Scully ON THE GAME

Resident Evil 4

Fifteen minutes in and I've just had my head cut off by a chainsaw-wielding maniac. A couple of minutes earlier I'd been split down the middle by the same fella, and right now I'm contemplating letting him have another crack at me, just to see what happens. I know the object is to stay alive, but that looked really cool. It's back, it's bloody, it's violent and it's got zombies (well, sort of). Welcome to Resident Evil 4. Excellent!

The RE series returns with it's first proper outing since Code Veronica. No, the remakes of the first three games for the exclusive GameCube contract don't count. Updated and better looking they may be, but they're still 'remakes'. And neither does 'Outbreak' - too much online emphasis to the detriment of the main game. Best not to even mention 'Gun Survivor'. We're back to the core series and it's had a make over.

Let me tell you a little story. Leon was a rookie cop beginning his first day in the job when the events of RE2 began to take place - viral outbreak, mutants, zombies, you know the score. Now he's on the first assignment of his new job, to protect the President's daughter, Ashley. Trouble is, Ashley has just been kidnapped. How unlucky can you get? If you ever see Leon S. Kennedy working in your company, leave town.

Leon's search begins in Spain and it doesn't take him long to get into trouble with the local villagers, who seem to be infected with something and want to skewer poor Leon with a variety of farm implements. The undead they may not be, but they have that familiar shuffling zombie look, vacant expressions and an unending supply of dynamite.

So begins another totally incomprehensible storyline that fans of the RE games know and love. Along the way, Leon will meet the usual selection of freaks and nutcases, some of whom will try to help and some of whom are just out to kill you.

The supplies that Leon will need to complete his journey are to be found lying around the place and in various smashable crates. Killing zombie folk sometimes leads to dropped items, but in RE4 you can now also buy new weapons and upgrade existing ones from a Mysteries Merchant that crops up here and there throughout the game. Upgrades make weapons more powerful, hold more ammo and give them quicker reload times (trust me, this last one is invaluable. Bloke with chainsaw!). In previous games ammunition was scarce and so couldn't afford to miss anything whereas here ammo is more abundant, though still not enough to make it too easy. In this release, it is money that you need to seek out, to pay the man with mini-arsenal in his coat.

Leon carries his goodies around in an attaché case. No newspaper, sandwiches and an apple for this guy. His case holds a shotgun, rifle, handgun, a selection of grenades and some herbs (yes, herbs, for self-healing). What Leon can carry is limited to the space in his case. If you get the really big one, you can get the rocket launcher in there. It's a little absurd but I'll let them off.

The game controls feel a little awkward at first. For the first time in the series, the fixed camera viewing system has gone and in it's place is a third-person trailing camera. It's not as fluid as I expected and the camera rotation controls are a little heavy handed. Move the view and then let go of the controls and the view springs to the default position. It takes a while to get used to it, but in general the third-person view is a huge improvement on the previous games.

The pacing about is also a little faster than usual. It's nowhere near an action game, still well rooted in the survival horror genre, but the combat element has been enhanced and battles are more frantic at times, yet the constant search for useful items slows the game and maintains the dark setting.

The graphics and visuals are outstanding -they've spent a lot of time getting this to look right. Together with the eerie music and sound effects, an atmosphere is created that gives you goose bumps. The music changes when the infected villagers are near, but rather than serving as a warning, it just puts your nerves on end. A lot like the static on the portable radio in 'Silent Hill', you start spinning on the spot looking into the dark for the impending attack. Not as chilling as the previous games, but enough to make me want to watch something fluffy before I go to bed. You really do need to play this in the dark, as is the best way to watch horror movies. Gore is fine, but there's nothing like having your blood run cold.

What really make RE games so special, for me, is the whole 'skin of your teeth' thing. The feeling that you are only just staying alive, only just staying one step ahead. No stockpiles of ammo and health kits and death just around the next corner. This feeling has not been lost to the changes made here. The boss battles are still abundant and still need a couple of plays so you can work out the best way to finish them off. You're going to love 'El Gigante'.

As usual, those nice people at Capcom have kept replayability in mind. Finishing the game unlocks new weapons for a second attempt if you feel like it and also gives you two mini-games to try, Assignment Ada and Separate Ways. I say mini-games, but the two together are almost as long as the main game itself. Both star Ada Wong (also from RE2), and 'Separate Ways', the longer of the two, runs parallel to Leon's adventure. Confused yet? It doesn't really matter. While continuity between all the RE games has been important to Capcom, most casual games take very little notice of this and just enjoy what is in front of them.

Conclusion

Almost everything about this game is an improvement on the already successful series and it's difficult to find anything negative to say about it, apart from the dubious camera controls, which I'm still not fond of. Even the voice acting is a huge improvement on the stilted speech of the first few games. Although, five minutes of listening to the Ashley and I'll guarantee you'll want to let the bad guys keep her and end you mission early.

Screenshot Gallery

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Resident Evil 4
The rebirth of the Resident Evil series. Redesigned and evolved and all the better for it.
Overall Rating:	9 out of 10
ESRB Rating:	Mature (17+)
Publisher:	Capcom
Available for:	PlayStation 2, GameCube