| Resident Evil 4 review |
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They approach - crowds hungry to gleefully tear you limb from limb. In response you do what you can, desperately searching for a way out... your attempts to leave are hopeless, with the village enclosing itself, suffocating any chance of escape. Kicking down ladders and jumping through the nearest window, you board the rest up with furniture to ward off the incoming hordes. But even this proves little use... they flush you out with fire, all the while dodging bullets and organising themselves to surround you as best they can. The weaker remain on the rooftops hurling axes, while those on the ground anxiously prod their pitchforks in your direction. You won't last long, and throughout the panic, you stumble back towards the village entrance.
That's when you hear him... the cold metallic whir accompanying his hooded presence, racing up from behind. Before you've had time to swivel around, the blade has already sliced through neck and bone, marking the glorious return of a blooded 'you are dead' message spread happily across the screen.
Welcome to the emergence of Resident Evil. A new Resident Evil.
By now, many of you will be familiar with the concessions Capcom have made to try and freshen the series' appeal in Resident Evil 4. Gone are the static backgrounds, the locked viewpoints, the door loading, the oft-illogical puzzles and the frustrating inventory management of old. Instead, replacing these flawed systems are those consisting of forethought and intelligence. The game's controls still act very much the same as before, but the reason they work in this re-rigged format is due to the shift to a behind-the-shoulder viewpoint. This is what Resident Evil 4 is – an experience that keeps those elements which have previously worked, and places a modern spin on them through considered measures. Capcom have taken note of successful game constituents implemented elsewhere, and adapted them to the series. You return as Leon S Kennedy, the hero from the second game in the series, working for the secret service in search of the President's kidnapped daughter. There is no Umbrella – there are no zombies. A carefully produced intro and opening section both try to make this very clear.
What quickly becomes apparent with Resident Evil 4 is that it’s succeeded in doing more than just giving the series a stunning facelift. The title is something of a pop-culture harlequin, taking influence from what it sees are the best within a pick 'n' mix selection of films, books and games strewn across a highly varied landscape. Codec scenes (which although cut into the sense of immersion, get to their point sharpish), meticulously designed set-pieces and involving QTEs form the backbone of a title fearless in treading the footsteps others have already made in perfecting their mixture. And what a mixture it is, flinging the player from place to place, maintaining a fantastic pace, and all the while acutely aware of its structure. Action, adventure and horror co-exist inside a cocoon that's produced a striking metamorphosis; something that, under the wrong circumstances, could have been merely schizoid change. The fact the game escapes unscathed is commendable as, throughout the reworking, Capcom have kept the iconic elements we recognise as being ‘Resident Evil’. Aesthetically familiar menu systems, herbs, journals, obvious item placement, head-popping gore and poorly scripted (and acted) characters remain. Certainly, although the atmosphere is enhanced with references to gothic, old school B-movie design, you can't help but feel Resident Evil 4's advancements would have been all the more jarring had it contained characters we could sympathise or relate to.
Whereas early low-budget science fiction/horror cinema dealt with themes relevant to issues of the time (such as Communist paranoia), Resident Evil 4 briefly hints upon relevant social happenings, but never quite expands on them to a convincing degree. The group which has kidnapped the President's daughter, does so out of apparent hatred at the United States in an act of 'terrorism', and Capcom use the impression of people being infected or brainwashed, to propel the idea of how control and misinformation can distort the ways in which we see things, or perhaps, act ourselves. As ever though, the characterisation used to deliver these themes, adheres to the series' rigorously one-dimensional approach in story-telling.
There's a good reason this doesn't hinder the title significantly, as from a structural perspective, our sense of progression is largely formed via set pieces. Resident Evil 4 is perhaps the first of its genre to take hold of the high-concept blockbuster approach and successfully execute it with confidence. For some, the title's focus on action, anxiety and carefully staged high-octane gameplay may sap tension away from the series’ roots, admired for hallmarks such as claustrophobia and terror. If you compare Resident Evil 4 to the PSone original (or GameCube remake), then you find it's less of a slow burner by stripping much of the puzzle dynamic from the core experience.
Ironically, then, the game presents a clear danger to survival horror as we currently know it, in that its advancements potentially have repercussions that may influence others to pursue the same avenues Capcom have used. This is a genre often thought to be suffering from growing stagnation, and Resident Evil 4 has single-handedly grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and dragged the beast into the next-generation.
How does it do this? Through enemies that react to your presence by adapting to movements and choices, and through systems chained together to keep you compelled. The shop system, enabling you to buy, sell and upgrade weapons, encourages you to search out treasure, increasing the urge to explore. In light of this, combat develops importance by leaving you with ammo, money and health after you've fought your way through desolate wastelands. Upgrading your arsenal means key hit zones on enemies become apparent in the way you can obliterate those which stand in your path. No longer are you only able to marvel at the beauty of the landscape... instead, Capcom want you to grab it and flow through to a choice of your making. Whether it be jumping from windows, throwing down ladders, blasting wooden doors or leaping over fences, the environment importantly gives you options in the way you're able to participate. The combat too is wonderfully engrossing, such as how you can shoot items away hurled through the air, due to a laser sight present on the range of handguns available for purchase or to pick up. Even then, to keep the fights engaging, Capcom provide Leon with an aim that can be sometimes unwieldly and difficult to maintain. Throughout proceedings, Resident Evil possesses a kinetic rhythm infecting its sense of action. This is especially true during the boss battles, which are some of the most ingenuously designed you're ever likely to see. As a whole, the game constantly makes you feel as though your actions have impact and effect on those you come into confrontation with.
Much of this is undoubtedly a showcase for violence, but it also keeps the direction fresh and varied. The most obvious indication is in the exquisite presentation that Capcom have used to re-envisage the series from a technical and artistic standpoint. There's little doubt Resident Evil 4's drab, macabre world reflects a quite frankly staggering achievement present in the texture work and architectural design. It's no exaggeration to say the game is streets ahead of the competition in the realisation of a delightful aesthetic. Water, fire, fog, lightning and night all appear in guises that convey a sense of immersion virtually without peer, giving life to environments which otherwise feel decadent and aged. In terms of particle effects and art design, Resident Evil 4 is further demonstration that Capcom are on a level beyond every other developer on the GameCube. It's somewhat of a shame then, to find that to achieve these results, obvious compromises with technology have had be made – through a non-anamorphic letterbox display. Thankfully, it doesn't cut into the experience enough to take away from being rooted and lost inside a world that chews you up and spits you out. The woodlands, villages and farms present an eerie landscape both shocking and inspired in equal measure, and what this helps do is let the violence appear exaggerated in comparison to the surroundings encasing it. Likewise, the sound, (in both music and incidental effects), expertly develops a cohesive and intimidating feel. When you're walking through the forest, and a sinister score kicks in to announce the arrival of your would-be stalkers, then it proves a reminder that you're an outsider – hunted and alone.
Resident Evil 4 is a game that likes you to be aware of its changes. It wants to overpower you with them and provide the impression you can't predict what's going to be next around the corner. Two-thirds of the way in, the experience takes an abrupt twist which marks a return to the series' conventions. We're led into a false sense of security, but even here, the general layout and set-piece development angle themselves to prevent the experience from losing pace. Surprisingly, it's probably one of the longest, yet consistently enjoyable adventures made, and to help matters, upon completion you're awarded with a healthy amount of extras to impel further play. Seldom do games which take your breath away come around in the form that Resident Evil 4 does.
It's easy to get swept up amongst the hype, but it's hard to deny this is arguably the survival horror genre's most significant landmark title since the original Resident Evil itself. Like the game's enemies, the series has had its insides scooped out and replaced. Such transformation is a positive sign that even inside genres that have sluggishly fallen from grace, there can be change for the better. |
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System: Nintendo GameCube
Genre: Survival Horror
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Players: 1
Version: United States
Reviewed: Jan 2005
Writer: Ben Mottershead
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Pros:
- Sumptious state-of-the-art graphics
- Fantastic set-pieces and pacing
- Highly immersive combat system
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Cons:
- Non-anamorphic mode may bother some
- Action-orientated approach detracts from tension at times
- Weak characterisation
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Resident Evil 4 Video: 5.0MB
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