Resident Evil 4 Review
Played on Xbox One (base)
Developed by Capcom
Released 11th January 2005
Resident Evil 4 had undergone 4 iterations of itself before being even considered for a healthy release. One of these ideas resulted in the Devil May Cry series while the other was recycled for Resident Evil 5. Despite that, it managed to garner such critical acclaim that it is often analysed as the Snake Eater of both its franchise and also the genre of the action-survival-horror blend. With this in mind, I had high hopes for this game, and it mostly delivered on its promises.
Story
The story of Resident Evil 4 is fantastic. It follows smoking-hot Leon S Kennedy as he brute forces his way through a rural village in Spain, occupied by a parasite-harvesting cult, in order to save the President's daughter. Initially, clichéd "conquer the world" and "evil religious cult" tropes will come to mind and may potentially sway your view of the game, but due to this immaculate plot idea and the campiness that radiates from it works to its advantage. With a great setting full of eerie, cultist villages, it manages to perform well in the horror department as well. The main driving force of the game is in the action and that's where the campy nature works best. The sheer ridiculousness of the story is obvious but loveable, repetitive but nostalgic and mildly annoying but incredible. The only flaw I could register from my playtime is that it slowly but progressively gets less enjoyable after its great opening sequence.
Gameplay
In terms of gameplay, it does falter slightly due to its aged mechanics. Starting with its negatives: the tanking. A term that refers to a game's snail-slow and rocky movement, this game lives and breathes off being tanky. It's quick and easy to get familiar with it, but even then the limited mobility impacted many moments of the game for me, potentially ruining what could've been awesome firefights or tense bossfights. The pros, however, outweigh the cons. The cleverly crafted scavenging and management that the player will undergo are superb. The limited inventory combined with the 'pick your shots' playstyle surprisingly complemented the action-oriented nature of the game. Additionally, this 14-hour experience has one of the best AI companion systems of the generations. When accompanied by Luis or Ashley, they would duck to avoid your shots, give you ammunition when needed, and depending on their capability, won't need your help every 5 microseconds, unlike other games. The enemies that you'll encounter are impressive as well. Whether the situation involves you being gravitated towards a corner or an all-out gunfight by hordes of enemies, their attacks, design, and mechanics are compatible with whatever the scenario is. Regenerators either enforce a flight or fight response in the player or offer a challenging showdown. The regular head-bursting Ganados either produce small jumpscares or intensify the moment. Overall, the greatly-designed survival horror elements work in tandem with the extreme adrenaline-inducing action sections, the companion AIs aren't hellbent on ruining your fun, and finally; the enemies aren't doo-doo.
Bossfights
The bossfights are gratifying, yet they left me desiring more as they ended too rapidly. On the whole, each boss was incredible in visuals and concept. From the minuscule innovations of Jack Krauser and his monstrous arm and human reflex combo to my favourite boss Chief Menendez as he unveils his trench coat to reveal a horrific centipede body that screams terror as he hops between the burning building's beams. There are so many moments of magnificence within these fights but, unfortunately, they're cut short via the easy difficulty or short interactions.
Characters
The characters are quite mediocre. Throughout the game, I was introduced to the iconic Merchant who spouts his one-liner like there is no tomorrow, Napoleon look-alike Salazar, that comes off as funny by accident, and many more. However, out of all these characters, Vogue magazine star, Leon S Kennedy, has the best performance due to how well he manages to embrace and amplify each aspect and mood the game throws at you. Ashley nearly succeeds in the same way but can come across as a stubborn brain-lit that only exists to annoy you. Finally, the antagonist is so incredibly forgettable in his fight, actions and dialogue, that I had to search up his name. It's Lord Saddler if you were wondering.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere would be flawless if it weren't for some areas of the game which drag the quality down. Starting off, you'll be introduced to one of the best opening sections of a game that I've ever played. The haunting aura of this village section and the ambiguous soundtrack strikes a great sense of dread without needing any actual horror in place. But the apple falls far from the tree. You'll eventually escalate to a castle setting that, while it does insinuate a similar sense of terror, doesn't do it to the same masterful level as the village. The game then finally ends on some military island that not only performs a jarring shift from its horror roots but also fails to increase the quality of the action-packed tree that stems from those roots. This unenjoyable progression is also the main dampener I saw in the story.
Story- 9/10
Gameplay- 8/10
Bossfights- 8.5/10
Characters- 6/10
Atmosphere- 8.5/10
Great
A certified staple within not only the horror community but the video game community as a whole.
