is his head being chopped off by Dr Salvador, being burned by acid, his body being spiked by an Iron Maiden, or just being killed by a Ganado, they are all visually stunning.
The whole game is about rescuing Ashley, and when you find her, you also notice that she's rather helpless and needs you to catch her when she jumps from heights and needs help in many areas, and she can't fire any kind of gun for herself. But not to worry, because she very rarely gets in the way. If you become overrun by Ganados, she will take cover, possibly in a barrel or whatever is near, and she is completely safe until you call her out. So thanks to the new AI techniques, the person who tags along for most of the game isn't even slightly irritating.
When I first played this game, I thought it couldn't get much better after a few minutes, however I was wrong. I hadn't found the best guy in the game. I am not talking about Dr Salvador. I am talking about the merchant, who appears in literally dozens of places to sell you weapons. You first find him in chapter 1-2, right after your first encounter with Luis Sera. He sells you new weapons, upgrades for existing weapons, and all sorts of other handy items.
When taking on Ganados, you may notice that the reaction to the hit is very realistic. For example if you pop one in the head, it will either stagger in pain, or it will be killed. If it is hit in the leg, it will stumble, and in the chest it will stagger.
There is also a huge variety of new monsters, including wolf like creatures known as Colmillos, blind ones known as Garradors, spiky ones called Iron Maidens. There are many more, but it would take a long time to list them all. The new monsters help Resi fans from becoming bored with the same old things every time. A lot of these new monsters are tougher than usual, but can be avoided or taken out quickly if you know what to do. They turn up when you least expect it, so it really gets the adrenaline going, and makes the game scarier and more fun.
So I think I've said enough now. I might spoil the game if I say much more. Quick conclusion: The best action game on the PS2 no questions asked. Long conclusion: If you want a real scare, play this game alone at night. It is not only action packed, but it is also very freaky. Even if you're not a Resi fan, you have to love this one because it is 100% unbeatable in every aspect. The game that we have all been waiting for that was originally scrapped is finally here.
Yes, this game really is as good as it sounds, so if you haven't already got it, then go now. It's worth the money, believe me. Now for the very final part of the review, the rating, and, taking into account every aspect of the game, I have decided to give this game a final score of 98.5%. Yes you really can believe your eyes. A game has actually got a near perfect score that isn't Grand Theft Auto! Wow! So there you go. That was my review.

THE BAD:
NO ZOMBIES!
Some glitches
Some save file problems
Only able to actions such as kicks at certain times

SUMMARY:
If you don't want to go to jail, but want to kill people, whilst having a purpose, then look no further than Resident Evil 4.

As you can see by what was written above, the good things are much more than the bad.

The camera style in Resident Evil 4 is damn-near perfect. It is an over the shoulder camera view, making you feel like you are in the game, but not so close that you can't see anything. Using the right analog stick, it can be adjusted, making the odd-times the camera is a problem, not a problem.

The weapon reality in Residetn Evil 4 is amazing. From knives to handguns, and shotguns to rocket launchers, the amount of ways to utterly annihilate the enemies is amazing.

Adding to the feel of realism of the weapons, is the addition of location-specific-damage. If you shoot an enemy in the leg, they stumble. If you shoot the enemy in the arm, they drop their weapon, and resort to 'unarmed' combat. Shooting them in the head will cause them to clutch their head in pain, giving you enough time to either kick their head off, or go behind and break their neck, just two of several character specific melee attacks.

The Graphics in this game, combined with the Music and Sounds, make for one hell of a terrifying task. You do not know fear until you are being chased by psychotic men (or women, there's no sex discrimination here) with bags over their heads, and chainsaws in hand through the streets of a foreign village, armed with nothing but a handgun, with pulse-pounding music making your heart beat at a fantastc rate.
From blood splatter, to spears staying in enemies until the end, the attention to detail on this game is astonishing.

Now, picture this. You have just escaped from the insane mob, and have seeked refuge in a near-by cabin. To keep yourself extra safe, you push the cupboards in front of the doorway. All is quiet. You take a second to breathe. Suddenly, a chainsaw cuts trough the door and straight through the cupboard you placed in front of the door. Coming through the windows are more crazed villagers, armed with pitchforks and shovels. Well, when playing Resident Evil 4 you won't have to imagine it, it will actually happen.

Of course, as with any game, there will be some problems, either glitches, or just things that were changed maybe should have been left the same.

One of these things, is that while playing Resident Evil 4, you will not encounter a single zombie. Not one. Not in the traditional sense, anyway. That is not to say that blowing an enemies head off will make them stay down. Far from it, you're in for a shock.

As mentioned earlier, Leon - along with many other playable characters - will be able to perform many melee combat attacks, such as kicks and suplexs. The only downside to this, is that these will only be able to be used at certain times - when the enemies are stunned, either by shooting them in the leg or head.

For those of you not using official PS2 memory cards, there may be some save file corruption. On my first time through not using a PS2 memory card, I decided to get off for a break, only to find that I could not resume from my save file. So a warning - you must use an official PS2 memory card when playing Resident Evil 4.

In conclusion, Resident Evil 4 is a great game that has easily lived up to and surpassed it's hype in may ways. From the amazing graphics, to the enemy A.I, Resident Evil 4 will keep you on the edge of your seat for hours on end. Just look at the average user score, it is simply amazing.

Oh, and don't forget a change of underwear.

THE BAD:
Not too many things here.
About the aiming system - People who complain about the movement and aiming just need to get used to it a little more because IMO, it's great as it is. I'll go more into it in the detailed section.

If you like those jumpy parts (dogs shattering windows in a quiet area, resulting in a messed pair on underwear) then you will be disappointed, because there are none to be found here.

The one thing I didn't like about this game are the scenes where you have to press buttons that appear on screen in order to avoid a death. Sure, they give you a fairly good amount of time to hit the buttons, but I would rather enjoy the scene without worrying about buttons flashing on screen. Though it does add excitement and keeps you on your toes, it's just something I didn't like. It's not something that came even remotely close to making me want to put the game down though.

SUMMARY:
First let me start out by saying that I've never been an avid RE fan. The only RE game I've played and completed prior, is RE2, mainly because I hate those jumpy moments and the fact that some deaths are a little too gory for my tastes.

I was a little hesitant to pick up RE4, but in the end, I'm very glad I did. There are NO jumpy parts to be found here (well this one scene did kinda surprise me, but not very much) so that made me happy. Deaths can still be pretty gory, but it's alright, it's expected.

On to the main stuff.

--THE STORYLINE--
The storyline is good this time around. You play Leon once again (from RE2) and this time around, he's a government agent looking for the president's daughter.

I know, some people say "Well why not send an army?" it's because hardly anyone knows about the abduction, and because they think it's an inside job, so they don't want to draw any attention by executing huge operations.

Anyway, you start the game headed towards a village where the president's daughter was last sighted. The story goes on from there.

--GAMEPLAY--
The gameplay is what really makes this game as great as it is. The fighting in RE4 is much more detailed than the other games where all you did was point and shoot. In RE4, the camera is behind Leon full time, so no more annoying pre-set camera angles to deal with. This also makes the game much more realistic and creepy, because you can't see what's behind you unless you turn around and check, which leads me to the aiming system.

While you're aiming, the camera focuses in on Leon and what he's aiming at. Every gun in this game has a laser sight on it, so you know where you're aiming. This is puts a lot of realism into the game, because you can shoot heads, arms, legs, etc., and they all affect the enemies in different ways.

This new aiming system puts Leons fate more into the hands of the player than the hands of his weaponry. Running low on ammo? Shoot an enemy's head or leg and kick them to the ground.

Leons kicks are deadly, often popping heads while he performs them. Three enemies heading at you and you're out of shotgun ammo? Shoot one in the face and have Leon kick him, sending ALL THREE to the floor. While they're on the ground you can slash at them with the knife.

Yes, the knife is actually useful for once in RE history! If an enemy is getting too close for comfort, whip out your knife (very easily accessible due to the awesome control layout) and give him a slash to the face followed by a swift roundhouse, sending him flying.

That's not to say that the game is a complete breeze (unless you play it on easy mode, and please don't, because it completely ruins the game) because the AI for the enemies is done very well. If you're in a wide open space, they try to spread out and surround you (remember, your vision is realistically limited while you aim) which makes it just a bit more challenging.

If you're in a house, and you've blocked off the doors and windows, they'll start banging away at the barricades and start hoisting ladders through to the 2nd story windows trying to get at you.

There's just so much to say here, I'll let you play and find out for your selves.

The extras are very nice. Beating the game on Normal or above unlocks extra features and equipment for your next play through.

Some extras are:
Assignment Ada (another mission that takes 2-3 hours to complete),
Separate Ways (another character's side of the main story, this mode adds another 6-10 hours of gameplay depending on your pace, and also includes new areas not seen in the GC version),
The Mercenaries (an extremely fun mini game where you try to rack up as much points as you can with 5 different characters, adding many hours of gameplay),
Ada's Report, and the Movie Viewer.

Completing these extras unlocks new equipment that you can buy by loading a completed save game.

I think that's about all for the gameplay, I'll edit the review if I think of more later on.

-SOUND-
The sound in this game is extremely well done. The ambiance combined with the music really sets the mood for a crazy-person infested village, and anywhere else you may end up during the course of the game. Not much more to say here, the sound is awesome.

Supports all those super fancy Dolby Surround etc. etc. systems.

-GRAPHICS-
Hands down the best graphics you'll see on the PS2. Everything looks astounding and the environment has an incredible amount of detail put into it. You actually feel like you're there.

Supports progressive scan, wide screen, etc. etc. more super fancy high tech stuff.

-CONCLUSION-
Even if you aren't a fan of the series or the genre for that matter, pick it up. I wasn't a fan of either and I enjoyed this game (still playing it, in fact) so much. Just do yourself a favor and buy it. It's only $40.

THE BAD:
The camera can be a problem sometimes.
Their's a glitch that corrupts your save date if you save using certain kinds of memory cards.
Some enemies (Like that one whereing a bag on his head) take too long to kill.

SUMMARY:
I'm not instrested in horror games but I like this one. This is the only Resident Evil game I like and the only horror game I like. It doesn't quite live up to it's hype though. Read through my review for reasons to my opinion.

Graphics: The graphics are great. The people and the blood are so detailed. This game will make you think you're playing an XBox! And did I mention that Ashley is hot? Rating: 10/10

Gameplay: The shooting system is simple unlike other 3D shooting games (except the Grand Theft Auto series which I also like) which is the reason I actually like this one. Their's flaws though as I mentioned in "The Bad" The boss fights are a blast to play too. Also one thing that really annoyed is that you need a certain card to save or else your save file will corrupt! It's also cool that sometimes if you shoot an enemy in the head their hhead will blow right off! Rating: 8/10

Value: This seems like a pretty long game and with a lot of stuff to unlock. One problem as I mentioned before is the memory card thing though so you'll have to play all day unless you have the correct memory card. Rating: 9/10

Overall: Seeing that even I like this game it's a must for any action or horror fan. Have fun and enjoy the game!

Overall Rating: 8.8/10
Neoseeker Rating: 4.4/5

THE BAD:
-Poor camera angle
-Letterbox style display for those not playing on a widescreen TV
-Inaccurate aiming

SUMMARY:
The camera angle and the aiming lost this game that 0.2 it needed to recieve the perfect score. Because other than that, this game truly is one of the best games ever.

There is no slow, easy pace to begin with. From the word go you're thrown right into the heart of the action. Forget conserving ammo like in previous Resident Evils. Forget mindless, brainless zombies walking in single file towards you. These guys carry the goods - pitchforks, torches, dynamite, molotav cocktails and a damn nasty parasite inside of their bodies, that has a nasty habit of decapitating anyone who happens to come near it.

Not only are they packing heat this time, they're also smarter, more efficient, and know how to work in a group. One particular scenario sees Leon, Ashley and another character trapped inside a house, with hordes and hordes of zombies out for your blood. It is unbelievably tense, yet at the same time unbelievably fun. Strangely, one of the games biggest assets is also one of it's biggest problems - hordes of zombies. You will be faced by hundreds of these people, coming from every direction. Unfortunately, Resident Evil 4 has a pretty bad camera. Most of the time it's fine, but when Leon begins to turn around and move, it gets confusing. Moving can be a hassle, with Leon often having to stop and turn before moving off in another direction. However, in the thick of the action and the wide environments, this is rarely a problem, except when faced with lots of enemies.

The game also introduces lots of new weapons, thanks to the mysterious "Merchant" who will be waiting to buy and sell things at certain parts in the game: he certainly adds an extra element to the gameplay. One downside of this is that the more special weapons will have to be carefully used, as the ammo for them varies from little to none, even on easy mode. You may find yourself going through the game using nothing but the 9mm pistols, shotguns and machine-pistol.

The story of the game is so involved and so much is revealed over the course of the game that a small summary is all you need - the Presidents Daughter has been captured by a group of individuals, and you, Leon S. Kennedy, must bring her back. You'll have to play the game for yourself to see how the exciting story pans out.

This game excels in many aspects, but one of it's best aspects are the outstanding boss battles. These vary from a huge sea monster, to a wolverine type zombie, a huge giant and many more. To spoil the details would be criminal, but they rival God of War for best boss battles ever.

Unfortunately, the game comes with its own set of faults. As afforementioned, the camera angle can be a pain at times. The aiming features a laser sight, which although is great for close range, is a pain at further ranges. Rather than a dot constantly being visible at the end of the laser, it only appears when focused on an enemy. If not, the laser seems to fade into obscurity, making it very difficult to determine just how much your aim needs adjusted. Although most action is close-range and this is not a problem, when you have to fight at long-range, it becomes a major pain. This will be especially true when you first play the game and are trying to get used to the controls.

If you are playing the game on a small screen TV, your only real option is a letterbox style presentation, which although is hardly noticable when involved in the game, it does detract from the experience a bit. For those of you lucky enough to have your PS2 hooked to a widescreen though, this game comes with a widescreen option.

The graphics are indisputably the best on PS2 today, and up there with the best console graphics yet. The realism is astounding, and when you see a horde of zombies pointing at you and speaking in some strange language, before beginning to move towards you...you don't feel like you're playing a game. You feel completely immersed in the experience - and that's something few games can do. Halo, San Andreas, God of War, Metal Gear Solid 3 - Resident Evil 4 ranks right up there with them, and at times the action is so involving and frantic, is surpasses them in every way.

Despite it's very small flaws and niggles, Resident Evil 4 is undoubtedly one of the best games ever. The experience is horrifying, thrilling, frantic but most importantly, always fun. This needs to be in your collection - pure gaming magic.